- Collection:
- Veterans History Project: Oral History Interviews
- Title:
- Oral history interview of Max Wayne Torrence
- Creator:
- Bruckner, William Joseph
Torrence, Max Wayne, 1946- - Date of Original:
- 2013-12-09
- Subject:
- Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
UH-1 (Helicopter)
Sikorsky H-54 (Military transport helicopter)
Chinook (Military transport helicopter)
HueyCobra (Helicopter)
Torrence, Robert Dean, 1917-1974
Torrence, Hazel Redmond, 1921-2013
Bunting, Willis R.
Thurman, Maxwell R.
Allen, Teddy G.
United States. Army. Army, 3rd
United States. Army. Field Artillery Group, 214th
United States. Army. Field Force, Vietnam, II
United States. Army. Aviation Company, 295th
Aerial rocket artillery
covering fire
Iron Triangle
155mm self-propelled artillery battery
Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane (Military transport helicopter) - Location:
- Cambodia, 13.0, 105.0
Germany, Mainz Finthen Airport, 49.96817935, 8.14847859452541
United States, Alabama, Dale County, Fort Rucker, 31.34282, -85.71538
United States, California, Monterey County, Fort Ord Military Reservation (historical), 36.65278, -121.80056
United States, California, Solano County, Travis Air Force Base, 38.26845, -121.93373
United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
United States, Georgia, Atlanta Metropolitan Area, 33.8498, 84.4383
United States, Georgia, Chatham County, Hunter Army Airfield, 32.00975, -81.15535
United States, Louisiana, Vernon Parish, Fort Polk, 31.0465776, -93.2054396
United States, Mississippi, Bolivar County, Shelby, 33.95094, -90.76788
United States, Ohio, Logan County, Bellefountaine, 41.5319471, -84.9078464
United States, Oklahoma, Comanche County, Lawton, Fort Sill, 34.6809319, -98.5708846797856
United States, Texas, Dallas County, Dallas, 32.78306, -96.80667
United States, Texas, Fort Wolters, 32.8524756, -98.0309755
United States, Washington, King County, Seattle, 47.60621, -122.33207
Vietnam, Biên Hòa, 10.9569454, 106.8536492
Vietnam, Vinh Phúc, 21.311356, 105.6032944 - Medium:
- video recordings (physical artifacts)
- Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/quicktime
- Description:
- In this interview, Max Torrence recalls his history in the U.S. Army. He describes his father's service in WWII and how he met Max's mother. Torrence enjoyed sports and remembers a normal, happy childhood. After high school, he attended college, but didn't enroll for a second year and was quickly drafted. His parents weren't pleased, but his father's advice was to "do your best." He recalls basic training and his entry into Officer Candidate School. After his first tour, which was stateside, he was interested in helicopters, but in order to attend flight school, candidates had to go to Vietnam. He describes flight school and relates that they were taught "just enough about instrument flying to keep out of trouble." He was later able to get his full instrument rating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He shows a photograph of his helicopter, gives a detailed description of its specifications and abilities and describes the different conditions under which he flew. He recalls the morale of the troops. In aviation units morale was high, but he mentions racial issues in the area of Long Binh. After his tour, he was sent to a Skycrane unit in Germany, the only one in Europe. He did a lot of public relations and air show flying, including in London. He also participated in some recovery work in the North Sea. After Germany, he spent time in a field artillery unit and then attended Command General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth (Kan.), followed by an assignment in a recruiting command. He was later transferred to the Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) while it was still in Atlanta (Ga.). He discusses his retirement from the Army and subsequent career in mortgage banking. He displays a helmet bag with patches on it. Torrence ends the interview by stating that veterans should write their own legacy, not the media, and that he is doing it for his sons and grandchildren.
Max Torrence was an Army helicopter pilot during and after the Vietnam War. - Metadata URL:
- http://album.atlantahistorycenter.com/cdm/ref/collection/VHPohr/id/206
- Additional Rights Information:
- This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.
- Extent:
- 1:08:02
- Original Collection:
- Veterans History Project oral history recordings
Veterans History Project collection, MSS 1010, Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center - Holding Institution:
- Atlanta History Center
- Rights:
-
