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Transcribed oral history interview with Milo Hawkinson 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: August 24, 2020

INTERVIEW LENGTH: 1:23:47

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: Milo Hawkinson served in the National Guard from 1964 to 1972. His unit was 135th Infantry, 47th Infantry Division-the Viking Division, 3rd Battalion. He did the interview in the Nobles County Historical Society museum at its location in the basement of the Nobles County Library at that time. He was pleased to be part of the project and provided insight into the Worthington National Guard during the Vietnam War years.

SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW CONTENT: Milo Hawkinson covered information about joining the National Guard in Worthington, basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, his National Guard assignment in truck maintenance, the Guard unit in Worthington during the Vietnam years, the local Army Reserve unit going to Vietnam, memories of Randy Young and Jerry Russell - Worthington enlistees in the regular Army killed in Vietnam, Worthington Guard assignment for Cold War/cold weather training in Alaska (1965), National Guard weekend and evening duty, memories of the interior of the Armory, National Guard community service including helping guard Bobby Kennedy during his 1966 Turkey Day visit, closing the Armory, and 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