Gina Freeman

Segment Synopsis: Freeman was born in 1956 in Springfield, Ohio the youngest of five. Her youth was spent playing sports. She joined the Girls Athletic Association in 9th grade and became involved in softball, volleyball, cheerleading, track and field, and basketball. The only varsity sport available to young women in Springfield at the time was gymnastics.

Keywords: Basketball; Cheerleading; Gymnastics; Softball; Sports; Springfield (Ohio); Track and field; Volleyball

Subjects: Childhood; Sports

Segment Synopsis: Freeman's family was patriotic and had a strong history of military service. Her father served in the Army as a Radioman during the Rhineland Campaign in World War II. Her uncle had a career in the United States Air Force. Freeman's mother worked as a machinist in a factory building tanks during World War II.

Keywords: Florida; Machinists; United States--Air National Guard; United States. Air Force; World War II

Subjects: Military service; Mother's war-time service

Segment Synopsis: In 8th grade Freeman thought she would be a stewardess for an airline or join the Womens' Army Corp. She wanted to do something physically engaging. This was supported when in 10th grade she was told by a school guidance counselor that she was not college material. She looked into the military branches and found that the Army was the only one with a recreation services division.

Keywords: United States. Army. Community and Family Support Center; United States. Army. Women's Army Corps; Young Women's Christian Association

Subjects: Army recreation services; Preconceptions

Segment Synopsis: Freeman remembers her experiences at basic training. She vividly remembers on first arriving the drill sergeant yelled: "You ladies are here for one of three reasons, either you're whores, you're lesbians, or you're here to get a husband." She called her father wanting to leave, but he talked her out of it and she came to realize that if she could do this for 10 weeks she could do anything. She recalls realizing how she was different from most of her squad mates, being the flag bearer, and some up lifting words from her drill sergeant.

Keywords: African American women; Basic training (Military education); Fort Jackson (S.C.); Southern States

Subjects: Basic Training

Segment Synopsis: Freeman discusses discrimination and race relations at Fort Benning. She talks about being on the All Army Basketball team, dating her African American Sergeant, and some experience with racism. Freeman explains what it was like before and after women were integrated into the regular army.

Keywords: African American; Basketball; Caucasian race; Dating (Social customs); Discrimination; Fort Benning (Ga.); Interpersonal relations; Interracial dating; Race relations; Racism; Softball; Southern States; Sports

Subjects: Discrimination

Segment Synopsis: Gymcana show, Colonel, Youth Center Director, pool supervisor, Sergeant Russel, Columbus College teaching courses,

Keywords: Columbus State University; Counselors; Gymnasiums; Teaching; United States. Montgomery G.I. Bill; Working with children and adolescents; Youth centers

Subjects: Working at the gym, Supervising the youth center, College

Segment Synopsis: Freeman discusses her time in college and joining the Air Force Reserve. The combination of the Montgomery G.I. Bill and her pay from the reserves Freeman was able to put herself through college without any other support.

Keywords: Arizona State University; Basketball; Biomedical technicians; Ohio State University; Physical education and training; United States. Air Force Reserve; Wright State University; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio)

Subjects: The Air Force Reserve; Universities

Segment Synopsis: As Freeman began working at the youth center at Fort Benning she was freed from other responsibilities to help her focus on the children. She discusses what it was like to work with kids on the base, how those experiences transferred into teaching skills, and receiving the Army Commendation Medal for her service.

Keywords: Fort Benning (Ga.); Latham, Willard; Military uniforms; Physical education and training; Post-traumatic stress disorder; United States. Army--Awards; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Youth centers

Subjects: Being appreciated; Transferable skills; Youth center work

Segment Synopsis: Freeman talks about her experiences with soldiers returning from Vietnam. She explains how poorly the veterans were treated in the 1970s and how her father's generation and later generations dealt with their traumas differently. Freeman compares the responses to PTSD and discusses some stereotypes about women in the military when she served.

Keywords: Agent Orange; Divorce; Homosexuality; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Stereotypes (Social psychology); Suicide; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Women and the military

Subjects: Post-traumatic stress disorder; Supporting veterans; Vietnam veterans; Women in the military

Segment Synopsis: Freeman Played with the All Army Basketball Team for the Installation Management Command Atlantic Region as part of the Amateur Athletic Union. She talks about traveling to play various teams, being stationed out of the Monmouth Barracks, and going to the championships in California.

Keywords: Amateur Athletic Union of the United States; Barracks; Basketball; California; Fort Benning (Ga.); Fort Campbell (Ky. and Tenn.); Fort Eustis (Va.); Fort Lee (N.J.); Fort Monmouth (N.J.); Germany

Subjects: All Army Basketball Team

Segment Synopsis: Freeman talks about her experience running recreation programs at the Ohio State University. She discusses how that led to her current position as Dean of Students at the Columbus Jewish Day School, where she is particularly proud of her gardening programs. In her school she has not seen a lot of kids enlisting in the military, and she explains why not.

Keywords: Columbus Jewish Federation; Doctor of education degree; Facility management; Family recreation; Gardening; Grants-in-aid; Ohio State University; Sports

Subjects: Family Recreation Director; Teaching

Segment Synopsis: Freeman shares a story about playing basketball in Greenwich with the All Army team. She describes how her experience changed when the Women's Army Corp. was integrated into the regular army. The biggest changes were in the living situations since women were no longer required to be in one barracks. She also discusses the typical jobs women had in the Army and whether she would have been interested in a combat role. She reflects on her time in the Air Force Reserve and the option to become an officer.

Keywords: Barracks; Basketball; Greenwich Village (New York, N.Y.); Medical personnel; Ohio State University; Uniforms; United States. Air Force Reserve; United States. Army. Women's Army Corps; Women in combat

Subjects: Basketball in Greenwich; Women's Army Corp, Air Force Reserve

Segment Synopsis: Freeman helps explain the fitness levels of soldiers in the Vietnam Era and compares them with the extremely fit "gym rats" of todays Army. She talked about the training focus of the Army when she was a soldier and why she thinks physical training became so important.

Keywords: Physical education and training; Running; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Weight training

Subjects: Physical Conditioning in the Army

Segment Synopsis: Freeman reflects on her military service and discusses how the Army helped her find her strengths. She talks about the importance of positive support, veterans organizations, how support staff are soldiers too, and the importance of appreciation.

Keywords: Flags--United States; Patriotism; United States. Army; Veterans

Subjects: How did the Army change you; Veterans organizations; What reminds you of your service; What should everyone know about vets