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Oral histories are intimate conversations between and among people who have generously agreed to share these recordings with BHS’s archives and researchers. Please listen in the spirit with which these were shared. BHS abides by the General Principles & Best Practices for Oral History as agreed upon by the Oral History Association and expects that use of this material will be done with respect for these professional ethics.
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[Last name, First name], Oral history interview conducted by [Interviewer’s First name Last name], [Month DD, YYYY], [Title of Collection], [Call #]; Brooklyn Historical Society.
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Michael Palo
Oral history interview conducted by Sady Sullivan
November 18, 2008
Call number: 2008.031.7.008
3:20 - Role in organizations; drafted for Vietnam, '68; education; lack of respect for returning soldiers; joined/founded NYC branch of Rolling Thunder, '97; government's treatment of veterans
12:08 - Personality changes after war; first post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) attack at 49 & thoughts of suicide; medications; diagnosis & group therapy; monotony of therapy and fear of lapses
22:57 - Agent Orange link to diabetes; heart, diabetes, neuropathy issues in '80s related to Vietnam; claim filed at Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2000; no feeling in feet, almost lost toe in his 50s, 5 skin grafts over 6 months; 25 pills a day & bad side effects
33:50 - Issues with VA; Wounded Warrior & Patriot Guard orgs. and being involved; backdoor draft of war in Iraq, trap of stop-loss policy & multiple deployments
45:51 - Hard to win "religious" war of 2000s; voting for Obama; soldiers deaths now numbers instead of humans; media's role in perception of war: '08 vs. Vietnam
48:53 - Gov't.'s responsibility when entering or fighting a war; going to "war, without proving the threat, is wrong;" army spread too thin, in many fights; U.S. as nation-builder not working
56:36 - Civilian response during & after war; propaganda of media; Gov'ts. must have utmost care for veterans; soldiers transitioning from war to peace
62:04 - Lack of community for soldiers, post-war; homecoming and disappointment with his Italian family; dreaming of Brooklyn in Vietnam; isolation of soldiers in war & alienation from the familiar; veterans looking to VA were rejected in '70s; Agent Orange and effect on his kids
76:18 - Introduction and background; Brooklyn-raised; family of 7 in 3 bedroom apartment; move to Coney Island at age 14; 3 marriages and struggle with relationships
85:23 - Parents' backgrounds; both grew up as 2nd generation Italian Americans in southern Brooklyn; mother's life as ship welder during WWII; parents met at apple factory; how his parents aged and together for 39 years; interview end
Interview Description
Oral History Interview with Michael Palo
Michael Palo was born to Italian American immigrants in Brooklyn, New York in 1948. (His mother, Lucy Anbrosino Palo, was also interviewed and is in the same series.) Upon graduating high school, he was drafted into the Vietnam War where he was deployed for a year. He moved back to Brooklyn after the war, worked in clinical systems for hospitals, and has been married three times. He has two children with his second wife; a son and a daughter. When the interview took place in 2008, he was living in Staten Island and was heavily involved with veterans organizations.
In this interview, Michael Palo talks about being drafted into the Vietnam War after high school, the effects the war had on his personality, his relationships upon his return, his physical wellness, and his children's health. He discusses the way in which veterans are treated by civilians and by the government upon their return to the United States and how that has directly influenced his involvement in various veterans' organizations later in life. He reflects on growing up in Brooklyn as the child of second-generation Italian immigrants and how he lived with his family in a three room apartment with little to no luxuries. In closing, Palo talks about his three marriages and how he feels responsible for the health of his children. Interview conducted by Sady Sullivan.
The Voices of Brooklyn oral histories: Veterans and wartime series features a dynamic range of narrators. Some are well-known figures in their community and others are well-known in their field. Many share their experience or insight into life in the armed services. Some also recall life as a civilian during times of war. This ongoing collection focuses on Brooklyn history and the experiences of these narrators document national and international history as well. The oldest narrator in this collection was born in 1910.
Citation
Palo, Michael, Oral history interview conducted by Sady Sullivan, November 18, 2008, Voices of Brooklyn oral histories: Veterans and wartime, 2008.031.7.008; Brooklyn Historical Society.People
- Palo, Michael P.
- Patriot Guard Riders
- United States. Army
- United States. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Wounded Warrior Project
Topics
- Family life
- Immigrants
- Italian Americans
- Medical care
- Mental health
- Nonprofit organizations
- Politics and government
- Soldiers
- Stigma (Social psychology)
- Veterans
- Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Places
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Coney Island (New York, N.Y.)
- Staten Island (New York, N.Y.)
- United States
Finding Aid
Voices of Brooklyn oral histories: Veterans and wartime