A veteran of Army Combat Engineers, William “Willy” Bitz talked about his experiences in basic training, in combat in Vietnam, and his life after his military service ended. Bitz relates the story of serving as the escort for the body of a friend after he was killed in action.
This oral history was recorded in Bismarck, ND on August 3, 2017. The interview was conducted by Bob Dambach of Prairie Public Broadcasting as part of the Prairie Memories The Vietnam Years project.
Production funding provided by the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, The North Dakota Humanities Council, WETA, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by the members of Prairie Public.
About the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund
In 2008, Minnesota voters passed a landmark piece of legislation — the Minnesota Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment — which provided funding to public television stations serving audiences in Minnesota. Its mission is to help preserve and document the treasures of culture, history, and heritage that make Minnesota special, and to increase access to the natural and cultural resources we all share.
Funded in part by the North Dakota Humanities Council, a nonprofit, independent state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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