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Catalog number: VIS 201.0807
This interview is conducted by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Atlanta Branch.
In this interview, John Cummings recalls his experiences serving in the United States Army before, during, and after the Persian Gulf War. He describes his family and explains how and why he enlisted in the Army in 1979 in a delayed entry program. He was selected for drill instructor training and describes the process of taking raw recruits and turning them into effective soldiers through basic training. He was sent to Germany and describes an African American battalion commander there who became a role model for him. He was deployed to Saudi Arabia when Desert Storm began and describes several incidents during the war including wearing "MOPP" suits (Mission Oriented Protective Posture); learning that an Iraqi unit had broken through their lines; helping a panicked fellow soldier adjust to combat conditions; and flying over the infamous "Highway of Death" in Kuwait. He describes the ways in which soldiers could communicate with home including video greetings, free postal mail, and phone banks set up for weekly calls home. He describes returning home and why he decided to leave the military after his brother passed away. He joined the Air National Guard to finish his 20-year career. He describes his post-military career and activities, including working with the Disabled American Veterans; his own struggle with PTSD; encouraging other veterans to claim their rightful benefits; and raising his children.