The following is a list of the more helpful questions that one can ask a veteran to get a comprehensive view of what their service was like. I must admit that the questions are a little biased toward US WWII veterans, but I have tried my very best to identify groups of questions that are either specific to US service or specific to the Second World War. I believe that these questions are a good guide, any feedback/additions are appreciated, I'll add them to the list.
I have included an introduction that might also help; familiarize the veteran with this questionnaire. A notepad text file is attached to this post for those who'd like to download this.
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Please consider saving your oral history, memoirs, diary, and/or letters home. By leaving your oral history you will have done your country another good deed, and you will serve future generations as they strive to understand their world. Answering this list of questions will help future generation understand what the world was like. Feel free to answer any individual question or skip any individual question, it’s up to you, but please know that every answer you provide gives us a wealth of information and will be greatly appreciated.
Home Front
What were you doing just before you joined the armed forces? Were you a student? Working? Married or single? Did you have any children?
Under what circumstances did you enter the armed forces? Were you drafted or did you enlist? How old were you?
Why did you join the armed forces?
Did your parents approve of you serving in the military?
How did you feel about leaving home?
How did you communicate with loved ones at home front?
Pearl Harbor (US Questions)
How did you hear about Pearl Harbor?
Where were you when it happened?
What was your reaction?
What happened in the days that followed?
War Begins
How did your country get embroiled in war?
Where were you when it happened?
What was your reaction?
What happened in the days that followed?
Training
Describe your training? Where was it and how long was it?
What weapons did you train with?
Do you feel you were well prepared for what you faced in combat?
What was the most helpful part of your training?
What are some of the things from your training that stand out in your memory?
What was the specific unit(s) that you were assigned to?
Frontline and Battles
What was your first combat experience like?
What did you feel when you were first fired at?
When did you first fire in anger?
Describe your living conditions while on assignment.
Can you describe your feelings during a mission or battle?
How did you cope with the fear of missions or battles?
What was your primary job during missions?
Were you ever wounded?
Military Service
What was your squadron/division/platoons job during the battle?
What branch of the service were you in? Why did you choose the branch that you did?
What was the mission of your unit?
What were your rank and your job?
Did you serve overseas during the war? Where were you?
Weapons
What was your primary weapon?
Did you feel it was effective?
What other weapons did you use?
What was th single most fearsome weapon the enemy used against you?
What other weapons did you have to deal with?
D-Day Invasion Only
How were you trained for the invasion?
How did you get to the Normandy beaches?
What was your job on D-Day?
What were your experiences in the first hours of the invasion?
How did your unit achieve its objective?
What is your most vivid memory about the invasion?
Hiroshima (WWII)
How did you hear about the bombing of Hiroshima? Where were you?
How did you react to the news?
Do you think the US was justified in the use on the A-Bomb?
Victory, Surrender & Peace (WWII)
How did you find out about the surrender of Germany?
What did you do on V-E Day?
How did you find out about the surrender of Japan?
What did you do on V-J Day?
What happened on the day you (or a loved one) came home?
What were the holidays like in 1945?
What were you hopes for the future?
Victory, Surrender & Peace (other conflicts)
How did you find out about the end of the war?
What did you do on your last day of service?
What happened on the day you (or a loved one) came home?
What were you hopes for the future?
Impact
What was your happiest (funniest or saddest) memory of the war?
Were you afraid? What was your biggest fear?
What do you think your biggest accomplishment was?
What impact did your unit have on the outcome of the war?
What were you most proud of during your military service?
Follow Up
What would you want people to know about this time in history?
Describe any friendships you made during the war.
What would you have changed about your war experience if you could?
Did you ever doubt that your side, (Axis, Allies, other) would succeed in winning the war?
What mistakes do you think the military made, if any, during the war.
Do you think the war could have been prevented?
What had changed and/or what was different when you got home from the war?
Did anything happen during the war that affected you for the rest of your life? How did your experiences in combat (WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, etc) affect the rest of your life?
What do you think the biggest misconception about your war (WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, etc) is?
Do you think the war was worth the price?
Do you think fighting in the war was the right thing to do?
What important question did I forget to ask you? Is there something else you’d like to share with us?
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Not bad for my 3,000th post eh?
