West Point Center for Oral History

West Point Center for Oral History The West Point Center for Oral History is the premier oral history archive of the story of the American soldier, in both war and peace.
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This is the official page of the West Point Center for Oral History

The West Point Center for Oral History is devoted to capturing the story of the American soldier in both war and peace. Interview subjects currently include veterans of World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Bosnia, and the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. We also interview anyone whose work or life intersects with the story of the American soldier.

John & Christina Listermann, USMA 87 & 89. He branched Armor & she branched Quartermaster & they served in Germany pri...
01/16/2025

John & Christina Listermann, USMA 87 & 89. He branched Armor & she branched Quartermaster & they served in Germany prior to deploying with VII Corps for Persian Gulf War. Watch: https://westpointcoh.org/interviews/operation-desert-storm-through-the-eyes-of-armor-and-quartermaster-officers
West Point - The U.S. Military Academy
Dean of the Academic Board-West Point
West Point Association of Graduates
Oral History Association

Operation Desert Storm Through The Eyes Of Armor And Quartermaster Officers

John Listermann and Christina (Richter) Listermann both graduated from West Point, John in 1987 and Christina in 1989. Christina’s father was an Army officer and her mom was a nurse. John’s parents were both teachers. John played in the band at an all-boy high school and was leaning towards joining the Marine Corps after graduation. Christina went to high school in Florida, and her father suggested applying to West Point. Arriving at West Point in the summer of 1983, John remembers being confused over who he was supposed to salute. Two years later when Christina joined the Corps, she remembers the stifling heat of R-Day. John was a mechanical engineering major who served on the honor committee. Christina recalls rain on her graduation day and hugging her roommate. On other days, both Christina and John felt that they “belonged there.” John branched Armor, and Christina branched Quartermaster. They met in August 1990 and were married in May 1992, with their church wedding back home following a civil ceremony in Germany. After graduating from the basic course and airborne school, John led a platoon in C Company, 4th Battalion, 66th Armor, before being assigned as the Executive Officer of A Company. After the quartermaster course and airborne school, Christina took charge of a platoon in the Supply Company of 26th Support Battalion. She remembers arriving in Germany a week after the Berlin Wall fell. In the summer of 1990, both trained at Grafenwoehr, and John also trained at Hohenfels. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, “no one knew what it meant.” As they began preparing to deploy to the desert, Christina remembers one conscientious objector in her unit who ended up deploying. John was transitioning from Company XO to Battalion Assistant S3, and while learning a new job had to ensure that the line units were well trained. John was supposed to deploy on the Advanced Party but was scrubbed. Christina remembers deploying on a military aircraft, arriving in the desert at night and conducting a reconnaissance of their staging area in the dark. John had received word that hydrating was important and to drink a lot of water on the plane. The message that was not received was that it was a two-hour bus ride with no stops to the cantonment area, which caused the well-hydrated Soldiers some distress. A week after arriving when the mail caught up to him, John received a letter from Christina warning him not to drink too much before the long bus ride. During their deployment, some of their most vivid memories include living in tents, and the use of porta potties and crude showers. They both recall being concerned about the threat of SCUD missiles and the use of chemical weapons. In the lead-up to combat operations, they conducted ranges and other training to be combat-ready. John describes loading gear on a new tank in his preparations for battle, and Christina remembers watching the bombing from the air war at night. John remembers “very little resistance” when the war started. Christina describes being in convoys, and John remarks about “lots of starting and stopping.” As U.S. forces advanced, they encountered Iraqi families in trucks and Iraqi soldiers retreating, who were told, “Keep going until you see another American.” They recall the most challenging aspect of the war was “keeping up” and “communications.” Christina’s unit suffered no casualties, but in John’s unit, one Soldier was wounded, and SPC Clarence Cash was killed (February 27, 1991). After the cease fire, John’s unit had to recover SPC Cash and destroy Iraqi equipment. Christina kept busy supplying halal food, water, and medical supplies to the POWs. When it came time to redeploy, Christina’s unit was one of the last to arrive at the port, where she finally received her desert camouflage. They both attend all of their West Point reunions, but this interview was recorded at their first Desert Storm reunion. They like the feeling of connectedness that attending reunions gives them. Reflecting on their service in the Army, Christina feels that she contributed something important and continued the family tradition (their son graduated from West Point in ’22), while John was pleased by the country’s reaction including yellow ribbons and care packages. He felt that Desert Storm “brought back” the Army’s reputation. They are both extremely proud to be West Point graduates. Christina likens it to a family with common experiences and John highlights the shared values of academy graduates.

Herb Stern, USMA '41, West Point's Oldest Living Graduate (106 years old) served in the 84th Division during World War...
01/14/2025

Herb Stern, USMA '41, West Point's Oldest Living Graduate (106 years old) served in the 84th Division during World War II, CENTO, & MAAG Indochina. Watch: https://www.westpointcoh.org/interviews/serving-the-nation-in-perilous-times-the-oldest-living-grad-reflects

Serving The Nation In Perilous Times: The Oldest Living Grad Reflects

Herb Stern was born on Christmas Eve 1918 in Baltimore, Maryland. His father had a hardware and building materials business, and his mother was a homemaker. Her brother had been drafted for World War I. He was an only child and enjoyed playing soccer and baseball as a boy. Having always wanted to attend West Point, he attended Columbian Prep School in D.C. and joined the National Guard when he was 16, earning a Civil Service Commission Appointment. Reporting to the Academy in the summer of 1938, he found Beast Barracks to be tough. He recalls living in tents on the Plain and being hazed by Yearlings. During his time as a Cadet, he took horseback riding in Thayer Hall all four years and “detested it.” He performed well militarily and academically, achieving the rank of Cadet Sergeant. He was a fullback on the West Point Soccer team and beat every team in the Ivy League except Penn State. He particularly remembers beating Navy twice and the match against Harvard. Back then, the Corps was arranged by height, and he was in F Company, a “runt” company. Even though he was Jewish, he attended Protestant services during his first two years. When he was a Cow (Junior), the Jewish Welfare Board ensured a Rabbi was available and Jewish services were held in the Old Cadet Chapel. He remembers reading stories in the New York Times after the N***s began expanding into Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway, the Low Countries, and France. Upon graduation, he commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer, but was assigned to flight school, completing Primary before requesting to return to his basic branch. While at Ft. Sill, he met his wife, and they were married in May 1942. He remembers shooting pool in the Officers’ Club when he first heard of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor. In January 1942, he received orders to report to the 8th Division Artillery at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. He first served as a Battery Commander in the 8th Division, but was transferred to the 84th Division, the “Railsplitters,” when that unit was formed in October 1942. He describes taking the Army Ground Force Firing Test and achieving the highest score in the 4th Army. After attending the Advanced Course and Command and General Staff College, he returned to the 84th Division, where he was assigned as the S3 and later the Commander of the 325th Field Artillery Battalion (March 1945). Before deploying to Europe, he remembers doing a lot of shooting and artillery training, and participating in the Louisiana Maneuvers. His unit sailed from New York on September 20, 1944, and before leaving he had dinner with his father. His troop ship arrived in Great Britain on October 1, 1944. He describes being stationed in Basingstoke and on the Salisbury Plain, drawing equipment from a depot, and seeing a classmate in London. Landing in the Netherlands in early November 1944, he recalls seeing artillery flashes in the distance. On November 18th, the 84th Division entered combat at Geilenkirchen, Germany, north of Aachen. Remembering the Battle of the Bulge, he states that he had “never seen so much confusion.” Facing a German armor unit, he orchestrated firing on it with 10 battalions of artillery. Following the Bulge, he recalls organizing as combat teams and “moving pretty fast.” Eventually, he commanded a group of two Artillery Battalions. Once, when the 325th was displacing, a German tank unit caught them, and his gunners had to resort to direct fire with their 105mm artillery pieces. As his unit advanced, they crossed rivers and canals, encountered civilians, and in April 1945, liberated a slave labor camp containing 3000 emaciated Jewish women. Reaching the Elbe, he crossed the river and drank for three days with the Soviets. By the end of the war, he was guarding the Swiss border, focusing on stopping smuggling, and training for a deployment to the Pacific. When the war against Japan ended, he became one of three U.S. students at the Ecole Superieur de Guerre in Paris. From 1946 to 1947, he was assigned to the 60th Field Artillery in the 9th Division as part of the Constabulary Force in Southern Bavaria and was responsible for repatriating displaced persons. By this time, his wife and daughter were able to join him. Even though Munich and Frankfurt were in rubble, Augsburg was in good shape. Part of his assignment involved the de-N**ification of the area, and he removed any local officials with party ties. In 1947, he returned to the United States and was stationed at Ft. Monroe, serving in the Office of the Chief of Army Field Forces under General Devers. From 1950 to 1951, he was assigned to MAAG (Military Advisory and Assistance Group) Indochina with the mission of supporting the French military and helping resource supplies and equipment (such as M48 tanks). During this time, he was able to travel through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. In 1951, he returned the States to serve as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics in the Department of the Army. In 1954, he attended the Army War College before reporting to NATO CINCSOUTH in 1955, where he worked on defense plans for Eastern Turkey. From 1958 to 1961, he served on the Joint Advanced Study Group for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which he called “an assignment out of heaven,” envisioning what the Army would look like 20 years in the future. In 1961, he took command of the 2nd Training Regiment at Ft. Carson, Colorado, in charge of battalions of Infantry and Field Artillery Advanced Individual Training. In 1964, he was assigned to CENTO (Central Treaty Organization) in Ankara, Turkey. CENTO consisted of officers from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, although by March 1959, Iraq had withdrawn from the alliance. In that assignment he worked in the Plans Division, working for an Iranian Colonel, who he felt was dishonest. In 1966, he was assigned as the Chief of Advanced Studies at the Army War College. This was at the height of the Vietnam War, and he “never agreed with what we were doing in Vietnam” because “we had no business being there.” In 1968, he retired from the Army and took over the family business, Home Furnishings Corporation. He felt this was his biggest mistake because he did not like the ethics of the business world. In 1973, he served as the Vice President of Property Management, a position he held until 1983. Reflecting on his career, he notes that he “served in perilous times and helped maintain the nation.” At the end of the interview he states that the Academy “taught me ethics, honesty, and devotion to duty.”

West Point - The U.S. Military Academy
Dean of the Academic Board-West Point
West Point Association of Graduates
Oral History Association

Pete Selleck, USMA 77, shares his family's West Point history, talks about his time at USMA & in the Army, & describes...
12/12/2024

Pete Selleck, USMA 77, shares his family's West Point history, talks about his time at USMA & in the Army, & describes his leadership at Michelin. Watch: https://www.westpointcoh.org/interviews/where-the-rubber-meets-the-road-leading-in-the-army-and-at-michelin

Dean of the Academic Board-West Point
West Point - The U.S. Military Academy
West Point Association of Graduates

Both Pete Selleck and his wife come from a distinguished line of West Point graduates dating back to 1905. His great grandfather was COL Charles Daly, USMA 1905, who played three years of football at Harvard before attending West Point, becoming a 5-year All American football Player. His paternal grandfather, COL Clyde A. Selleck, USMA 1910, served 37 years, fought in the first ground battle of the Pacific war with the 71st Philippine Army Division, and survived the Bataan Death March. His maternal grandfather, COL Robert Totten, USMA 1933, served in the Air Force. His father, COL Clyde A. Selleck, Jr., USMA 1952, served as a District Engineer, and was classmates with Pete’s future wife’s (Nancy) father, COL Edward N. Eckert. Pete was born in July 1955, at the Valley Forge Hospital and grew up in Germantown, Pennsylvania, among other places, with his two younger siblings. His parents met at Sandhurst in England. As a boy, Pete enjoyed playing baseball, basketball, soccer, and golf. He also earned the rank of Eagle Scout for a project upgrading the scout building at Carlisle Barracks. Part of his childhood was in France, and he remembers attending a French Catholic school. His fluency in French later helped his career in business. In high school at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he was involved in student government and the Key Club. He recalls his father’s two deployments to Vietnam (67-68 and 71-72), noting his mother’s grace under pressure and the fact that his father wrote a letter home every day. When he accepted his appointment to West Point, he knew the Army was “serious business.” R-Day changed him from a child to an adult in one day, and he was determined to do his best. He enjoyed field time during summer training and felt that he had good leaders during Beast. Remembering Yearling summer at Buckner, he appreciated learning about the different branches. He also completed flight school at Ft. Rucker one summer, learning to fly the OH 58. He did well academically and militarily, focusing on Civil Engineering and serving as the First Regimental Commander, but the Department of Physical Education was a challenge for him. He was in Company I-1 for the first three years, scrambling to A-1 as a Firstie. He started dating his wife as a Cow, and she came to Ring Weekend, which was held in April of their Cow year. He was involved in a number of extra-curricular activities, playing soccer as a Plebe, singing with the Catholic Choir, mentoring young scouts on the Scoutmaster Council, and participating in Class Governance, including helping to negotiate the $5,000 Cow Loan. During the spring of his Cow Year the EE 304 Electrical Engineering cheating scandal broke, and he describes how it “kept ballooning,” noting “it was terrible.” In the summer of 1976, the first women arrived at the Academy, and Pete was the 1st Detail Beast Regimental Executive Officer. He remembers the pressure and visibility in Beast that summer, remembering that “people were afraid to treat women like male new cadets.” He describes the first group of women Cadets as “tough” and “brave.” He commissioned as an Engineer Officer because he liked the civil engineering jobs and the fact that the Army Corps of Engineers serves the nation. His basic course was at Ft. Belvoir, and he completed Ranger school and Airborne school during the winter of 1977-1978. In 1979, he married his wife Nancy, who earned a teaching degree from the University of Kansas. From 1978 to 1982 he served in 4th Engineer Battalion in the 4th Infantry Division, where he commanded B Company from 1980 to 1982. He recalls that in the late 70s, the NCO Corps was broken from the War in Vietnam, but he saw improvement in the early 80s. One of his missions was reinforcing Germany in the event of a Soviet attack, and he participated in REFORGER 1981 (Return of Forces to Germany), where his mission was blowing up bridges to limit the mobility of Communist forces. He describes interacting with Colin Powell as his Brigade Commander. After company command, he transitioned to the Army Reserve, which was a difficult decision to make, and he commanded the 447th Chemical Reconnaissance Detachment based out of Greenwood, South Carolina, after the Chemical Advanced Course. He also served as a local recruiter for West Point and ROTC, and was a Military Academy Liaison Officer for 19 years, assisting over 70 candidates from North and South Carolina in gaining admittance to the Academy. He continues to help candidates from South Carolina because he wants them to “feel cared for” on their journey to West Point. In 1982, he joined the Michelin company, serving over 35 years in manufacturing and management positions in Greenville, South Carolina, and Clermont-Ferrand, France (his family spent over eight years in France). During his time with Michelin, he managed manufacturing plants and served as the COO of the North American Passenger Car Tire Division, the COO Of the European Passenger Car Tire Division, and the President of the Global Truck Tire Division before serving as the Chairman and President of Michelin North America. In 1987, he earned an MBA from Clemson University. He discusses leadership lessons he learned at West Point and how his style matured in the Army and in industry, noting, “You have to like and respect the people who work for you.” He served as the first President of the West Point Society of Upstate South Carolina and on the West Point Association of Graduates Board of Directors for 9 years, including chairing the Finance Committee. He is the Vice President of the Class of 1977 and has been active in bringing former classmates back into the ’77 family. Near the end of the interview, he talks about his daughter Lindsey and son Christopher. In 2007, his son graduated from West Point and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan as an Engineer (route clearance Platoon Leader) before earning an MBA at Duke University. Finally, he reflects on his faith, his service, and what West Point means to him, noting it is his “north star,” and “we will be buried here.”

Rolfe Arnhym, USMA 53, discusses his Cadet experiences, and his service around the world with the Army, including assign...
05/30/2024

Rolfe Arnhym, USMA 53, discusses his Cadet experiences, and his service around the world with the Army, including assignments in Germany, Korea, France, and Vietnam. After retiring from the Army in 1974, he went on to a successful business career. In 1983, he brought the Army Navy game to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena!

Watch: https://www.westpointcoh.org/interviews/don-t-follow-a-single-track-adapting-leadership-lessons-from-west-point-and-the-army-in-the-business-world

West Point - The U.S. Military Academy
West Point Association of Graduates
Dean of the Academic Board-West Point

Rock Marcone, USMA 86, reflects on his Cadet experiences (to include USMAPS, and Sprint Football), and his Army experien...
05/30/2024

Rock Marcone, USMA 86, reflects on his Cadet experiences (to include USMAPS, and Sprint Football), and his Army experiences, touching on Desert Storm, I-2 TAC, and leading Task Force 3-69AR in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Watch: https://www.westpointcoh.org/interviews/you-d-better-make-something-of-this-commanding-an-armor-battalion-in-the-invasion-of-iraq

West Point - The U.S. Military Academy
Dean of the Academic Board-West Point
West Point Association of Graduates
Army West Point Athletics

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Center For Oral History, US Military Academy, Department Of History
West Point, NY
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