Robert Scaplehorn, Jr., Interviewed by Brandon Leake, 2017
INTERVIEW LOG
Name of person(s) interviewed: Robert J. Scaplehorn Jr.
Other people present: Janell Leake
Researcher: Brandon Leake
Date of interview: May 23, 2017
Location of interview: Helix, Oregon
Special conditions (noise, interruptions, etc.): Phone Call at 10:40 cut
General description of contents: Early Life, Basic Training, Operation Desert Storm, Experiences
Length of interview: 22:06
TOPIC SUMMARY
Time & Contents
0:00 – 0:04 Introduction title, listing the project this is for, the interviewee, and some facts about him such as birth, military branch, and time during the military.
0:05 – 2:35 For the first couple minutes we discuss his early life, and why he decided to join the military specifically why the branch he chose.
2:36 – 3:22 We then move on to discuss what the military did for him, what it provided, the values it instilled in him, etc.
3:23 – 5:40 He discusses his military training, and what the schedule was like. His training both physically, and mentally. He As well he talks about the people he met during that time, his friends, and instructors.
5:41 – 8:09 Then we talk about the war he served in; Operation Desert Storm. About his job during that operation, where he went, conflict, medals, and his view on what was going on.
8:10 – 8:46 He talks about how he kept family relations, and how they reacted to him wanting to join the military.
8:47 – 10:35 We discuss how the military treated him. What rations he was given, supplies, and how daily life in the military was like. How he and his buds kept busy throughout the time.
10:36 – 12:43 We talk about taking leave, and the places he went to during his time in the military.
12:44 – 13:54 The officers he was under, fellow soldiers and the people he was around. His view on what a good officer was like, and the bad officers.
13:55 – 19:20 What it was life for his service to finally end, and his reaction to it. How his experience in the military influences his views on the military, values, and ethics.
19:21 – 22:23 Lastly, Mr. Robert Scaplehorn gives a story about his early life in the military.
Mr. Robert Scaplehorn, Jr. Interviewed by Brandon Leake, 2017
Robert Scaplehorn Jr. is a man who served in the military from 1985–1994 during the Gulf War. He was born on April 13th, 1965 in New York.
For the first seven years of his life, he lived in New York until his parents, Claudia Scaplehorn and Robert Scaplehorn Sr. chose to move to Hermiston, Oregon then to Umatilla, Oregon. He attended Umatilla High School and finished high school in the year 1984. Looking for a better opportunity in life, he decided to enter into the military as a member of the air force. But despite that being his first choice, he failed the aptitude test with a score 1% less than the air force requirement. This ended up placing him into the army branch of the military. He was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia where he began basic training in 1985.
In this interview Mr. Scaplehorn explains many experiences he went through, and the people he met during the months at basic training, and recalling what the daily training schedule was like. He remembers experiences such as an early wake up call, drill instructors, workouts, classes, etc. He describes the process for what it was meant for; breaking down the person’s individuality to build them back up as a member of a team. Mr. Scaplehorn describes the virtues instilled into him during that training such as teamwork, time management, and maturity. By March 5th, 1985 he was sent into active duty.
During Operation Desert Storm, he was sent to a multitude of locations, including, Colorado, Hawaii, Germany, Italy, andThailand. He discusses his time throughout his years of service. He talks about his encounter to real life conflict, and how he handled it, the things he and his buds did to keep busy during the time, and the supplies given to them. He discusses how he kept in touch with his family, and friends outside the military until his time in the military ended and he was decommissioned in 1994. After his time in the military, we talk about his time adjusting back to civilian life, the jobs he chose to pursue, starting a family and his relationship with the military afterwards.
Robert Scaplehorn Jr. is an amazing man; who served his country for 10 years, has two wonderful kids, and has helped many people around him.