Title

Creation Date

Materials

Description

Transcribed oral history interview with Dennis Zierke a member of the National Guard Unit that was stationed in the Worthington Minnesota Armory. Interview was conducted on September 29, 2020 by Barbara W. Sommer. File contains spiral bound and unbound transcribed interview, signed release agreement and notes.

INTERVIEW DATE: September 29, 2020

INTERVIEW LENGTH: 1:38:48

RECORDING MEDIUM: digital audio MP4

TECHNICAL NOTES: The interview was recorded remotely using Zoom, a web-based video conferencing tool. during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was transcribed by Lois Glewwe, project transcriber.

INTERVIEW NOTES: Dennis Zierke was glad to be included in this project. He was in the National Guard in Worthington from 1956-1966 and again from 1973-1982. His unit was the 135th Infantry, 47th Infantry Division, which was the Viking Division, 2nd Battalion. He was assigned to infantry and then communications. He did the interview from his home using a cell phone.

SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW CONTENT

During the interview, Dennis Zierke discussed enlisting in the National Guard, basic training at Camp Ripley in infantry and communications, the Cuban Missile Crisis, National Guard uniforms, the Worthington unit cadence, special and marksmanship drills, memories of the Armory interior including items on the walls, cold weather training in Alaska (1965), the Worthington National Guard during the Vietnam War, resigning and then re-enlisting, serving as Mess Sergeant during his second tour in the Guard including cooking for the unit during the Camp Ripley summer training programs, an experience with the King of Norway at Camp Ripley during the Norwegian exchange program, the move of the Headquarters Company from Worthington to Mankato, community service by the National Guard including help with Turkey Day, various community events held at the Armory, closing the Armory and National Guard move from the Armory, and some family information and memories of moving from the old to the new high school in Worthington. He also commented on his thoughts about his service in the National Guard.

This transcript was made possible by Legacy funding from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund established by the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008, and administered by the Minnesota Historical Society. Funding was awarded to the Nobles County Historical Society through the following grant: R-MHCG-1912-24013 | $9,950 | MN Historical and Cultural

The Minnesota National Guard in Worthington, Minnesota Oral History Project. This oral history project focused on interviews with former members of the Minnesota National Guard in Nobles County who served from the Worthington National Guard Armory building.

Contact the Nobles County Historical Society for more information