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Transcribed oral history interview with Russell Rickers 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 2, 2020

INTERVIEW LENGTH: 50:53

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: Russell Rickers served in the National Guard from 1947-1952. He was in the 135th Infantry, 47th Infantry Division - the Viking Division, 2nd Battalion. With members of his unit, he was sent to Fort Rucker, Alabama, as a training unit during the Korean War. The photo on the title page of his transcript is of him leaving for Alabama with his unit. The photo was taken just before their train left the Worthington Depot. He was pleased to be interviewed for this project and did the interview from his home computer.

SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW CONTENT: During the interview, Russell Rickers discussed enlisting in the National Guard in Worthington, his infantry unit in Worthington, his initial training at Camp Ripley, the onset of the Korean War and his unit's transfer to Camp Rucker in Alabama, Camp Rucker as a training camp for units going to Korea, his assignment at the camp as a cook for his unit, his promotion to Mess Sergeant at the camp, coming home, National Guard community service in Worthington, Bobby Kennedy's visit to Worthington for Turkey Day (1966) and taking photos (as a civilian after his discharge from the Guard) for the family's photographic studio, memories of the Armory and various community activities in the Armory, and information about a fellow Worthington Guard infantryman at Camp Rucker - Giles Harlow who went on to become a paratrooper and, after serving in Korea and Vietnam, ended his career as a general in Washington, D.C.

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