Jay Hakerem's interview for the Veterans History Project at Atlanta History Center

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Catalog Number: VIS 201.0648
In this interview, Jay Hakerem recounts his experiences in the United States Army Special Forces in Vietnam. He was born in Israel of German parents. His father was a judge in Germany who recognized what was coming, moved to what was then British Palestine, and became a farmer. Mr. Hakerum lived in a kibbutz until his parents moved to the United States. He worked for Hilton Hotels and wanted to be a cook, so Hilton helped him to go to a cooking school in Berlin. While he was there he received a notice from his draft board and hoped to stay in Germany, but he was not able to. He explains his training and how he got into special forces. He relates seeing aluminum coffins coming back from Vietnam while he was training in Hawaii. He describes the smell and heat on his arrival in Vietnam. He relates stories of their missions, in particular working with the locals and searching for American POWs as well as high value targets. After coming home, he visited the parents of one of his men who was killed in action. Afterwards, he was spit on and called a baby killer. He was stationed in Hawaii where he returned twice to Vietnam on temporary duty. After his discharge, he spent time in the Middle East. He explains why he has not been to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He relates his post-war education and careers.

Видео Jay Hakerem's interview for the Veterans History Project at Atlanta History Center канала Atlanta History Center