Top of page

Notice
Monday, January 26, 2026: Due to inclement weather, all Library of Congress buildings are closed to the public.

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953; Cold War
  • Dates of Service: 1943-1946; 1961; 1959-1961; 1950-1952
  • Branch of Service: Air Force; Army
  • Service Unit/Ship: Company I, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division; Company L, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division
  • Battles & Campaigns: Battle of the Bulge
  • Location of Service: Korea; European Theater; France; Belgium; Oklahoma
  • Highest Rank: Captain; Lieutenant Colonel; Technician Five; Master Sergeant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/68012

View full service history

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Leroy E. Ford Collection

Names

  • Loken, Virgil D.
  • Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Sacramento, CA
  • Ford, Leroy E.
  • G. Hoberman / L. Rogaski

State of Residence at Time of Collection Donation

  • California

Headings

  • -  Ford, Leroy E.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.
  • -  Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  Cold War -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.

Form

  • MiniDV

Extent

  • 1 item

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Service Unit/Ship: Company I, 134th Infantry Regiment, 35th Infantry Division
    • Location of Service: European Theater; France; Belgium
    • Battles & Campaigns: Battle of the Bulge
    • Highest Rank: Technician Five
    • Dates of Service: 1943-1946
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: Ford served as first scout.

  • Korean War, 1950-1953

    • Service Unit/Ship: Company L, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division
    • Location of Service: Korea
    • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 1950-1952
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: Ford served as a weapons platoon sergeant.

  • Cold War

    • Location of Service: Oklahoma
    • Highest Rank: Captain
    • Dates of Service: 1959-1961
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: Ford served as an infantry company commander in the Oklahoma National Guard.

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
    • Dates of Service: 1961
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: Ford served in the Oklahoma Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve.

Materials

  • Video: MiniDV [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2009-07-27)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/68012

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:

Loken, Virgil D, Ca Retired And Senior Volunteer Program Of Sacramento, Leroy E Ford, and G. Hoberman / L. Rogaski. Leroy E. Ford Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.68012/.

APA citation style:

Loken, V. D., Retired And Senior Volunteer Program Of Sacramento, C., Ford, L. E. & G. Hoberman / L. Rogaski. (1943) Leroy E. Ford Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.68012/.

MLA citation style:

Loken, Virgil D, et al. Leroy E. Ford Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.68012/>.