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

INTERVIEW DATE: December 10, 2020

INTERVIEW LENGTH: 58:03

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: Allyn Simonich was glad to be included in this project. He participated on his home computer from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he now lives. During his years in the National Guard, 1974-2000, he and his family lived in Adrian, Minnesota. His unit was 135th Infantry, 47th Infantry Division - the Viking Division, 2nd Battalion, in Worthington and, after 1991, the 135th Infantry, 34th Infantry Division - the Red Bull Division, 3rd Battalion in Worthington/Luverne. After several years in the Guard, he became a full-time employee assigned to the Worthington Armory. When the Armory was decommissioned, he helped prepare the building for closing before being transferred to a sister Armory in Luverne, Minnesota.

SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW CONTENT: During the interview, Allyn Simonich discussed enlisting in the National Guard in Worthington, his assignment as infantry mortarman, the composition of his unit, multiple cold weather training sessions with members of the Worthington National Guard in Norway, moving from his job at Armour & Company to his full-time position as Readiness NCO with the Worthington National Guard, his National Guard duties, recruiting efforts he developed and led, his dual roles as full-time National Guard employee during the week and National Guard infantry mortarman on weekends, early years of women in the infantry in Worthington, post-Vietnam War readiness training, training at Camp Ripley and at Camp Sheldon, Arkansas, the mission of community service by the National Guard and Allyn Simonich's liaison responsibilities at the Worthington Armory, memories of the Armory building - its layout, use and posters on the wall, closure of the Armory and Allyn Simonich's transfer to the Armory in Luverne, assignment of unit members to other Armories,, and his thoughts about his military career.

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