Interview of retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu on her career in the military Ruth Stewart: Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu is being interviewed as member of the WOSL of San Antonio Unit, Texas. This is January the 14th, 2004; and the recording is being made at the Army Residence Community. Ruth Stewart is the interviewer, assisted by Carol Habgood and Jim LeMahieu. [00:29] Barbara, tell me a little bit about your early life, like where were you born and where did you grow up? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Salem, Massachusetts. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: 1930-, 26th August 1930. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. [00:42] And you grew up there then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes. I went to grammar school, the, uh, St. Mary’s Catholic School and…as well high school. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. [00:54] And then, what did you do after high school? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I worked at, uh… What’s the name of the place? Almy’s, Almy’s, which was a, uh, uh…what. What’s the word for it? Jim LeMahieu: Department. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Department store. Almy’s Department Store and I worked in the credit department. Ruth Stewart: [1:19] Okay, is that where you got your start at administrative experience? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well, in… Yeah, I went through the, uh, high school… Ruth Stewart: You did a business course there. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: It was called a commercial high school. Ruth Stewart: Okay, [1:30] so that prepared you for that then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes, uh-huh. Ruth Stewart: [1:33] So then, when did you get interested in joining the military? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I always was. [chuckle] And uh, I read in a newspaper… I read newspapers and still do, uh, every day. And Salem, Massachusetts expressed – no, wasn’t expressing – whatever it was. At any rate, uh, uh, I had a good job and I enjoyed the credit department work. I interviewed the customers and took the…filled out the forms. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And uh… Ruth Stewart: It’s a very responsible job. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: It was, yes. Mm-hm. Those were times when people that could do, did; [laughter] or were encouraged to. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And uh, one day I was reading the morning paper and they said we were enlisting – or the United States was enlisting women for the first time since WWII. And so, I said, “Oh, I’ll join the navy”. The navy would not… The navy age limit was 21; and I wasn’t 21. So, a couple days later, they said the U.S. Air Force is, uh, is recruiting at an age that I was eligible for. [chuckle] Ruth Stewart: [2:58] And what year was that? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, let’s see…December, yeah, on December 3, 1948. Ruth Stewart: Okay. [3:12] And so that’s when you went into the air force? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes, mm-hm. They had just separated… Ruth Stewart: [3:17] From the army? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …from the army, mm-hm. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And I was, I was, uh, in enlisted status until July 1971. No, that’s wrong too. That’s wrong. Ruth Stewart: [3:31] But you enlisted as an enlisted person? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes, and I… Ruth Stewart: [3:34] You went in as a buck private, did you? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, yes. Mm-hm. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Then the air force changed the nomenclature. I, uh, I was… I read in the paper that they were recruiting women for, uh, U.S. Air Force… Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …which had been separated from the Army Air Corps. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And uh, I said… They said, “C’mon over”. [chuckle] So I enlist-… Ruth Stewart: [4:03] Did you do the same kind of administrative work there that you – similar to what you’d done… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes, yes. Well I first had to go through basic training. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And then Cheyenne, Wyoming for, uh, administrative, uh, training. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And my, let’s see, I was assigned to – yeah, okay, Colorado Springs Headquarters. Or it was Air Force Headquarters? No, uh, was it [inaudible 4:47] general… James LeMahieu: SAC? LeMay? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: It was to LeMay, yes. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Okay, and I, I went into the service at Colorado Springs and later with the, when the, uh, Korean war developed, they reassigned headquarters to, uh, March Air Base, March Air Force Base. James LeMahieu: It was the 15th Air Force. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: 15th Air Force, yeah. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Okay then, and uh… [5:20] But you spent quite a bit of time then in Colorado Springs, did you? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Until the… Ruth Stewart: [5:26] Until the Korean war? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Until they changed the – they closed Colorado Springs and moved the headquarters to March Air Base in California. Ruth Stewart: [5:34] Okay and you went to, to California then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh, yes. Ruth Stewart: You followed it there? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, mm-hm. Ruth Stewart: Since that was during the Korean war, did you go to Korea at all? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Not that – they were not, uh, sending women to Korea. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: They were nurses, but not to Korea – not, uh, administration. Ruth Stewart: [5:55] So what kind of work were you doing then, in the, at SAC? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I was a secretary. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And, and, what was it called? Uh…not public relations... What was it called? Ruth Stewart: [6:12] But, similar to public relations? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well that’s the, the area. Ruth Stewart: [6:14] You did that type of work? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh-huh. And we, not, I didn’t, but my, my boss was a major who was promoted to lieutenant colonel; and, uh, one of the duties was to, uh, publish the weekly newspaper. Ruth Stewart: Mm. Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: So, I did that too. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And then, uh, let’s see. I… We skipped a whole line. James LeMahieu: That’s okay. Now you’ve got – this is next… OCS Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, then I… When, uh, they started recruiting for, uh, air force, enlisted people to go to OCS… Ruth Stewart: Ahh. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …when we were separated from the army. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And uh, I was, that was 1952. And I graduated 52-C, was the, was the uh, designation, which was the third of four commission. And assigned to Montana. Ruth Stewart: [7:28] So that… Was this a 2nd lieutenant or….? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes. Mm-hm. Yes. Uh, which was a, uh, MATS base at the time. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And uh… Ruth Stewart: 7:52] Well, that was quite an accomplishment then to get through OCS and… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh yeah, yeah. Yep. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was hard work, but… Ruth Stewart: Did, did you go from… Well let’s go back. It was hard work. [8:06] What did they ask of you to do in, in the OCS? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well in the first place, I was in class with people who were college graduates – almost all – which had been a requirement. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: But when they opened it up because of Korea and I was taking off-duty education courses the whole time… Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …at the local college. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: So, I… Ruth Stewart: [8:38] But, what kind of courses did you have to go through? Was it like… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Administrative. Ruth Stewart: Administrative kinds of things. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah. Ruth Stewart: [8:44] Accounting and bookkeeping or… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well, I had had that… Ruth Stewart: …personnel, all of that? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I had worked with that sort of thing at, uh, in civilian life. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: So, I just go into it and made it. Ruth Stewart: [9:02] And how…was that a year course, a one-year course? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh no, not the admin thing. It was a… Ruth Stewart: [9:08] No, I mean the OCS. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, uh, right at a year – nine months, ten months? Ruth Stewart: Close to that anyway. Jim LeMahieu: Twenty weeks, twenty-four weeks, something like that. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, something like that. I can’t remember exactly. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. [9:27] And then did – when you got out, then you went – you told me where you went from there, but I’ve forgotten. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well, after I graduated from OCS, which was Class 52-C… Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …I was assigned to, uh, uh, Montana – Great Falls, Montana. It was a MATS base and had been. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And I stayed in the, I stayed… Ruth Stewart: [9:54 What was your position there? What did you do there? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, I was, uh, in… What was it called? It wasn’t called public relations. Uh… Ruth Stewart: [10:03] Public information? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes, public information [chuckle], PIO, my boss was the PIO. I had several bosses. And then low and behold I read in the Air Force Times they were recruiting for, uh, women to go through the first classes of OCS. Ruth Stewart: [10:27] That’s before that though? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes. Jim LeMahieu: Before that, yeah. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And uh, uh, I went – finished OCS and I was assigned to Great Falls, Montana. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And in 1955, I, uh, volunteered to go to Tokyo with the headquarter. Ruth Stewart: [10:51] That was ‘60- Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: 1955… Ruth Stewart: ‘55 Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …in Tokyo. Uh, I forget what was the name of it? Jim LeMahieu: FEAF. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh, FEAF. That’s right. Far East Air Force. Ruth Stewart: Where? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: FEAF, in, uh, Tokyo. Jim LeMahieu: That was a command. Ruth Stewart: Oh, okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, it was a command. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And then they moved the headquarters to Hawaii. Ruth Stewart: [11:16] Well, why were you in… How long were you in Tokyo then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I think two years, wasn’t it? Ruth Stewart: Quite a while. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: ’55, uh, three… Jim LeMahieu: Two Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Two plus. Jim LeMahieu: Two, two years, yeah. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, two plus. I thought so. Ruth Stewart: [11:32] Okay, what was it like living in Japan, in Tokyo? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: We lived in, uh, a hotel, which was the Daiiti, D-A-I-I-T-I or Daiiti, which was the way it was pronounced. Ruth Stewart: Mm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And then they moved the headquarters to Hawaii. Hated to leave. Tokyo – downtown Tokyo. Ruth Stewart: Let’s not leave Tokyo yet. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Okay. [chuckle] Ruth Stewart: You were living in this, well I can’t pronounce it, you did. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Daiiti. Ruth Stewart: But uh, [12:01] did you get out around in the city or country much? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Everywhere, everywhere. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: You know, it was like New York City. Ruth Stewart: Just a big city. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Railroads and, you know, trains and… I had a ball, just had a ball. [chuckle] Jim LeMahieu: Downtown Tokyo. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Downtown Tokyo, yep. Ruth Stewart: Okay. [12:33] And you did enjoy it then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh my, yes. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I learned all the [laughter] language. Ruth Stewart: [12:34] Did, did you have an apartment, or did you eat… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh no. Ruth Stewart: …. with the mess? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: That, that was, uh, it was just a room, you know, in a hotel. Ruth Stewart: [12:42] So your food was prepared for you? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes, mm-hm. Ruth Stewart: [12L45] And all your laundry and everything was done for you? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Everything was done, yeah. Ruth Stewart: That’s a nice living, isn’t it? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh, it was delightful. [laughter] Ruth Stewart: [laughter] Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I fell into all these good things, really. [laughter] I was very lucky. Ruth Stewart: Very nice. [12:59] And traveled a lot then… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh yeah. Ruth Stewart: …in Japan? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh yes. The railroad station was within a 10 minute’s walk. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And uh, everywhere. And we had, still had all the, uh, the military facilities – all the recreation facilities that had been there during WWII. Ruth Stewart: Oh. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: See, they never let go of’m. All the services… Ruth Stewart: [13:20] So what kind of recreation was there then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well everything. All the army, air force, navy and… Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …was just available. And I took advantage of it. Ruth Stewart: Well that’s good that you could have a… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Absolutely. Ruth Stewart: …have a nice time. [13:40] What was your… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And I took off-duty courses at the colleges, because that was part of the program. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. [13:48] Did you have any interaction with the Japanese people while you were there? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, I had maids, you know, cleaning ladies, and so forth… Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …that were Japanese. And they were, of course, they’d been screened thoroughly. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: So, I really had a good… Ruth Stewart: [14:06] That was a pleasant… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Mm-hm. Ruthe Stewart: …relationship then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes. Ruth Stewart: [14:10] Then you said about two, a little over two years later you went to Honolulu? Or to Hawaii? Which… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Hawaii. Hawaii, yeah. Ruth Stewart: It was Hawaii. [14:25] The whole headquarters was moved to… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah. Oh, yeah. We hated to leave Tokyo. No wait a minute. I didn’t… I went… Jim LeMahieu: You were in the [advance artic 14:36] for the relocation of FEAF. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: That’s right…relocation of Far East Air Force. Ruth Stewart: Ah, okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah. Unfortunately, in Hawaii. Ruth Stewart: Well most people don’t say that about going to Hawaii. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: But I did not – I was not in a position to really take advantage of… Jim LeMahieu: [14:59] How long were you there? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, three plus years. Jim LeMahieu: No, no. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …in Hawaii. Jim LeMahieu: Not in Hawaii. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Tokyo Jim LeMahieu: You, you were… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh yeah. Jim LeMahieu: …you’d transitioned… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah… Jim LeMahieu: …in Hawaii. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …in Hawaii when the headquarters was moving. No wait a minute. Tokyo I was transitioned; they moved the headquarters to Hawaii. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Jim LeMahieu: Right. [15:27] But your… The length of duty at that time for you with the headquarters unit was down to like four months? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes, four or five months. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. [15:42] Jim LeMahieu: And they… Ruth Stewart: And then what, what were you doing during that four or five months? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I was, uh, I was enlisted in, uh, public information. My boss was PIO. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. [15:57] You were still in public information then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Mm-hm, yeah. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Okay. And… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I went to OCS in… Jim LeMahieu: No, [16:09] you’re down… In, uh, ‘57 Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, okay. ‘57 I was assigned to Lackland. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Squadron command for the training squadron. Ruth Stewart: [16:32] What was it like moving from Hawaii to Texas? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I hated to leave Hawaii. I hated to leave Japan; and then Hawaii. [laughter] I hated to leave… Ruth Stewart: [16:44] Well that’s – it’s great that you can grow to like a place so much that then it’s sad to leave it. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah. Ruth Stewart: It’s a lot better that than… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well that’s right. Ruth Stewart: …whoopie-do I’m gettin’ away from here. [laughter] Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, I was always flexible. Ruth Stewart: Yeah. [16:69] So when you came to Lackland then, were you still in public information then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: No, that’s when I, I went to Lackland to go to OCS. Jim LeMahieu: No. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: No, no. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Lackland… Jim LeMahieu: You were squadron commander. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, I was squadron command-, [WADS 17:12] squadron commander. Ruth Stewart: [17:15] And what does that mean? I’m not – I’ve never been in the military, so… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh, okay. Ruth Stewart: …I have to be dumb about these things. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh…highly enlisted women were assigned… And this went back to WWII, uh, were assigned to, to a woman commander, you know. Ruth Stewart; [17:33] Oh, that’s for all the enlisted women in the air force. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: All of the enlisted, yeah. Ruth Stewart: [17:36] And most of them went to Lackland then… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah… Ruth Stewart: …for at least… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well, that was their training, basic training. Ruth Stewart: Okay. [17:45] Was that WAFS – Women in the Air Force? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: It was, as soon as the air force separated from the army. Before that, they were WAC and then – no, WAAC and then WAC. But that was… Ruth Stewart: [18:01] Okay so, you were their commander then in… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes. Ruth Stewart: …for all these young women coming in? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yea, uh-huh. Ruth Stewart: [18:06] Did you do training yourself or… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: No Ruth Stewart: …were you supervising the trainers? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I was the… No…yes, the enlisted trainers. Yes, uh-uh. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. [18:15] So that was a heavy job. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, I think so. [chuckle] Ruth Stewart: Yeah. [18:21] And was that an interesting job for you? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh yes, yeah. I tried to learn and keep up with off-duty education the whole time. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. [18:36] Were there special problems when you – in those early days – when women weren’t necessarily a part of the military culture? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well, they were by the time they separated the services. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: When they separated the services then, uh, we were… Ruth Stewart: Women were more common. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah. Ruth Stewart: We just had a comment from another interviewee about having been discriminated against because she was a woman in a new position, a new area. [19:06] Did you face that at all? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: No, no. I guess I was lucky. [chuckle] Ruth Stewart: Good. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I had good bosses. Ruth Stewart: Good. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I had fantastic bosses. Uh…a major who was, uh, in during WWII – he as a newspaper man; and the, uh, the one that recommended me for OCS was a lieutenant colonel, both had been, uh, in public relations. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. [19:37] And I understand that, that you were in Vietnam and in some interesting situations there. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Mm-hm. Jim LeMahieu: Yeah. [chuckle] Ruth Stewart: [19:44] When did that… Did you volunteer to go there? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes, I did. Yes. I had to go somewhere. I kept volunteering for Europe and I never got it. [chuckle] Ruth Stewart: [19:53] What year was that? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, let’s see… Jim LeMahieu: Over here… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: No, that’s Vietnam in ’67. Jim LeMahieu: That’s what she was [inaudible 20:02]. Ruth Stewart: [20:02] 1967? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Okay, yeah. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, October of ’67. Ruth Stewart: Okay. [20:11] And what were you doing there then? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, well, let’s see. I had been a squadron commander; and then I got promoted. And so, I was in administration. Jim LeMahieu: Personnel… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Personnel services. Ruth Stewart: Personnel services, okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Okay, we can leave her this whole thing. Jim LeMahieu: Yeah. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Yeah, we’ll put that all together in your packet. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah. Ruth Stewart: But, it’s nice to have your voice and telling us how you saw things at that time. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, right. Ruth Stewart: That’s part of what this is all about, Barbara, is getting, getting that down. [20:52] So how was your experience – Vietnam was a pretty horrendous situation. How was your experience there? Tell us about it. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well again, we lived in a hotel – what had been a hotel. And uh, the bad part was when I was a shift worker and had to walk from... [chuckle] I didn’t have enough rank to, to have my own transportation. So, I had to walk to the headquarters. And if it was time for them to drop some bombs, [laughter] I just hid in doorways and so forth – at night. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: It was weird…unique. Ruth Stewart: [21:35] And there were – there was bombing going on most of the time there? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh yeah, yeah. And I would… Ruth Stewart: [21:48] You must have been scared? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh no. Ruth Stewart: No? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I felt, you know, if a bomb is going to hit me, it’s going to hit me [laughter]. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I couldn’t worry about it… Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …or I wouldn’t have done this, all this in the first place. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. [22:02] But it was difficult to go through? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Not really. Not really, because, uh, in the first place I wanted to be there… Ruth Stewart: Okay, you volunteered to go and… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh yes, yeah. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: We had to be volunteered. Ruth Stewart: And they needed you there. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yep, yeah. And let’s see, after Vietnam… Ruth Stewart: Well let’s not leave Vietnam yet. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh, we don’t want to leave Vietnam. [laughter] Ruth Stewart: [laughter] It seems – because there’s so much in our, in our movies and papers and all about Vietnam still. [22:42] Did it affect – while you were there, did it affect any, your idea of war – of war? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh yeah. I’ve never been fond of the war – from WWII blackouts and so forth. And the same things went on… Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: But, you know, you’re there… Ruth Stewart: …do what you do. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …and made the best of it. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: That’s my philosophy, I guess. Okay, what do we want to do? Jim LeMahieu: Tet… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Hm? Oh, the Tet Offensive? Jim LeMahieu: You being interested in Tet. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I could be interested… Ruth Stewart: [23:14] I’ve heard that you were – had something to say about the Tet Offensive. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah. Ruth Stewart: [23:20] Tell me about that. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Well, okay. What I wrote back...was my daily routine never got established after, after, uh, my first [inaudible 23:36] from [Glenn 23:37]. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: They… Jim LeMahieu: [23:42] What was [Glenn 23:41] doing there? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: [Glenn 23:42] was in the newspaper… Jim LeMahieu: [23:47] Okay, where was the place you were staying? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, uh, what was it called? That wasn’t [inaudible 23:53] … Jim LeMahieu: No. No, no. No. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Oh, we had an apartment. That’s right. We had an apartment – a small apartment in Vietnam – or in Saigon. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And when the war started, they canceled all the [bases 24:11] for the newspaper people who had been there any length of time. Of course, they changed it later on… Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: But that was, that was, uh, long after the Tet Offensive. Uh, we were then, after that time, uh, restricted to the base. Jim LeMahieu: Right. [24:40] When Tet happened, where were you? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: In downtown, uh, yeah, Saigon. [chuckle] Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: They canceled [Glenn’s 24:52] visa. And then I got assigned to a billet, shall we say. And then we… Ruth Stewart: But he had to leave… Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: He had to leave Vietnam. Jim LeMahieu: And she was in an apartment when Tet happened. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …when Tet happened. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Jim LeMahieu: [25:19] How long were you there? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: After he left? Jim LeMahieu: No, after Tet – in the apartment? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: I can’t remember. Not very long. Jim LeMahieu: You said three days and you were running out of food. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, because I was running out of food and, and, uh, water. Water was very important because we had to get by with water and it was no longer available. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And I had this all written down for you. Ruth Stewart: Okay good. Well, we’ll include that in our material. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yes, mm-hm. We were restricted to the base. Ruth Stewart: Okay. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And uh, with a curfew. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And had only five hours a day to do shopping and necessary errands. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, all stores and shops were closed and President [inaudible 26:18] declared a martial law. And on the morning of the 31st, I turned on the radio, which was Armed Forces Vietnam Network, to be told about the attack on our embassy in U.S. spaces. We heard that all military personnel would have to remain where they were until further notice. We couldn’t even go to work. At this point, it was sort of a like a ‘no school today’ announcement. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: So, we had nothing to do but stay there and sleep… Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: …and eat within the facility. But it was not, not funny very long. Ruth Stewart: No. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And the radio announcement over the Armed Force’s Network, uh, were to stay inside, so that nobody could… Ruth Stewart: No safe. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, it wasn’t safe. Nobody to guard, so we stayed, stayed there. And at the time, uh, three civilian women were shot by being curious and leaving their facility. Ruth Stewart: [27:37] Americans? Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Yeah, yeah. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And one was on the roof of an American occupied hotel; one was looking out of a window; and the other was peering around the building, not far from our apartment. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Our apartment was, uh, on the main road [Con Lei 27:54] to – uh, from Saigon to the base. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, 10 blocks from the American Embassy building. That afternoon, I watched the beautiful mean cobra helicopters [inaudible 28:18] [laughter] something in the slum area, three blocks from the apartment we were in. And I stood inside the living room and got a good view of where the action was. It was nothing but the noise of war. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: The sky was full of aircraft; helicopters – A-1E’s and C-130’s and jets – and all types of jets. And they circled over the house where the apartment was. And the noise the cobra’s made when they released their rockets, it’s, it’s really unique – fantastic. And later that night, the sky was full of flares, about five times the number we used to see most every night. Artillery fire was continuous; and F-100’s and C-47 [dragon ships 29:21] kept up. We didn’t get much sleep. [chuckle] Ruth Stewart: I’ll bet not. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: All this only a few blocks from the house. The second day and night brought repetition of the early assaults and I could hear [inaudible 29:39] fire burning near the house. Tanks moved up [Con Lei 29:45] – that the street where the where the apartment was going back to the base. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Um, on the third day, the radio informed us – that’s Armed Forces Radio still – informed us we could go to work if we had transportation. If not, we were told to wait until someone picked us up. The street outside was quiet by then and I packed some things and managed to flag a ride – [laughter] sit out in the middle of the street and flagged a ride in a military vehicle; and in my uniform, which was… I was a major at the time. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: And daylight, they just had to stop and let them give me a ride. Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: On uh, [February 31st 30:50] I got back to the apartment and found that our maid hadn’t come back from her Tet holiday. No bus service and we were forbidden to use taxis. So, I managed to catch a ride back to the base. And unfortunately, indications are that we expect to continue – this was a, a letter I wrote… Ruth Stewart: Mm-hm. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: Uh, we could expect continued communist activity for some time. When I returned to our apartment several weeks later to collect my belongings, everything was just as I had left it. Nothing disturbed, nothing taken. Ruth Stewart: Mm. That’s amazing. Barbara Pratt-LeMahieu: It is. They were just amazing people. Should we go back… [end of tape] /al