Oral History Interview with Robin L. Culbertson

[Interview Begins]

BOWERS HEALEY: All right. Today is July 31st, 2023. And this is an interview with Robin Culbertson, who served in the United States Army in the Reserves and on active duty from 1989 to 1997. This interview is being conducted by Ellen Healey in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Oral History Program. No one else is present for this interview. All right. Would you tell me what your full name is? Include your middle name and any name you may have used as your surname.

CULBERTSON: Robin Lea Culbertson.

BOWERS HEALEY: And Lee is spelled L-E-E?

CULBERTSON: L-E-A.

BOWERS HEALEY: L-E-A. Okay. All right. Thank you. And Robin, tell me a little bit about where you were born and where you grew up.

CULBERTSON: I was born in [XXXX] and about the age of six, we moved to 00:01:00Sutherland, Nebraska.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And is Sutherland, Nebraska primarily where you grew up?

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: All right.

CULBERTSON: Yes, it is.

BOWERS HEALEY: You went to school there?

CULBERTSON: I went to school there.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And tell me a little bit about your schooling.

CULBERTSON: Well, I went to K through 12. It was all in one building in the school. My kindergarten class was forty. My senior class was twenty-four. I was involved in-- when I was in elementary school, I did spelling bees. And I actually got to be on TV in the eighth grade for a spelling bee. Didn't make it very far. But I was in the spelling bee. And then when I got in junior high, I did volleyball, basketball, and track and chorus and drama.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And how about high school?

CULBERTSON: High school, I did the same sports activities until my younger 00:02:00sister started playing sports as well. And so, she did volleyball. I didn't play volleyball, but I loved basketball. So, we both played basketball. She was a better athlete than me. But I love basketball, so I wasn't willing to give that up.

BOWERS HEALEY: Sutherland, you said there were forty in your kindergarten, and you named the number, kind of a small graduating class. What's the population of Sutherland, Nebraska?

CULBERTSON: I believe when we first moved there, it was like, just over 700. Now, in 2023, they have about 1,400 in the town.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And what part of Nebraska is Sutherland in?

CULBERTSON: It is four hours from Denver. It's almost the middle of the estates. The middle of Nebraska.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: So, it's about four hours west of Omaha, Nebraska.

BOWERS HEALEY: And you graduated from high school?

CULBERTSON: I graduated from high school in Sutherland in 1989.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And what made you or what motivated you to join the military?

CULBERTSON: Well, I wasn't planning on joining the military. The recruiter came to our school, and then I just said I was just going to go see what he had to say because I wanted to get out of class. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. You remember what class you got out of?

CULBERTSON: I believe it was algebra, 'cause I didn't like math. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And what branch of service was the recruiter from?

CULBERTSON: United States Army Reserve. Well, I guess just Army. But I don't think he was just a reservist. But it was the United States Army.

BOWERS HEALEY: And was that in your junior year or your senior year or what?

CULBERTSON: It was in my junior year that he came to my school.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: And then so, it was the-- 1988. But my basic training didn't start till '89, until after I graduated.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Tell me a little bit more, if there's more to tell, about the recruitment process since you made contact in your junior year. What, if any, contact did you have with the Army recruiters for the next year or so?

CULBERTSON: They sent me to-- from North Platte, Nebraska, to Omaha, to-- I believe it was at-- I want to say Offutt Air Force Base so that we could do our physical, to make sure we were okay to be in the military and then do the ASVAB testing to see what job. And I believe it was in-- at Offutt Air Force Base. I could be wrong because it was a long time ago, but.

BOWERS HEALEY: And that was in your senior year of high school or when?

CULBERTSON: That was my senior year.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And when you said physical, does that include running and 00:05:00sit ups and pushups or no, they were checking--

CULBERTSON: It did not. It was just with a doctor, and they just made us do different exercises and testing.

BOWERS HEALEY: During the recruitment process, did anybody from the recruiting station ever have you go out and do the run to see if you could do a run or pushups or pull ups?

CULBERTSON: He did not. No.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. What were the requirements? Did you know what the physical requirements were in terms of his fitness test?

CULBERTSON: Not-- I didn't know that until after I got to basic training.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And after you graduated from high school, how long before you actually went to basic training?

CULBERTSON: It was about two weeks after I graduated from high school.

BOWERS HEALEY: So, when you graduated from high school, you were pretty sure you were going to go into the Army?

CULBERTSON: Yes, I had already signed the-- had already signed the paperwork 00:06:00before I graduated.

BOWERS HEALEY: And were you eighteen?

CULBERTSON: I was eighteen.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: I was-- actually, I was nineteen when I graduated.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And something that I was asking you about your schooling but tell me a little bit about your family as you were growing up in Nebraska.

CULBERTSON: It was-- in Nebraska, it was my mom, my stepdad, my little sister Kim, and my little brother Michael. Uh, he was an infant, Kim was two, and then I was six. So, he might not-- actually, he might not have been born right away because I think we were there two years and then he was born, so. Yeah, we got there when I was six years old and then it was-- so, I think it was just me and my sister and we lived in a trailer because my stepdad had moved there first because he had found a job, uh, building a power plant, Nebraska Public Power 00:07:00District. And then after that, uh, my grandma, which is my stepdad's mom, she drove us from South Carolina to Nebraska in her RV. I think a little Winnebago. [Laughs] We liked that because we could be up above the-- where they were driving in the little bed thing. Um, but yeah, so when we got to Nebraska, we lived in the trailer, and I think it was-- we got there in the summer and my mom had never seen snow and obviously neither had my sister and I. And then they got hit really hard that winter and my mom wouldn't let us go outside [laughs] because we didn't have any coats, so we were not prepared. And then that following-- during that summer, after we moved to Sutherland, they had a really 00:08:00bad tornado and it ripped off the front of our trailer and my mom made my dad buy her a house. [Laughs] Because she's like, I'm not doing the trailer anymore. It's not safe.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. All right. So, two weeks after high school, you went to basic training. And when you went to basic training, had you made a decision or was it in your contract that you were either going to be reserves or active?

CULBERTSON: It was-- I was a reservist. I had signed up to be in the United States Army Reserves.

BOWERS HEALEY: And why did you decide reserves as opposed to active?

CULBERTSON: Because I had never been away from home. And so, I thought this was a good thing to do, to help like, get my-- just a career started in anything.

BOWERS HEALEY: And when you started your contract, did you have a military occupational specialty designated or you didn't know what you were going to be 00:09:00trained in?

CULBERTSON: Yes, I did.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. What was that?

CULBERTSON: It was a 57E, which is a laundry and bath specialist. So, we would set up washer and dryer units in the field and shower units in the field. So, it was as soldiers got deployed, then we would go over there and set up the washer and dryers in the shower unit so that they could get their laundry done and take showers.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Well, thanks for that explanation of a 57E. Let's go back to basic training. Where did you do your basic training?

CULBERTSON: I did my basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

BOWERS HEALEY: And how long was that?

CULBERTSON: It was about two months. Eight weeks.

BOWERS HEALEY: And what was your first impression of basic training?

CULBERTSON: When I first got there, it was really scary because we got there really late at night and the drill sergeants were yelling at us to move faster 00:10:00and it was insane.

BOWERS HEALEY: Had you talked to anybody at all about going into the service?

CULBERTSON: No. I did not.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Have any idea from TV or movies as to what the Army was going to be like?

CULBERTSON: I did not. I had seen M*A*S*H. That was pretty much my intro to the military.

BOWERS HEALEY: All right. And other than being scary with the DIs [drill instructors] yelling at you, what other impressions did you have or experiences during basic training?

CULBERTSON: Well, once I got a little bit more used to it, I really loved the running and singing cadences. That I could probably run forever, singing cadences, because you don't think about being tired or being sore.

BOWERS HEALEY: All right. And you didn't have any difficulty with it, I take it?

CULBERTSON: No, I did not.

BOWERS HEALEY: Anything else you remember about basic training that sticks out? 00:11:00Either an instructor or maybe your bunk mates?

CULBERTSON: One of my drill sergeants, and I can't remember his name, but every Sunday morning, he would come in and he would be singing gospel music, and we would still-- we would be sleeping. And my bunk was right by the drill sergeants. And he said, "Culbertson, wake up!" [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. All righty. So, after basic training, well, when you graduated from basic training, were your parents able to come or not?

CULBERTSON: No, no one was able to come sadly.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. All right. And after basic training, did you go right to your next school or did you-- did you go to school?

CULBERTSON: I did. I went right to my next school in Fort Lee, Virginia.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And what was your experience like there?

CULBERTSON: There, it was a lot more relaxed than it was in basic training. They 00:12:00gave you some freedom, but we just learned how to set up the washer and dryers and the shower units in the field. And then we would learn to-- how to take like, the info for the people's laundry so that they wouldn't get lost. So, we would tag it and everything.

BOWERS HEALEY: How long was that training?

CULBERTSON: It was August to September. I think like, six weeks. Six to seven weeks.

BOWERS HEALEY: And after you complete-- you completed the training, um, what was your rank when you completed the training for the laundry specialist?

CULBERTSON: I was an E-2.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And where did you go from there?

CULBERTSON: Then I went back to Nebraska.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And tell me about what you did back in Nebraska with respect to the Army.

CULBERTSON: We did our weekend drills. We'd go two days during, like, at least 00:13:00one time a month. We would go-- oh, no, it was-- maybe it was every weekend. I don't know. [Laughs] Well, we would go on the weekends, and we would just have formation. And I don't really-- I think we just screwed around a lot. I mean, goofed around a lot.

BOWERS HEALEY: Yeah. Okay. And where did you have to go for your weekend drills?

CULBERTSON: Uh, North Platte, Nebraska. And it was the 1013th Quartermaster. 1013th Quartermaster in North Platte, Nebraska. So, it was about twenty miles from the town I was living in.

BOWERS HEALEY: Oh, okay, just twenty miles.

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. How did you get there?

CULBERTSON: I drove.

BOWERS HEALEY: You have a vehicle yourself?

CULBERTSON: I did. My dad helped me buy a 1989 Ford Granada. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And in addition to drilling on the weekends, did you have another job or not?

CULBERTSON: I did not. I was looking, but there just wasn't anything in a very small town and not having a high school-- or not having a college degree, it was very hard to get something. So, I talked to my parents and that's when I decided I would go active-duty Army.

BOWERS HEALEY: While you were still a reservist, did your unit ever get activated and go anywhere? Or was it just weekend drills?

CULBERTSON: We didn't get activated to go anywhere, but we did go to-- think they called it Camp Rapid, South Dakota, for two weeks for our annual training. And we would set up everything out there because it was like a-- like a field exercise. So, it was as close as we were going to get to being in war time at that time. And the ones that were new, they call us newbies, they had this thing 00:15:00where they would take and throw them in a 2,000-gallon tank of water. I was determined, I was not going to go in that tank. I took off running and then I didn't get thrown in. But the only reason I didn't get thrown in was I tripped over a tent stake and bruised my right thigh. [Both laugh]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. By this time, it was-- well, how long did you stay in? Just the reserves.

CULBERTSON: Till the middle of 1990.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And at that time, by middle of 1990, peace time?

CULBERTSON: It was still peace time. Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And you decided to go active when?

CULBERTSON: They sent me-- well, by June or July in 1990, and I had to go and take the ASVAB again to see what I would qualify for this time. And then I got a 00:16:0075F, which was personnel information systems management specialist. For short, they called it PISMS. [Laughs] But--

BOWERS HEALEY: what's the acronym for that? P-- what?

CULBERTSON: P-I-S-M-S.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: And I had to go to training, and I got sent-- it was in Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.

BOWERS HEALEY: Did you go to Fort Benjamin Harris almost immediately, or when did you attend Fort Benjamin Harris?

CULBERTSON: It must have been like, right away in like, June or July, because I think it was September that I ended up being sent to Germany.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. 1990, August, if I'm remembering, there was an invasion in Kuwait. Did that enter into your being activated or where you were sent or not?

CULBERTSON: There-- It was going to. There were like units like right near us that were sent. And some of us were going to be attached to other units and go over like, not our whole company, just some of us. And I was all ready to go. And then they revoked that, and I didn't get sent.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. So, you were sent to Germany. Where did you go in Germany?

CULBERTSON: Uh, a very small town called Schwetzingen. S-C-H-W-E-T-Z-I-N-G-E-N.

BOWERS HEALEY: Thank you for spelling that. Okay. And what unit were you attached to there?

CULBERTSON: It was 1st PERSCOM, 1st Personnel Command, and they called it PERSCOM. P-E-R-S-C-O-M.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And so, that was your first experience in the personnel MOS?

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. What was your day-to-day activity like there?

CULBERTSON: We would get up and do PT in the morning, like 5:30, I think it was, and for about forty-five minutes. And then we would go back to our barracks and get ready and then we would report to Kilbourne Kaserne. Do you want me to spell that?

BOWERS HEALEY: Go ahead. Yes, please.

CULBERTSON: K-I-L-B-O-U-R-N-E. And Kaserne is K-A-S-E-R-N-E.

BOWERS HEALEY: Great. How large was this town and the kaserne? How many-- were there people, German civilians there? And how many soldiers were there?

CULBERTSON: We had German gate guards. I don't know how many soldiers were there, but there were four barracks. And there was the band and the chorus. There was people who did like, the maps and stuff. And then there was 1st PERSCOM and then EPMD. But I didn't really-- we didn't work with them, so I'm not exactly sure. Well, we did work with them, but I don't remember what their duties were exactly.

BOWERS HEALEY: Roughly where in Germany is this kaserne?

CULBERTSON: It's right outside Heidelberg.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: So, it's like way out, like, by itself. Like, there's just lots of just open country. It's really pretty. Lots of biking trails.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. So, how long were you there at that Kilbourne Kaserne?

CULBERTSON: I was there for two years.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. What types of things did you do in your off hours?

CULBERTSON: When we first got there, we-- well, I would-- at first, I just hung out by myself because I didn't know anybody. And then I met Roberta, and I would travel with her because she had-- her mom was Italian. And so, she had family in France. So, we would take trips to France on the train. Uh, so lots of traveling, doing day trips. Uh, we went to Dachau. It was very sad there. Uh, we did get to go to Switzerland, but I don't remember exactly where in Switzerland. But we got to see the Swiss army do their training exercises and our military vehicles compared to theirs. Their's are really small. And ours were really big. 00:21:00Uh, so lots of traveling. Then we wound up-- they opened up a Chi-Chi's across from our barracks. So, some of us would go. A lot of us actually worked there. And so, we would work the Army full time. We basically worked Chi-Chi's full time. We were young, and then we would party afterwards.

BOWERS HEALEY: What is Chi-Chi's?

CULBERTSON: Mexican restaurant.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: In Germany. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And you worked there? Was it catered primarily to Americans or also the Germans or what?

CULBERTSON: The Germans as well. The Germans as well.

BOWERS HEALEY: All right. So, you worked there in the evenings and on the weekends?

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: Not Sunday. Sunday we would rest and start all over.

BOWERS HEALEY: What'd you do with all your money?

CULBERTSON: I saved a lot of it.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. [Laughs] All right. Good for you.

CULBERTSON: I did save. I got to travel a lot, but I did save a lot. So, I had a German account. [Phone ringing] Sorry. Um. Yeah, I saved a lot. We did a lot of 00:22:00traveling, but we saved a lot. But I had a German account and an American account, so my German account is what I used to spend-- who knows? I might still have money over there. I have no idea. [Both laugh]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Well, you'll have to check. Did your friend, you said she had an Italian mother. Did she happen to speak any foreign languages?

CULBERTSON: She did. She spoke Italian. Very well.

BOWERS HEALEY: Did you ever go to Italy?

CULBERTSON: Yes, but that wasn't until my second tour.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: And that's a good story for later. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: All right. We'll get back to that. So, two years in Kilbourne kaserne.

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Where did you go from there?

CULBERTSON: I re-enlisted to come back to the United States. I re-enlisted and I came back to the United States, and I got sent to Fort Hood, Texas.

BOWERS HEALEY: Did you request Fort Hood?

CULBERTSON: I did, because my friend Roberta got sent there. At first, I was supposed to go to Fort Riley, Kansas. But being in personnel, my commander was able to do some legwork, I guess, and got it-- got me reassigned to Fort Hood, Texas.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. By this time when you were at Fort Hood, Texas, what was your rank?

CULBERTSON: I was an E-4.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And what-- what unit were you assigned to at Fort Hood?

CULBERTSON: 3rd PSB. So.

BOWERS HEALEY: And PSB again stands for?

CULBERTSON: Personnel Support Battalion.

BOWERS HEALEY: All right. And how long did you stay at Fort Hood, Texas?

CULBERTSON: I was in Fort Hood, Texas, for two years.

BOWERS HEALEY: And what's the main, if you know, what is the main purpose of Fort Hood, Texas? What do they do there? Is it a training base or AIT or air base or infantry?

CULBERTSON: Everything was there. Yeah, they had everything. Personnel all the way up to, like, inventory.

BOWERS HEALEY: What'd you like and what'd you dislike about Fort Hood, Texas?

CULBERTSON: I loved the heat most days because we could go swimming a lot. The winters, even though I grew up in a state where we would get snow, the winters in Texas are a lot different because they get freezing rain. So, everything is glare ice. And they shut down the base, which was really weird because I was like, well, I grew up where there was snow, and we didn't shut down for anything.

BOWERS HEALEY: Did you live on base or off base?

CULBERTSON: I lived on base. I lived in the barracks.

BOWERS HEALEY: All right. What else do you remember about Fort Hood, Texas?

CULBERTSON: Uh, well, we were there during the Waco ordeal.

BOWERS HEALEY: Oh! Okay.

CULBERTSON: Do you remember that?

BOWERS HEALEY: Yes. And were you-- was your unit or was Fort Hood involved in any way?

CULBERTSON: There were some of the soldiers from Fort Hood that went. I did not. But there were some that went. Like the infantry had gone in there, but I did not. No.

BOWERS HEALEY: And what year was that? Or if you can--

CULBERTSON: '92 or '93. Not exactly sure what it was. So, we went to a-- we got tickets to a Baylor football game, and me and two of my friends had gone and they met these boys there [laughs] and they invited us to go to Mexico. [Laughs] And so, we drove-- the game was on a Saturday night, and we drove that night to 00:26:00Mexico and we spent all day Sunday there. But on Sunday, you can't buy alcohol in Mexico. So, we left there with vanilla. [Both laugh]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Do you remember where you went in Mexico?

CULBERTSON: Nuevo Laredo. Or-- Nuevo Laredo was in Texas. So, Laredo.

BOWERS HEALEY: What'd you do with your vanilla?

CULBERTSON: Uh, I think one of my friends used it to cook with.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. [Laughs]

CULBERTSON: So, but we drove-- we walked across because we-- they would, uh, I guess the Mexicans would sometimes smuggle things in American vehicles because they were less likely to get checked. So, we walked across the border.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. What did you think of Mexico?

CULBERTSON: Uh, for the little bit we saw, it was neat. The food was good. It wasn't that clean of an area. We were just on the other side of the border, so. 00:27:00We didn't venture too far.

BOWERS HEALEY: Anyone speak Spanish in your party?

CULBERTSON: No, they did not.

BOWERS HEALEY: No. Okay.

CULBERTSON: No, they did not.

BOWERS HEALEY: And you got back to-- did you get back to duty okay on Monday morning?

CULBERTSON: Yes, we came back Sunday afternoon, so.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. I don't know how far--

CULBERTSON: I don't remember how far it was, but--

BOWERS HEALEY: --Fort Hood was from Mexico.

CULBERTSON: Yeah, I'm not exactly sure.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Well, that's an interesting experience. Okay. So, you're an E-4, and you're on your second duty station. And then what happened to you?

CULBERTSON: I went-- I did a PLDC in Fort Hood, primary leadership development course, to be able to get promoted to a corporal. So, which was still an E-4, 00:28:00but you were considered an NCO. Same pay, but you were considered an NCO, a noncommissioned officer.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And you completed that course?

CULBERTSON: I did complete that, yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And then were-- do they-- you have a different rank insignia or not?

CULBERTSON: Yes. Get a corporal, it's two chevrons, I believe is what the corporal was.

BOWERS HEALEY: Same rank insignia but you get-- or different rank insignia but same pay?

CULBERTSON: Same pay. Just considered an NCO now. Same pay. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: That's interesting. All right. What else did you do at Fort Hood?

CULBERTSON: The only other thing I remember doing-- oh, two things I remember doing. I would go to-- my friend Roberta, her family was from Texas. Was from Texas. Galveston. And we would go to her mom's house, her mom and dad's house, 00:29:00and they gave me some meat to try. And it was cow tongue.

BOWERS HEALEY: It was what?

CULBERTSON: Cow tongue.

BOWERS HEALEY: Was cow tongue. Okay.

CULBERTSON: Sorry, that's probably the Southern accent coming out. [Both laugh] Cow tongue.

BOWERS HEALEY: I guess I just haven't heard that too much. Cow tongue.

CULBERTSON: Yeah, it was very interesting. Not very good.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: And then there was an area that we would go tubing, and I think it was kind of off limits to soldiers. They didn't want to-- it was one of the places they said don't go to. But we did. But the tubing was fun. And then I'd seen later why they told us not to go because one day the wat-- the current was so strong, and it took us into trees and some of us got pulled off and under the water and it was a little scary. No one-- no one was injured. Just scared.

BOWERS HEALEY: Did you just go with Roberta or were there some other soldiers?

CULBERTSON: These were some other soldiers. Yeah.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. All righty.

CULBERTSON: Whole group of us.

BOWERS HEALEY: And had your friend Roberta been active duty all the way through or not?

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. All right. So, after Fort Hood, what did you do?

CULBERTSON: I re-enlisted and went back to Germany.

BOWERS HEALEY: Did you request Germany?

CULBERTSON: I did.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: Yes, I did.

BOWERS HEALEY: And what military occupational specialty? I gather you had two now. So, when you re-enlisted, what do you--

CULBERTSON: It was still- it was still 75F. The personnel.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: And after a year, like two years or four years, you re-enlist. So, you get out, but you don't get out. And you re-enlist. And then you get to go to another duty station.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Did you get any bonuses for re-enlisting?

CULBERTSON: No. A certificate. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: A certificate. All right. And when you went back to Germany, what 00:31:00unit were you attached to?

CULBERTSON: We were sent to Frankfurt. I don't remember the unit there because I wasn't even there two months and it deactivated and moved to Heidelberg. Well, actually, it was-- it was V Corps. I think it was V Corps in Frankfurt as well. But we deactivated in Frankfurt and moved to Heidelberg, Germany, to Campbell Barracks is where we were stationed.

BOWERS HEALEY: And spelled the name of that barracks?

CULBERTSON: Campbell. C-A-M-P-B-E-L-L.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. So, that was pretty close to where you'd been before?

CULBERTSON: Yes, about twenty minutes on the Autobahn.

BOWERS HEALEY: So, you'd been to Heidelberg before?

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. All righty. And how long did you expect to stay in Heidelberg, Germany, at Campbell Barracks?

CULBERTSON: I planned on-- at that time, I planned on staying in Germany. I loved it there. I planned on just staying and hopefully I didn't get sent anywhere else. I would love to have stayed in Germany.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. How long did you end up staying there?

CULBERTSON: I was there until, uh, September of 1997.

BOWERS HEALEY: And did your friend Roberta get sent back to Germany?

CULBERTSON: She did not, no. I don't remember where she got sent to, but it was not back to Germany.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. What did you do in Germany this time?

CULBERTSON: This time I did a lot more traveling. I met a friend. Uh, she was dating an American soldier. They were Turkish, and they lived on the German economy. And I did lots of traveling to Turkey with them because they had a home in Turkey as well.

BOWERS HEALEY: The soldier did?

CULBERTSON: German-- The German-- a Turkish-- Turkish descent, but a German.

BOWERS HEALEY: Oh, okay.

CULBERTSON: Like German-- like, a German citizen.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: But yeah, they had a home in Turkey as well.

BOWERS HEALEY: What were your impressions of Turkey?

CULBERTSON: Oh, my gosh. It was beautiful. It was beautiful. The-- I mean, the water is so crystal blue. The foods are yummy. They have fresh food every morning. [Laughs] And my friend's mom would just yell down, and they would bring the food up to her house and she would pay him and we would have fresh food for breakfast, fresh bread, tomatoes, you name it, they had it. It was just--

BOWERS HEALEY: How you'd get back and forth from Heidelberg to Turkey?

CULBERTSON: We flew. We flew.

BOWERS HEALEY: Oh, okay. That's quite aways.

CULBERTSON: Yes. Only like two-hour flight.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And does your friend live in the country or near the sea or what?

CULBERTSON: They lived in the town. In town. They lived in Izmir.

BOWERS HEALEY: Spell that, please.

CULBERTSON: I-Z-M-I-R.

BOWERS HEALEY: How often did you go to Turkey?

CULBERTSON: I went three times with them. And we were there, like, a couple of weeks each time. Uh, her dad was very strict with them. Like, they weren't allowed to go anywhere. But because they brought me, he would let them travel [laughs] so that I could see their beautiful country.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: That was fun. We did-- we did a lot of things. Uh, we swam in the Mediterranean. I don't think it was too far from Greece. And I don't remember the town we were in. But I don't think it was very-- like, I think Greece was just like, across the way, basically. Kind of like maybe here to Lake Michigan 00:35:00or I mean, to Michigan. But we could see it. We could see it. I believe it. It was a long time ago, but it was just beautiful. The food was good. It was a bit different to get used to the culture because there were still traditional Muslims, and they would be fully-- the women would be fully covered and all you would see were their eyes.

BOWERS HEALEY: How about your friend? When she traveled to Turkey, did she cover herself?

CULBERTSON: She did not. No. They were more, I guess, modern. So, they did take me to see some mosques. We had to get permission to go in, but then I would have to cover up. Like, the women had to cover their heads and their arms had to be covered. So, we had like, these shawl things we would wear.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Great experience.

CULBERTSON: It was a great experience.

BOWERS HEALEY: Yeah. So, in terms of your work for the year or two that you were back in Heidelberg, how was your-- how are you doing in your military 00:36:00occupational specialty? Did you find it challenging, routine, or how would you describe it?

CULBERTSON: It was-- it was routine. It wasn't very-- it wasn't that challenging because we worked on-- now the base that we were at was a lot of higher-ranking soldiers, like officers, like all the way up to generals and four star generals. But we would do a lot of ceremonies. So, we would do-- I would put on our dress greens and be out there doing honor guards and color guards and stuff because lots of-- lots of higher up military personnel. Actually, all services would come to Campbell Barracks. It was kind of like the D.C. of Germany, like Washington, D.C. It was kind of like that. It was higher, like the higher 00:37:00rankings were all working there.

BOWERS HEALEY: Anything else about your work while you were at Heidelberg?

CULBERTSON: No.

BOWERS HEALEY: No? Okay. So, you were a corporal at that time all the way through?

CULBERTSON: Yes, I was.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And I think you said you spent about two years there.

CULBERTSON: Two years. Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And you still have some of your enlistment left or did you re-enlist?

CULBERTSON: I re-enlisted to come back to the United States because I had gotten pregnant, and I wanted my daughter to be born in the United States. And I was hoping I would have gotten closer to home, but it didn't work out that way.

BOWERS HEALEY: So, where did you end up? Where do they send you?

CULBERTSON: Fort Drum, New York.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. All right. And what unit were you assigned there?

CULBERTSON: 10th PSB. I wasn't there very long, so I didn't get to know too many 00:38:00people. And I really didn't have a job because I was on maternity leave right away.

BOWERS HEALEY: When you came back to the United States, how many months pregnant were you?

CULBERTSON: I was in my third trimester.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: It was pretty close to the end.

BOWERS HEALEY: And so, were you on maternity leave before you gave birth or not?

CULBERTSON: I was on leave from the military from September until, like the middle of October. And then once I got to Fort Drum, New York, they had me living in the barracks because I was pregnant and there was no one to like, help me if something would happen. But I was like, I can't have a child in the barracks. And I knew it was getting close to the end. So, Halloween, I got housing. And two days later, on November 2nd, my water broke.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. You get housing on base or off base?

CULBERTSON: On base.

BOWERS HEALEY: On base.

CULBERTSON: Yeah, on base.

BOWERS HEALEY: What year was that?

CULBERTSON: '97. October of '97.

BOWERS HEALEY: So, the Army assisted you in getting the base housing?

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Was that a difficult thing to do or not?

CULBERTSON: No, it was-- it was pretty easy. Just getting them to get me out of the barracks was hard because they were really worried about my safety and being alone and not having my vehicle yet because it was still in route from Germany.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And was your daughter born on base or--?

CULBERTSON: She was born in a civilian hospital because they didn't have O.B. on-- they didn't have a way for newborns on base yet.

BOWERS HEALEY: And after she was born, you were on maternity leave?

CULBERTSON: I was, yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: How long was your maternity leave?

CULBERTSON: Uh, till December. To December 10th.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And then did you go back to duty or what?

CULBERTSON: No. They had said that they could guarantee me six months with my daughter, and then they could deploy me for a year or two at a time. And that's when I made the difficult decision to get out of the military. Actually, it wasn't December. It was probably just before December 10th, because that was my last day in the military.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. So, you decided to detach from the military before that six months was up.

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay, as I understand, they were going to give you six months with your daughter and then they might deploy you again.

CULBERTSON: Yes. And it would be for like a year or two. And then I'd have to give up temporary custody.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And so, you made the decision to get out. That was before 00:41:00the end of your enlistment or was your enlistment going to be up?

CULBERTSON: I had fulfilled my military career, so it would-- it was-- I had re-enlisted for like, another two years, but.

BOWERS HEALEY: You were re-enlisting for just two years at a time?

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Okay. Um. So, where did you go from there once you got out of the military?

CULBERTSON: When I left there, uh, I drove with my daughter to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to visit friends because I had met someone while I-- while I was still living in Germany. I'd met someone and came back to visit them. And we were there for a couple of weeks. And then we drove to Nebraska where I was going to live. And so, I was living at my mom's. [Laughs] Again! At 00:42:00twenty-seven. I was living at my mom's. Well, twenty-eight, because I had just turned twenty-eight. With a newborn. And so, the person that I had met in Green Bay said, "I really miss you. I want you and Jordan to come back." So, January 2nd of 1998, we packed up the car and we moved back to Wisconsin.

BOWERS HEALEY: And had you ever been to Wisconsin before?

CULBERTSON: I had only visited.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: I only visited. While I was on leave, I had visited before I went to New York.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. So, did you get a job or--?

CULBERTSON: I did get a job. I was working at-- what was it called? ITI Telemarketing. Taking inbound calls.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And from Green Bay, how did you end up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin?

CULBERTSON: Well, the first person that I had met when I moved to Wisconsin, that relationship only lasted about three years. And then we still lived in Green Bay. But then 2014, I think it was, I met someone else, and they lived here in Manitowoc and had a good job going. And I was doing day care at this point in time because it allowed me to spend time with my daughter. But then she got too old for daycare, and I was still there because I really loved it. And so, we moved to Manitowoc during that summer of 2014 because I was like, well, I don't want to take my daughter out of school during the school year and have her start over at another school and then have school be over and then have to start 00:44:00over again. So, we moved during the summer and got her enrolled in school because she's special needs, so she needed a lot more help. And that was how that all started.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And you've obviously had some contact with veterans since you got out.

CULBERTSON: I actually didn't really have a whole lot of contact with veterans until I had moved to Manitowoc. But it was only within the last couple of years that a friend of mine, but she wasn't a friend at the time obviously, some had started a group and I slowly started coming to the group. They would meet once a month on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

BOWERS HEALEY: This is a veteran's group or not?

CULBERTSON: It's a veteran's group for all branches. And actually, even active duty could come if they were in town. So, for anybody. Active duty, reserves, 00:45:00veterans, all that. And then just last year, uh, another veteran had said they wanted to sponsor me to be in American Legion post. And so, I joined an American Legion.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: But yeah, all this time out of the military and I didn't get involved with the veterans until just recently within the last couple of years.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And how did you find out about the I Am Not Invisible program?

CULBERTSON: Through two of my veteran friends. Actually, the one who leads the veterans' group and then another friend who is-- sponsored me for the American Legion post.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Doesn't sound like you've been until just recently active with veterans. Have you had the opportunity to take advantage of any veterans 00:46:00benefits or not?

CULBERTSON: I do have, um, a VA-- well, VA benefit for ten percent disabled.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: I did not go to school like I had intended to after I got out because taking care of a newborn with special needs took a lot of my time. So, I didn't-- sadly, I didn't get to go to school, but hey, I did get to travel in Europe. Who gets to do that at nineteen and twenty years old? [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay. So, what's your American Legion post?

CULBERTSON: It's Post 477 in St. Nazianz.

BOWERS HEALEY: St. Nazianz?

CULBERTSON: Yes. N-A-Z-I-A-N-Z.

BOWERS HEALEY: N-A-Z-I-A-N-Z. Okay.

CULBERTSON: I believe that's how you spell it.

BOWERS HEALEY: And that's not too far from here, I take it?

CULBERTSON: No, it's like a fourteen-minute drive.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And what sort of things do you do with the American Legion post? Meet once a month or what?

CULBERTSON: We have meetings once a month, but there only-- there was only, like five meetings. And then I think there's some more in the fall. So, there's like, three in the spring and like two or three in the fall. And then during the winter months, they obviously-- they don't meet because it's very crazy weather.

BOWERS HEALEY: Yeah. Okay.

CULBERTSON: But they do do-- they do a lot of events. When there's funerals, they have an honor guard that performs or something like that. And I did-- I did get to do one of them. They do-- they're going to be at the county fair with a booth. They do lots of, uh, there's lots of-- they sponsor lots of groups. They have, um-- they did something with the schools, um, Youth Government Day. They 00:48:00were very involved in that. Um, fundraising for Old Glory Honor Flight. They've done-- I didn't get to do that because I think that golf tournament was during the week and I had to work, but.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Are you glad that you served in the military?

CULBERTSON: Oh, gosh, yes, I would-- and I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Have you ever had the occasion to talk about to anyone else about joining the military? Do they ask you?

CULBERTSON: No.

BOWERS HEALEY: Do they know that you were in the military?

CULBERTSON: As older people do, yes. I've talked to-- I did talk to somebody who was young at the swimming pool the other day, and they did-- their mom was talking to them about-- I think it's this program is for troubled youth, but I think they were involved in that. And they said they didn't like the drill 00:49:00sergeant or the-- yeah, I guess the sergeants yelling at them and stuff. And I'm like, well, if you can handle that, I think you could handle basic training because that I think would probably be a lot tougher than your basic training because they were trying to help unruly kids on the right path. So, but I tried, but they're like, no. [Both laugh] Hopefully, maybe they'll think about it.

BOWERS HEALEY: So, you kept in contact, or at least you kept in contact for a while with some of the people that you served with or not?

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: You keep in contact with Roberta?

CULBERTSON: Every once in a while, we talk on the phone and she only lives just across the-- just across the lake.

BOWERS HEALEY: Oh, okay. In Michigan. That lake? [Laughs]

CULBERTSON: Yes, that lake. Yes. Lake Michigan. Not Lake Winnebago. Not Lake Winnebago.

BOWERS HEALEY: All right. What motivated you to do this interview?

CULBERTSON: I don't know.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: Maybe get-- so people know there are women in the military also and 00:50:00leave something behind for other people. Maybe my family will see it. Maybe my daughter will see it. Who knows.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Does your daughter live with you?

CULBERTSON: She does live with me. Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. And she's out of school now?

CULBERTSON: She's out of school. She's-- She does a day program.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. This may not be the last question, but I think I've covered kind of chronologically what you did before the service, your service and after the service. Is there anything that we missed that you'd like to cover or maybe any story or incident? You had a wonderful opportunity to travel, obviously.

CULBERTSON: Yes. I did forget something. I don't remember like, the year that Princess Diana had passed away, but my birth dad was in Germany for a job. And I 00:51:00had-- well, 1997. In August of '97, I had traveled to where my dad was, I took the train, and spent the weekend with him. And it just happened to be the weekend that Princess Diana had passed away. But so, I'd gotten-- I didn't get to grow up with my dad, but I did get to see him from time to time. I also got to spend the weekend with him when I went to Fort Lee, Virginia, for my AIT because they're from Virginia Beach. So, they came and picked me up for a weekend and so, I got to go stay with him for the weekend.

BOWERS HEALEY: He still lives in South Carolina or not?

CULBERTSON: He's deceased now, but he was in Virginia Beach.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: And I didn't find out until he passed away that he had actually been in the military as well. He was in the Air Force. So, I thought that was kind of cool, even though I didn't grow up with my dad, but we were both in the military. I was in longer than him. [Both laugh]

BOWERS HEALEY: And do you get back to Nebraska very often or not?

CULBERTSON: Not as often as I would like, but yes, I do. It's just my mom there now because my stepdad had passed away also. And then my little brother Michael. So, I have-- I do have other siblings. I have an older sister who her and her husband and their family are missionaries in Australia, and she has seven children. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Oh, my. Okay.

CULBERTSON: But sadly, I haven't been the-- have not been to Australia. I would love to go someday. The closest I got was the Milwaukee Zoo. The Australian outback set up they got at the zoo. That was the closest I've been to Australia.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. I didn't know they had an Australian setup at the zoo. I'll have to visit the zoo again. All right. Interesting. Interesting family connections and the travel when you're stationed in Germany is to be envied. 00:53:00Certainly. All right. I don't have any other questions.

CULBERTSON: I did have-- remember I said the story about waking up and going to Italy?

BOWERS HEALEY: Oh, okay. Yeah, go ahead.

CULBERTSON: We had gone to Oktoberfest in Munich [laughs]. I actually wasn't even planning on ever going, but one of my friends and her boyfriend were going in there. Our other friend was supposed to go with them, but she bailed and they're like, hey, do you want to go? And I'm like, they're like, we got an extra ticket. I'm like, yeah, sure. So, I went to-- rode to Oktoberfest with them and we had so much to drink, but we woke up and we were in Italy. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: And do you know how you ended up in Italy?

CULBERTSON: Yes. Luckily, I-- my friend's boyfriend drove us there, but I got sick in Austria at the checkpoint. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: But yeah, we woke up in Italy and I want to-- I don't remember the name of the town, but it's the one that's surrounded by the water. I don't know if they're all surrounded by the water, but a pigeon landed in my hand. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: So, that was kind of cool. And we actually had a picture of it.

BOWERS HEALEY: Did you wake up in a park or in a car or where? In a hotel in Italy? Where'd you wake up?

CULBERTSON: In the car. They're like, we're in Italy! Wake up! [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Of course, some of those countries are--

CULBERTSON: Vicenza. Vicenza, Italy. That was the name of the town. I think it was-- I think there's-- I think it's surrounded by water.

BOWERS HEALEY: And you know how to spell that?

CULBERTSON: V-I-C-E-N-Z-A.

BOWERS HEALEY: You're a good speller, which is great. [Laughs]

CULBERTSON: I owe that to my kind-- my third-grade teacher. The one that got me in the spelling bees. [Laughs]

BOWERS HEALEY: All right. Very good. Yeah. Those countries are also-- can be all 00:55:00very close together, compared to the United States. So, waking up in Italy after going to Oktoberfest. And is Oktoberfest in October or September?

CULBERTSON: It was in October.

BOWERS HEALEY: In October. Okay. Well, that's a great way to end this interview, I think. I appreciate you coming here today.

CULBERTSON: Thank you.

BOWERS HEALEY: And as well as your service, you had an interesting couple of stints going from reserves to active and then ending up in Wisconsin. Never having been from Wisconsin. Thank you so much for this interview as well as your service. I appreciate it.

CULBERTSON: Thank you.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. [Break in recording] All right. Even though I turned off the camera, Robin's got a few things that she wants to show. And so, we'll try to get these-- maybe you can give me a picture that you want to talk about. Okay. And I'll see if I can. All right. So, what is this a picture of?

CULBERTSON: That is me. And we were doing a training exercise in October in Heidelberg, Germany.

BOWERS HEALEY: So, this wall that you're leaning against is in Heidelberg?

CULBERTSON: Yes. I don't remember the exact location, but it's-- yeah, it's in Heidelberg.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. Thank you. And if you have another picture that you want to talk about.

CULBERTSON: This was in May of 1992, and that was 1st PERSCOM, 1st Personnel Command in Kilbourne kaserne. And that was all the people that worked in my office at the time.

BOWERS HEALEY: And you're in this picture?

CULBERTSON: Yes, I am. All you can see is like, my forehead. I think I'm in like, the back left hand corner.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. All righty.

CULBERTSON: Let me see something real quick.

BOWERS HEALEY: And what is that gray thing that you're talking about?

CULBERTSON: Oh, this is the German schutzenschnur. And it's a silver medal that I got for firing German military weapons.

BOWERS HEALEY: Oh, okay.

CULBERTSON: And their machine gun has a lot more power than our machine gun that we had to bring, like, kitchen towels to put across our shoulder to protect us from getting bruises. The kitchen towel didn't help much. I still bruised and it would, like, slide us back like, three feet because we were in the prone position on the ground and laying in sand or dirt. And it would slide us back and you could see the slide marks after we got done.

BOWERS HEALEY: And that's a German machine gun.

CULBERTSON: German machine gun. And other weapons too, but the German machine gun was the one that stuck out.

BOWERS HEALEY: [Laughs] Okay.

CULBERTSON: Because it's got a lot of power.

BOWERS HEALEY: And you have another box with a medal in? What is that?

CULBERTSON: Yes. This is the Army Achievement Medal.

BOWERS HEALEY: Army Achievement Medal. Okay. And do you recall why you got that?

CULBERTSON: Well, as far as just serving my unit in 15th PSB, which was at-- I said III Corps, but it was 15th PSB in Fort Hood, Texas, just keeping track of all the soldiers that were there and just doing what I was trained to do.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay. All righty.

CULBERTSON: And then this was-- I believe this was right before I left Germany to come back to the United States. This was my oath of re-enlistment to come 00:59:00back. That picture and then this one too.

BOWERS HEALEY: All right.

CULBERTSON: Oh, and a fun thing. But you really can't see me in the picture. But in Germany, they have a Fasching parade. And it's like, I think September timeframe. And the theme was "On Broadway."

BOWERS HEALEY: Looks like it says, "Lights On Broadway."

CULBERTSON: Lights On Broadway.

BOWERS HEALEY: And you said it was a Fasching?

CULBERTSON: Fasching.

BOWERS HEALEY: Can you spell that?

CULBERTSON: F-A-S-C-H-I-N-G.

BOWERS HEALEY: F like in Frank?

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: And I was dressed as Cats, so my hair was like, huge. And looked like I got, like, electric shock. [Laughs] My hair was really poofed out, and I was dressed as a cat woman.

BOWERS HEALEY: Sounds like the Germans have a lot of fun.

CULBERTSON: Yes, they do have a lot of fun.

BOWERS HEALEY: Various fairs and street things.

CULBERTSON: Yes.

BOWERS HEALEY: Okay.

CULBERTSON: Yeah, that's it.

BOWERS HEALEY: All righty. Very good.