Veterans' Voices: Untold Stories

Series produced by Ampers

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Memories and stories from Minnesota Veterans

Memories and stories from Minnesota Veterans. Made possible with support from the MN Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.


30 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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December 2012, Stephen Rocheford asked a senior officer if the army would advertise for LGBTQ recruits in his magazine Lavender. The Army gave it a...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Lina Knox, Minnesota National Guard, spent her first deployment at Balad Air Base in Iraq. The base had a nickname – Mortaritaville – because of th...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Ron Brodigan (Navy 1959-60) talks about how difficult it was to grab a nap aboard his aircraft carrier. Here’s Britt Aamodt.

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
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Richard Ekholm served aboard an aircraft carrier that housed 5,300 Navy and Marines. This was during the Vietnam War, when service members were cou...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
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In Vietnam, Louis Hubbell’s Air Force job was to repair the autopilot system. Sometimes he’d hitch a ride with the Army into town for some R&R. Her...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Iraq War vet Davalance DePoe talks about PTSD and the healing he’s found through the VA and his spiritual practices. Here’s Britt Aamodt.

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
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When Dennis Krivinchuk returned from Vietnam, he didn’t talk about his service. Vets were being labeled baby killers. Having a daughter changed his...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
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After she was discharged from the Air Force for being gay, Cindy Strange decided to go on with her life. Then the military repealed Don’t Ask, Don’...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Stephen Rocheford never told anyone he was gay. But his superior officer, after promoting him to staff officer, said Rocheford was the best man for...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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In 2007-08, Lina Knox was on deployment overseas. She was stationed with the Minnesota National Guard. In her free time, she also finished the seni...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Fran White entered the US Army in 1969. She worked for a colonel, who was particular about red pens. She also did a lot of latrine duty. But her ti...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Ron Brodigan (Navy 1959-60) and his fellow crewmembers spent months at sea aboard the USS Intrepid, visiting ports in Spain and Cuba. Here’s Britt ...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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For his entire four and a half years in the Marines, John Hill was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. That’s where he learned how important t...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
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Even though the military didn’t want gays to serve, they served anyway. Lina Knox was surprised to find dozens of LGBTQ service members in her firs...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: courtesy of Davalance DePoe
With the 82nd Airborne, Davalance DePoe participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. His unit secured three bridges during the Battle of Samawah. Her...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Stephen Rocheford encountered a Soviet terrorist gang at his base in Germany. They cut the wires and were attempting to sneak their way on base whe...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Army veteran Dennis Krivinchuk recounts his tour in Vietnam, fighting the North Vietnamese Army in the A Shau Valley and Con Thien. Here’s Britt Aa...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Ron Brodigan was part of the maintenance division aboard the USS Intrepid in 1959. He discusses the man facets of his office job aboard ship. Here’...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Lina Knox met a sassy sergeant on a deployment in Iraq. Years later, she connected with her on Facebook. And now that sassy sergeant is her wife. H...

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  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1
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Cindy Strange had a girlfriend in the military. But she didn’t tell anyone. It was the era of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. She didn’t want to get kicked...

Bought by WGZS


  • Added: May 15, 2023
  • Length: 01:30
  • Purchases: 1