Reinhold Hill, Communications
It is with pleasure that I report on my research results to the Research and Creative Work Office. The Research and Creative Work Office provided funding for my proposed project of collecting oral narratives from Utah reservists who served in the Persian Gulf. I began work on the project in January.
Contacting reservists who were interested in sharing their stories was not as easy a task as anticipated. The first major obstacle encountered in contacting reservists came from the military: The military was unable to provide lists of individuals who served in the Gulf because of the Privacy Act. Most of the services recommended that I file for the information under the Freedom of Information Act. Nonetheless, the Public Affairs officer for the 96th ARCOM was willing to distribute questionnaires to units who had members serve in the Gulf.
In February, I sent out the requested fliers and received back five (5) positive responses. A copy of the questionnaire is on file in the Office of Research and Creative Work. I was able to contact the individuals who responded and begin interviews. The interviews resulted in many pages of unedited manuscript which I must still convert into publishable form. The individuals who participated in the interviews were asked to sign releases, an example of which is on file in the Office of Research and Creative Work. In addition to the interviews, the reservists provided me with pictures of their experiences in the Persian Gulf.
Unfortunately, the only responses I received were from members of the 321 st Medical Detachment in Salt Lake City. Nonetheless, the members of this unit were directly involved in the Persian Gulf Conflict, and ensuing activities in the Gulf. Their stories are inspiring and heart-wrenching.
Without the aid received from the Research and Creative Work Office, I would have never been able to pay the costs associated with this project including: travel and lodging costs, film processing, recording equipment, copies, mail and phone costs. Nonetheless, I do have a recommendation on funding for the office. Because funding was disbursed as a scholarship, it atl’ected my financial aid package. Initially, the funding would not have paid for any costs beyond what I already had allocated for schooling. Nonetheless, the Financial Aid Office increased my cost of schooling, thereby allowing me to pay the costs associated with the project. It would be better if the Research and Creative Work Office was able to disburse the funding directly to the students involved.
I have grown from my participation in this program. The experience gained will be a valuable asset as I pursue my graduate program in folklore at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. The program allowed me to gain experience that is usually unimaginable to an undergraduate.