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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Cold War; Afghan War, 2001-2021; Haiti--History--American intervention, 1994-1995; Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Dates of Service: 1988-2012; 1982-1988
  • Branch of Service: Army; Air Force
  • Service Unit/Ship: 9th Aviation Battalion; 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment; 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment; 308th Fighter Squadron; 18th Air Support Operations Squadron; 492nd Fighter Squadron; 37th Flight Training Squadron; 118th Air Support Operations Squadron; 229th Air Support Operations Squadron
  • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Uphold Democracy; Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF); Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
  • Location of Service: Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma; MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; Homestead Air Force Base, Florida; Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina; RAF Lakenheath, England; Columbus Air Force Base, Ohio; Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; Stanly County, North Carolina; Fort Eustis, Virginia; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Korea; Fort Bragg, North Carolina
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel; Chief Warrant Officer 2
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/114919

View full service history

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Benedict Ralph Votipka Collection

Names

  • O'Brien, Alicia
  • Fairfax Public Access
  • Votipka, Benedict Ralph
  • O'Brien, Ward J.
  • Theodore Rogers

State of Residence at Time of Collection Donation

  • North Carolina

Headings

  • -  Votipka, Benedict Ralph
  • -  Cold War -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.
  • -  Haiti -- History -- American intervention, 1994-1995 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.
  • -  Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.
  • -  Afghan War, 2001-2021 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.

Form

  • DVD

Extent

  • 1 item

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Cold War

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Service Unit/Ship: 9th Aviation Battalion; 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment; 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment
    • Location of Service: Fort Eustis, Virginia; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Korea; Fort Bragg, North Carolina
    • Highest Rank: Chief Warrant Officer 2
    • Dates of Service: 1982-1988
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran served as a helicopter pilot and crew chief.

  • Haiti--History--American intervention, 1994-1995

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Service Unit/Ship: 308th Fighter Squadron; 18th Air Support Operations Squadron; 492nd Fighter Squadron; 37th Flight Training Squadron; 118th Air Support Operations Squadron; 229th Air Support Operations Squadron
    • Location of Service: Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma; MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; Homestead Air Force Base, Florida; Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina; RAF Lakenheath, England; Columbus Air Force Base, Ohio; Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; Stanly County, North Carolina
    • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Uphold Democracy
    • Dates of Service: 1988-2012
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran served as a command pilot, master parachutist, fighter pilot, and forward air controller.

  • Iraq War, 2003-2011

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran

  • Afghan War, 2001-2021

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
    • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2018-11-24)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/114919

Online Format

  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

O'Brien, Alicia, Fairfax Public Access, Benedict Ralph Votipka, Ward J O'Brien, and Theodore Rogers. Benedict Ralph Votipka Collection. 1982. Personal Narrative. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.114919/.

APA citation style:

O'Brien, A., Fairfax Public Access, Votipka, B. R., O'Brien, W. J. & Theodore Rogers. (1982) Benedict Ralph Votipka Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.114919/.

MLA citation style:

O'Brien, Alicia, et al. Benedict Ralph Votipka Collection. 1982. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.114919/>.