Bonita Crawford's interview for the Veterans History Project at Atlanta History Center

We welcome your comments on this interview at [e-mail]
Catalog number: VIS 508.006
This interview is conducted by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Atlanta Branch. In this interview, Bonita Crawford recalls her 20-year career serving in the United States Army as a chaplain's assistant. She describes her parents and grandparents and her growing up years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She explains why and how she enlisted in the Army and describes in great detail the experiences she had in basic training, including how the roles and treatment of women in the military were changing at the time. She remembers the difficulty some African American women had making their hair stay beneath their caps and explains how the Army worked to diffuse racism by proclaiming that the only "color" in the Army was green. She describes in detail some of her experiences with racism and sexism in the Army. She had hoped to be trained as a foreign language interpreter, but because there were no positions available for that specialty, she became a chaplain's assistant. She describes her duties and the broader duties of the chaplain corps including ensuring that all faiths were provided a place to worship, including the Church of Satan and Wiccans. She recalls the many strong friendships she made during her service and how she and the women with whom she served were trailblazers for later generations of women who serve. She describes in detail her time in Korea, including meeting the Reverend Billy Graham; learning to speak Korean; and visiting the conference room at Panmunjom where the peace talks were held during the Korean War. She recalls the birth of her daughter and how difficult it is to be a mother while serving in the military. She received orders to Germany and describes what that experience was like, including being there when the Berlin Wall came down and visiting the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau. She comments on the cultural differences she experienced in the overseas assignments in which she served and explains how important it is for Americans to respect and understand other cultures. She later taught courses at the United States Army Chaplain Center and School and shares photographs from that experience and other duty stations. She describes the pervasive nature of sexual harassment and sexual violence in the military and how difficult it is to bring perpetrators to justice. She reflects on her service in the military; how it has informed her life; and recalls her post-military career and activities.

[@pelonehedd7631]

I really enjoyed this interview. I really enjoy all of them . This one is well done with good sound quality and I love the pictures. I wish there were close ups of them. She is very articulate and easy to listen to and I am not just saying that because I too am a Catholic. My Ancestry is Northern Italian and Portuguese Azores . When My relatives immigrated to the U.S. they came right out to the West Coast so I grew up not knowing how backward and racist many American’s can still be in their beliefs .i am about the same age and My friends who served in Europe have many stories about building Pontoon Bridges and driving low geared Army trucks on the Autobahn with high geared European Trucks passing them. The Army trucks do better on the roads with steeper grades, the German’s have flattened out their Highways using elevated section’s that in the U.S. have trucker’s shifting to lower gears. I have a beautiful Wife so She will not be jealous or upset if I say that Bonita has aged very well and is easy on the Eyes so to speak and pleasant to listen to.

[@pelonehedd7631]

Listen to Bonita Crawfords interesting interview.

[@huskyaonecee7568]

BS.....Her father was born in 1915 and served in WW1? Fact check the math! Not possible.

[@jdcage]

I believe she was speaking of her grandfather.

[@huskyaonecee7568]

@@jdcage Nice try ....A group of us Veterans watched it 5 times.... Multiple times she said her father ......Fact check and accuracy! Have no confidence in anything this channel puts out in the future!

[@jdcage]

With respect, it’s easy to misspeak when you’re being interviewed.

[@huskyaonecee7568]

@@jdcage It's a HISTORY channel.... History should be ACCURATE.....Are you saying history should be rewritten?

[@pelonehedd7631]

Regarding the accuracy of dates , i have watched many interview’s , many times people who really did live through historical events will make error’s in their recollection’s ,for example stating that Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 6th when We know and certainly they too did know that it was Dec. 7th. If You watch enough of these and know the facts , You realize that with the passage of time and advance of years the old saying that Hindsight is alway’s 20/20 is not alway’s true. Also if anyone has a gripe about anything in a interview why be so belligerent about it? My Uncles , friends a Son and Nephew are combat Veteran’s. My Son was a paramedic in the 1st Armored Division and also detached for service with the reconstituted Iraqi military and police forces before making a career in the Army as a Doctor in the Green Beret’s . Nome of those combat veteran’s are so lacking in grace as to insult someone .