History 21 The Podcast - 2.23 Sam Hermanstorfer

Sam Hermanstorfer enlisted in the Army in 1968, after three years working to raise his status from 4F to 1A. A year later he was in Vietnam assigned to the 1st Division 26th Infantry Company B in the motor pool. Sam describes his journey to Vietnam, and his day-to-day life as a soldier from arriving in Vietnam and building their own hooch, to his strategy of “acquiring” better food than the C Rations provided.

Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director

Sam Hermanstorfer

Feb 22, 1947 - Jan 23, 2018

Hermanstorfer, Samuel Reed Sam, age 70, of Ramsey, died with family by his side on January 23rd, 2018. Preceded in death by wife, Janet; parents SJ and Ruth; and brother David. Survived by wife Kathy and daughter Sara (Jeff) Casey; brother Mark (Bev); 2 granddaughters; and many nieces and nephews. Celebration of life Saturday 1/27/18 at 11 am at James Ballentine VFW Post 246, 2916 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to VVA Chapter 470 (763) 421-5738.

Published on January 26, 2018 Star Tribune

Sam Hermanstorfer’s headstone at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Letters From Vietnam

During his time serving in Vietnam, Sam Hermanstorfer wrote letters home to family members. In them he describes his day-to-day life, the mundane concerns, but also his frustrations. The angle of writing on each page also tells a story of how and where Sam found time to write - not seated at a table or flat surface, but wherever he might find a flat enough surface to pen a note.

Excerpt from a letter dated April 8, 1969:

Dear Mom Dad Mark:

I just came back from the PX. It sure isn’t like the states. At least in the states you can buy what you need, here you cant! It makes me mad that I couldn’t even by a ink pen. How did you do with getting together with Carol?

Hope you don’t really think im infintry [sic], because Id be hurtin if I was. I got another letter today from Carol. She misses me as much as I miss her.

I purchased a tape recorder & I bought a couple of tapes. The recorder is a Sony 4 track TC 230 the machine costs $134.00. I bought 2 tapes already recorded today for $5.00 I bought the recorder a week or so ago.

I’m still living out of my bags. Im living in a tent big enough for 8 bunks. We have a small pump to pump the water into our shower. Our grease rack is a platform made of 4 x 6’s. Our 3 shops one for parts etc is a tent & the other 2 are tents for our use to work on a vehicle out of the sun. I cant buy very many things as I have a Ration card that limits my buying. I only worked half a day on easter Sun. & had afternoon off. We went back to work at 7 PM to check the vehicles as they came in for the night.

The Vault

Listen to Sam hermanstorfer’s full Oral History interview. TW: Gun Violence and injury
Sam Hermanstorfer Letters - read the transcript of the full collection of letters Sam donated to the museum in 2003.

The Vault

Anoka County Library Minute

This spiral bound book, produced by the Anoka County Historical Society from their 2005 exhibition Vietnam: The Veteran's Experience, highlights the experience of local soldiers (Chapter 470, Anoka MN). Personal photographs, personal narratives, a list of Anoka County Vietnam war casualties, and a background on the conflict are included.

Because Our Fathers Lied: A Memoir of Truth and Family, from Vietnam to Today by Craig McNamara (921 MCN)

Craig McNamara came of age in the political tumult and upheaval of the late 60s. While Craig McNamara would grow up to take part in anti-war demonstrations, his father, Robert McNamara, served as John F. Kennedy's Secretary of Defense and the architect of the Vietnam War. This searching and revealing memoir offers an intimate picture of one father and son at pivotal periods in American history. Because Our Fathers Lied is more than a family story—it is a story about America. This memoir tells the story of the war from the perspective of a single, unforgettable American family.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War by John Donohue (921 DON)

The Greatest Beer Run Ever, which was made into a 2022 film starring Zac Efron, is a wildly entertaining, feel-good memoir of an Irish American New Yorker and former U.S. marine who embarked on a courageous, hare-brained scheme to deliver beer to his pals serving Vietnam in the late 1960s. Includes photographs.

The Education of Corporal John Musgrave: Vietnam and Its Aftermath by John Musgrave (921 MUS)

In 1966, at age 17, John Musgrave enlists in the Marines. Boot camp and Vietnam follow. An injury results in a return home; Musgrave returns changed. Called "one of the best recent books on America’s experience in Vietnam," by Kirkus Reviews, this memoir is "intimate and self-aware."

Last Men Out: The True Story of America's Heroic Final Hours in Vietnam by Bob Drury (959.7043 DRU)

Saigon, April 1975. 150,000 North Vietnamese troops march into the city. Thousands of refugees, American civilians and soldiers from both countries need evacuation. This thrilling narrative tells the story of that evacuation - improvised by a small group of Marines. These soldiers were the Last Men Out - pulled from the American Embassy roof moments before capture.

Fire Road: The Napalm Girl’s Journey Through the Horrors of War to Faith, Forgiveness and Peace by Kim Phuc (959.7043 KIM)

Kim Phúc was 9 years old when napalm bombs fell from the sky, burning away her clothing and searing deep into her skin. The moment forever captured, an iconic image that has come to define the horror and violence of the Vietnam War. Having been left for dead, years would be marked by excruciating treatments for her burns and unrelenting physical pain, which were constant reminders of that terrible day. Kim survived the pain of her body ablaze, but how could she possibly survive the pain of her devastated soul? Kim's memoir, Fire Road, is the true story of how she found the answer in a God who suffered himself; a Savior who truly understood and cared about the depths of her pain.

The Vietnam War: The Definitive Illustrated History by Smithsonian Institution (959.7043 VIE)

Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, this authoritative guide chronicles America's fight against Communism in southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s. This book comprehensively explores the people, politics, events, and lasting effects of the Vietnam War and includes over 500 images, profiles of key figures, and a complete overview of the conduct, strategies, and events in this controversial war. Gallery spreads feature collections of infantry weapons, artillery, aircraft, and armored vehicles, and diagrams and maps show exactly where battles and key moments happened.

Year of the Hawk: America’s Descent into Vietnam by James A. Warren (959.7043 WAR)

Year of the Hawk is a military and political history of the war in Vietnam during 1965—the pivotal first year of the American conflict, when the United States decided to intervene directly with combat units in a struggle between communist and pro-Western forces in South Vietnam that had raged on and off for twenty years. Year of the Hawk is a well-researched overview of how America got into Vietnam—and why it shouldn’t have.

Enduring Vietnam: An American Generation and Its War by James Edward Wright (959.7043 WRI)

Enduring Vietnam recounts the experiences of the young Americans who fought in Vietnam and of families who grieved those who did not return. The book describes the “baby boomers” growing up in the 1950s, why they went into the military, what they thought of the war, and what it was like to serve in “Nam.” And to come home. With a rich narrative of the Battle for “Hamburger Hill,” and through substantial interviews with those who served, Enduring Vietnam depicts the cruelty of this war, and its quiet acts of courage.

Sisterhood of War: Minnesota’s Women in Vietnam by Kim Heikkila (959.70437 HEI)

Approximately six thousand military nurses served in Vietnam. Historian Kim Heikkila here delves into the experiences of fifteen nurse veterans from Minnesota, exploring what drove them to enlist, what happened to them in-country, and how the war changed their lives. This group of Minnesotans launched the campaign to build the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. In the process, a collection of individuals became a tight-knit group of veterans who share the bonds of a sisterhood forged in war.

The Wall: Images and Offerings from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by Sal Lopes (959.7044 LOP)

Full page photos and quotes from visitors to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial - The Wall - in Washington D.C.

The Vietnam War by Ken Burns (DVD959.7043 VIE and streaming on Kanopy)

This 18-hour documentary by Ken Burns as shown on PBS, is an immersive narrative that casts light on every aspect of the Vietnam War, including those involved and those affected.

Summer of ‘69 by Todd Strasser (YA FICTION STR)

Eighteen-year-old Lucas Baker's only plans for the summer are to mellow out with his friends, smoke weed, drop a tab or two, and head out in his microbus for a three-day happening called the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. But life veers dramatically off track when he suddenly finds himself in danger of being drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam. Lucas also has parents who appear headed for a divorce; and a friend on the front lines in 'Nam who's in mortal danger of not making it back. As the pressures grow, it's not long before Lucas finds himself knocked so far down, it's starting to look like up to him. When tuning in, turning on, and dropping out is no longer enough, what else is there?

Anthem by Deborah Wiles (J FICTION WIL)

This middle-grade novel, book 3 in Wiles' The Sixties Trilogy, focuses on the year 1969 and the story of Molly and Norman as they drive a bus to San Francisco to find Molly's brother, who has been drafted. The cousins see a lot - from protests and parades to roaring races and rock n' roll - as they make their way to Barry in San Francisco, not really knowing what they'll find when they get there.

U.S. Army by Jill Sherman (E355 SHE)

This easy nonfiction book from the series Serving Our Country, is geared for K - 3 readers. U.S. Army is a high-interest book which uses action photography and carefully chosen text to help newly proficient readers learn about the ways the U.S. Army protects and defends the country.