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Collection Veterans History Project Collection

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Andrew Chief, New Orleans, LA, just after Hurrican Katrina [9/2005]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Afghan War, 2001-; Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Branch of Service: Air Force
  • Service Unit/Ship: 451st Logistics Readiness Squadron; 273rd Engineering Installation Squadron, Texas Air National Guard; Air Force Reserve
  • Location of Service: Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan; Beaumont, Texas; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Fort Gordon, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; Balad, Iraq
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/90701

View full service history

"I had heard so many horror stories about people being drummed out of the military for such a stupid infraction as loving someone of the same sex, but it was not a problem." (Audio interview, 49:59)

Technical Sergeant Andrew James Chier signed up for the Texas Air National Guard in 2000, eventually switching to the Air Force Reserve. His unit was activated for service in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and he later deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. In his interview, he discusses his experiences as a gay Airman serving overseas both before and after the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and the support he received from his unit--and his partner--during a bout of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Andrew James Chier Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript

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More Resources

View Enlarged Image
[ Email from Dave F. to A.J. Chier, r.e. "Follow up questions" [8/5/2013] ]
View 13 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]

About this Item

Title

  • Andrew James Chier Collection

Names

  • Ferry, David Anthony
  • Chier, Andrew James

Home State

  • Texas

Headings

  • -  Chier, Andrew James
  • -  Afghan War, 2001- -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.
  • -  Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Afghan War, 2001-

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Location of Service: Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran

  • Iraq War, 2003-2011

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Service Unit/Ship: 451st Logistics Readiness Squadron; 273rd Engineering Installation Squadron, Texas Air National Guard; Air Force Reserve
    • Location of Service: Beaumont, Texas; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Fort Gordon, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; Balad, Iraq
    • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 2000
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Transcription of audio recording (collected 2013-07-21)
  • Audio: DVD [ item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2013-07-21; 2013-07-21)
  • Photograph: Digital print [13 items] -- Photographs (collected 2000-2013)
  • Computer File: DVD [1 item] -- Multiple types of electronic files (collected 2013-07-21; 2013-07-21)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/90701

Online Format

  • online text
  • image
  • audio
  • pdf

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Ferry, David Anthony, and Andrew James Chier. Andrew James Chier Collection. 2000. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.90701/.

APA citation style:

Ferry, D. A. & Chier, A. J. (2000) Andrew James Chier Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.90701/.

MLA citation style:

Ferry, David Anthony, and Andrew James Chier. Andrew James Chier Collection. 2000. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.90701/>.