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Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2013-004-003
Donald Gale Rozell served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 (Bolivia II). He left college to join and had prior experience speaking Spanish. His training was held in Puerto Rico and Vermont. Upon his arrival in Bolivia, Rozell was supposed to work at the agricultural experiment station in General Saavedra rebuilding engines, but discovered that the project was impossible due to a lack of parts. Instead, he filled his time with a variety of other jobs including working with the Heifer Project for pigs; working with 4-H; helping the local Maryknoll priest with children's programming; and organizing the U.S. Information Service (USIS) library in Santa Cruz. After completing his Peace Corps term, Rozell obtained degrees in agricultural economics and spent 25 years working with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) overseas. He says that the Peace Corps definitely influenced his career choice and gave him an appreciation for other cultures. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 19, 2012. 1 tape.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2013-004-002
Myrtis Becker Justiniano served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 as a teacher trainer (Bolivia II). She had been involved in a lot of volunteer work through her church before deciding to join the Peace Corps. She completed training at Arizona State University, on the Maricopa Indian Reservation, and in Puerto Rico and Vermont. Upon her arrival in Bolivia, she was sent to Mineros in the Santa Cruz area, where she worked as a consultant to teachers and helped develop instruction materials and methods. Justiniano eventually married the director of the school where she was stationed and remained in Bolivia after her Peace Corps term was complete. She taught at a school for the children of Gulf Oil employees, and later was named interim director after the oil companies were nationalized. She feels that the Peace Corps taught her how to understand other people, and believes that young people need these kinds of challenges. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 19, 2012. 1 tape.
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2013-004-001
Peter Burr served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 on an agriculture project (Bolivia II). He joined at the age of 32 and was recruited due to his experience with dairy farming. Burr completed training in Arizona, Puerto Rico, and Vermont during an extended session due to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the miner's strike in Bolivia. Stationed at Cochabamba, he worked at a milk plant where he developed a program to record information about each cow. His accomplishments also included improving the processes for dairy production and milk testing, as well as a farm management study. However, the structural limitations in Bolivia and the lack of funds and equipment were frustrating. Burr met and married his wife during his service, and adopted her son. He feels that the Peace Corps was a life-changing experience. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 20, 2012. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-018-002
Wayne Nishek served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 in an agriculture program. His training was conducted by Arizona State University and included time on the Maricopa Indian reservation. He married Marjorie Odegard before being assigned to Portachuelo, where he worked in a variety of agricultural positions. These included a position at a rice cooperative, where he taught machine repair and agricultural subjects. He also worked one-on-one with local farmers on agricultural issues. In the interview, Nishek discusses his relationships with coworkers and the families in Portachuelo, and the impact that the Peace Corps had on his life. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, May 4, 2011. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-018-001
Marjorie (Marj) Nishek (nee Odegard) served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 in a home extension program. Her training at Arizona State University included time on the Maricopa Indian reservation. She married Wayne Nishek shortly before being assigned to Portachuelo, where she used her experience as a home economist for the position in the district home extension program. Nishek's work included organizing homemaker groups and 4-S (similar to 4-H) groups as well as conducting classes and meetings about nutrition, child care, health care, sanitation, and general home improvement. In the interview, she discusses her relationships with her coworkers and the families in Portachuelo, and the impact the Peace Corps had on her life. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, March 18, 2011. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-010
Rose Van Epps Boice served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 as a teacher and researcher (Bolivia II). Her group trained in Arizona and Puerto Rico, ending with intensive Spanish classes at the University of Mayaguez. In Bolivia, first Boice completed a study of the health problems in the sugar cane factory town of Guabira. Then she taught health, English, and physical education at an elementary school in Saavedra. Next Boice was transferred from the Santa Cruz area to the city of Cochabamba, where she completed a study of orphanages that led to reform and improvements in the orphans' quality of life. A group of young adults was formed to continue this effort after the Peace Corps volunteers departed. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, January 26, 2011. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-011
Larry Wohlwend served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 as a tractor mechanic. He had worked as a diesel mechanic prior to joining the Peace Corps. Wohlwend was assigned to the experiment station in Cochabamba where he was able to repair tractors that had been broken for a long time. He also introduced trench silos as a means of preserving hay. Wohlwend was impressed with the people he met in Bolivia and says that the Peace Corps was the best experience of his life. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 25, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-010
Thomas (Tom) Stachelek served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 on a rural development project. He applied as an 18-year-old directly out of high school and describes his training experiences at Arizona State University and in Puerto Rico. In Bolivia, Stachelek was stationed in the village of Tarata, outside of Cochabamba. Initially he worked with a Ministry of Agriculture extension agent, but ultimately that individual was transferred so he ended up working by himself. One project was building concrete slab latrines in his village. Stachelek also discusses how he heard about President Kennedy's assassination, and how the Peace Corps impacted the rest of his life. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 23, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-008
William (Bill) Schnek served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 on a rural development project (Bolivia II). He had completed one year of college when he took the exam. He was assigned to work with the Heifer Project based in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Schnek describes how the Heifer Project was introducing new animals into Bolivia. He states that the experience fundamentally changed his life, especially because he ended up marrying a Bolivian woman who was raised in Argentina. They have maintained contact with many people in Cochabamba. Schnek feels that he got more out of the Peace Corps experience than he gave, particularly from working with the youth. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 23, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-007
Ken Rustad served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 on an irrigation project. He went into the Peace Corps right after graduating as a political science major. He was surprised to be assigned to an agricultural group because working on farms was his only related experience. He discusses the extended training of the Bolivia II group. He worked on irrigation projects under Claude Wolfe in an agricultural community development office in Cochabamba. He describes a number of experiences he had in Bolivia. He went into the military after the Peace Corps and also worked with the Office of Economic Opportunity. Note: Interview ends abruptly. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 24, 2009. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-006
Peter Roycraft served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 on an agriculture project. Prior to joining, he had graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in agriculture. His group was sent to many locations during training, including Arizona and Puerto Rico. As a visual learner, Roycraft struggled with the auditory-only Spanish language training. He arrived at the experimental agriculture station near Santa Cruz, Bolivia, expecting to work with dairy cows, but ended up doing forestry and pasture planting work instead. Roycraft has visited Bolivia five times since completing his Peace Corps service, and is a collector of Bolivian art. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 24, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-005
Larry (Butch) Oglesby served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 on a rural development program (Bolivia II). He had previously graduated from a high school program in vocational agriculture. He was assigned to work with the Heifer Project based in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Oglesby focused on the rural area west of Cochabamba and lived with local families. He learned that trying to change the world was harder than he thought and that the volunteers should not try to make the Bolivians be like Americans, but rather help improve their lives. He was drafted into the Army after getting out of the Peace Corps and believes that his experiences in Bolivia enabled him to adapt to anything. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 21, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-004
Peter Nieblas served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 on an agriculture project. He was studying civil engineering as a senior in college when he saw a flyer about the Peace Corps and decided to apply. He requested placement in Latin America because of his Latin background and his ability to speak some Spanish. Nieblas found the training somewhat harsh and not too useful, except for portion at the Agricultural School in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. In Bolivia, he was part of an animal husbandry and dairy project intended to increase local milk production. He was based at the milk processing plant in Cochabamba, which was originally built by the United Nations, but would also travel around to assist local dairy farmers. After the Peace Corps, Peter went back to school and finished a master's degree in civil engineering. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 24, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-003
Paul S. Lofton Jr. served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 as a milk tester on an agriculture project. He was enrolled in Duke University's Divinity School when he heard about the Peace Corps. After requesting a Spanish-speaking country, he was invited to join the Heifer Project in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Working for the Planta Industriale de Lieche (PIL), Lofton helped set up a milk testing program. He also taught an English class where he inadvertently caused the Bolivians imitate his southern accent. Lofton lived with two different families and notes that everyone had health problems. He played basketball on a team organized by Claude Wolfe, the Heifer Project representative, and traveled during his vacation times to Ecuador and Brazil. Lofton states that the Peace Corps was a good learning experience but he is not sure how much the volunteers actually helped the Bolivians. However, his service did change his life goals and he went on to become a university history professor. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 23, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-002
James (Jim) Herberger served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 as an insect specialist. He had recently graduated with a bachelors of science in entomology. He joined alongside his wife Judy, a social worker. Herberger trained at Arizona State University in Tempe, and discusses the overall young age of the trainees and the high attrition rate. In Bolivia, he worked at an agricultural experiment station in the town of General Saavedra, outside of Santa Cruz, which felt like a frontier area. He describes how he and his friends built a raft and took a trip down various rivers to the city of Trinidad. Herberger also shares his thoughts on what the Peace Corps meant to him, other young people, and Bolivians. After returning to the U.S., he earned a PhD and became a expert in weeds and weed control, including co-writing three scientific books that led to the development of quarantine protocols for exotic species. Interview by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 23, 2009. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).
Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2011-002-001
Norman (Norm) Coble served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1962 to 1964 on an agriculture project. He had intended to study veterinary medicine but applied to the Peace Corps to take break from school. Coble was stationed in the agricultural extension offices in Santa Cruz, where he was involved in drawing blood from cows for brucellosis testing. He also taught English at the request of some local people. Coble enjoyed teaching and working with his veterinarian counterpart. The highlight of his time in Bolivia was building a raft with fellow volunteers and floating down the Yapacani and Rio Grande rivers to the city of Trinidad. After returning home from the Peace Corps, Coble taught science at the junior and senior high school levels for 36 years. Interviewed and recorded by Sharleen Hirschi Simpson, June 24, 2009. 1 tape (web streaming files combined into 1 file).