Michael & Regina Quinn

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Quinn, maiden name McLaughlin, was sworn into the Army Nurse Corps by her older brother Francis in 1953. She attributes her service to coming from a large military family. She had three brothers who were active duty in WWII, one in the New Jersey National Guard, and an older sister who was also an Army nurse. She had to resign her commission sooner than expected with the birth of her first child in 1954 in Japan. She talks about her basic nurse's training, how they found out about the uses of saline for burns, and a story about injured soldiers taking care of a civilian. She discusses the advances in medicine and shares a story about a training accident in Boston.

Keywords: Cambridge (Mass.); Carney Hospital; Fort Sam Houston (Tex.); Japan; Medicine, Military; Physicians; United States. Army Nurse Corps

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Quinn's children have followed in her footsteps, one is a Marine medic, another is a Navy Nurse, and one daughter is also a nurse. She practiced nursing at a hospital in Fukuoka, Japan before moving to the dispensary in Camp Wood. She was forced to resign, due to pregnancy, in March of 1954 when she was unable to fit into her uniform anymore. She talks about treating the last two men injured in the Korean War, a yankee breakfast at Fort Benning, and a Lieutenant in an iron lung. She also recalls watching the paratrooper drops at Fort Benning.

Keywords: Fort Benning (Ga.); Fukuoka-ken (Japan); Korean War (1950-1953); Kumamoto-ken (Japan); Military medicine

Subjects: Nursing at Fort Benning; Nursing in Japan

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Quinn talks about what it was like to be a single woman in the military in the 1950s. She discusses living in separate barracks, officer visits, and a trip to "Chad's Rose Room" in Phenix City, Alabama. She describes segregation in Georgia with a story of sitting in the wrong part of the bus and recalls the importance of African American "nannies" in the birthing ward. Mr. Quinn shares what his airborne troops thought of his wife.

Keywords: Airborne troops; Barracks; Columbus (Ga.); Dating (Social customs); Fort Benning (Ga.); Phenix City (Ala.); Segregation; Striptease; United States. Army. Airborne Division, 11th; United States. Army. Airborne Division, 82nd

Subjects: Airborne troops; Segregation; Single women in the military

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Quinn describes the rules the military had for pregnant wives in the 1950s. Mrs. Quinn was given permission to stay in Japan while she was pregnant, though they both had to find living quarters off the base. Mr. Quinn also tells a story about his father visiting Japan to look for the woman who took care of him while he was a prisoner of war.

Keywords: Pregnancy; Prisoner of war; Resignation

Subjects: Michael A. Quinn's visit to Japan; Pregnancy in the military - 1950s

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Quinn was born in 1928 in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He talks about the landscape being very rugged when he was growing up and shares a story about his father finding his sister playing with a five foot rattlesnake outside their home. Mr. Quinn's father washed out of West Point and joined the Philippine Scouts as a trainer. He was promoted and married before he transferred to Columbus, Ohio, where he worked with General Beightler to clean up corruption in the National Guard.

Keywords: Beightler, Robert S. (Robert Sprague), 1892-1978; Columbus (Ohio); Fort Devens (Mass.); Fort Sam Houston (Tex.); Manchuria (China); Philippines; Prisoner of War; United States Military Academy; United States. Army. Philippine Scouts; United States. National Guard Bureau; Wainwright, Jonathan Mayhew, 1883-1953; Wayne, John, 1907-1979

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Quinn started out for 2 years in Marine Fighting Squadron 215 in Olathe, Kansas before he joined the ROTC at the University of Kansas. For a short while he was in ROTC and Marines at the same time. He resigned from the Marines and joined the Kansas National Guard. He entered Lieutenant training at Fort Benning, Georgia where he received Ranger and Airborne training. He was also a member of Special Forces and qualified as a Pathfinder, Master Jumper, and Expert Infantryman.

Keywords: Fort Benning (Ga.); Olathe Air Force Station (Kan.); United States. Army Service Forces. Special Service Division; United States. Army--Airborne troops; United States. Army. Ranger Training Brigade; United States. Army. Reserve Officers' Training Corps; United States. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323; University of Kansas

Subjects: Military training

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Quinn originally joined the Airborne to cure himself of his fear of heights. Strangely he doesn't mind jumping out of airplanes but still hates hot air ballooning. His highest jump was from 8,000-10,000 feet. He shares a sky diving accident that he walked away from, his various injuries, and how he joined the Ohio 19th Special Forces Group.

Keywords: Air shows; Clinton County (Ohio); Proctor and Gamble Company; Skydiving; Special forces (Military science); United States. Army--Airborne troops

Subjects: A close call; Skydiving; Transferring to Ohio

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Quinn shares a story about an accident during an Operation Readiness Inspection in which the Army was assisting the 2494th Air Force Reserve. On April 18, 1964 two C-119, flying boxcars, collided near Melvin in Clinton County, Ohio. Seventeen soldiers and airmen died that day with two survivors, William Kremer and Bill Zugelder, who had been blown clear of the planes. Mr. Quinn is still trying to get a memorial for the Army paratroopers placed near the crash site.

Keywords: Battle hymn of the republic (Song); Clinton County (Ohio); Parachutes; Skydiving; United States. Air Force. Air Force Reserve

Segment Synopsis: The Quinns tell the story of how they met and eventually got married.

Keywords: Catholic schools; Dating; Fort Benning (Ga.); Fort Bragg (Calif.); Fort Leavenworth (Kan.); Leg--Wounds and injuries; Pregnancy; Rehabilitation; United States. Army. Airborne Infantry Regiment, 505th; University of Kansas

Subjects: Dating; Marriage

Segment Synopsis: The Department for Army Civilians helped arrange housing for the Quinns. They lived in a beautiful house with several other military couples. They discuss the Japanese tax on appliances, learning to take cold baths, spiders big enough to talk to, and the "honey bucket brigade." Mrs. Quinn talks about the problems getting good food and describes a time when you could take loaded guns on airplanes.

Keywords: Cottage cheese; Customs; Handguns; Japan; Manual scavengers; Milk; Shinto; Shoji screens; Spiders; Taxes; Woolworths

Subjects: Living in Japan; Traveling

Segment Synopsis: Returning to civilian life the Quinns felt like they were in another world and disconnected from the people around them. Regina talks about her brother Paul's experience in a tank unit in WWII. They share other stories of those they knew who struggled, but ultimately overcame their challenges. Mr. Quinn describes the change of perspective for people in the military and gives some examples from his time training in ranger school. Regina discusses her grandson's struggle with PTSD and his recovery.

Keywords: Doctors; Grenades; Kansas City (Mo.); Kuwait; Parties; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Purple Heart; Thunderbolt (Fighter plane)

Subjects: Adjusting to civilian life

Segment Synopsis: Based on an English system, Operation Gyroscope was a plan to rotate entire specialized units in and out of combat rather than individual replacement soldiers. Mr. Quinn's unit, the 187th, was one of two units, along with the 508th, to test Operation Gyroscope.

Keywords: Big picture: operation gyroscope; Japan; United States. Army. Airborne Infantry, 187th; United States. Army. Parachute Infantry Regiment, 508th

Subjects: Operation Gyroscope

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Quinn talks about his role in Japan as the engineer andP & A officer (Purchasing and Acquisition?). He also explains their mission. His unit was attached to the Marine Corps based in Japan and they were prepared in case there was another riot at Geoje-do prison camp where communist prisoners were being held.

Keywords: Dodd, Francis T. (Francis Townsend), 1899-1973; Kŏje (Korea); Platoon Commander; United States. Army. Airborne Infantry, 187th; Unzen-shi (Japan)

Subjects: Mission; Responsibilities

Segment Synopsis: The Quinns talk about their children and grandchildren's military service. Their oldest son attended West Point and was a High-altitude military paratrooper with 500-700 jumps. Their second son is a Navy Commander in charge of the flight nursing program. The Quinns' third son had 8 years in the National Guard and their youngest son enlisted directly into the Army. They have eight grandchildren who have served in the armed forces and feel phenomenally lucky to have started such a military tradition.

Keywords: Parachuting; Pensacola (Fl.); United States Military Academy; United States. Air Force Reserve; United States. Army; United States. Army. Airborne Division, 82nd; United States. Marine Corps; United States. National Guard Bureau

Subjects: Kids and grandkids military service

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Quinn shares her personal feeling about women in the military. Mr. Quinn talks about the effects of military service and shares a humorous story about falling off a cliff during night patrol. He shares other possibly true stories.

Keywords: Humorous stories; Women soldiers

Subjects: Effects of combat; Humorous stories