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Transcribed oral history interview with Ray Brake 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: October 19, 2020

INTERVIEW LENGTH: 1:11

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: Ray Brake was pleased to be included in this oral history project. He did the interview at his home in Wilmont. Ray Brake served in the Minnesota National Guard from 1959-1965. His unit was the 135th Infantry, 47th Infantry Division called the Viking Division, 3rd Battalion. He served as a medic and described his training and role in the National Guard in Worthington. His wife, Audrey, sat in on the interview. At about 40:00 minutes into the interview, she left the room and came back in with a stack of his medic's materials, which she had saved. He was surprised to see the materials and then described each one as they held it up for the camera.

SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW CONTENT: Ray Brake described the Worthington National Guard during his years in it, including enlisting in Worthington, his reasons for enlisting, his National Guard unit, his training as a medic at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, his medic's teaching and training responsibilities during National Guard meetings, in-state and out-of-state training including going to Alaska in 1965, his role as Platoon Sergeant, the Worthington National Guard during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the interior of the Armory during his years in the National Guard, use of emergency alerts training exercises, and his medic's materials brought into the interview by his wife, Audrey.

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