C. Thomas Long oral history interview

The Scope and Contents note of this oral history was originally generated by feeding the electronic transcript into OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4 on 2024 January 23 and ChatGPT 4o on 2024 July 30. It was then reviewed and edited by a human.

Oral history interview with C. Thomas Long '65 about his experience serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Long describes how the Space Race inspired him to major in math at Dartmouth and join the Navy ROTC. He describes being commissioned as a naval officer upon graduation and serving on the USS Springfield, overseeing nuclear weapons and engaging in diplomatic functions in European ports, before having his naval career cut short due to a leg injury. Long describes his experience at Harvard Law School following his service, and his perception of the growing anti-war sentiment and loss of respect for the military. He describes his subsequent law career and decision to pursue teaching, motivated by his passion for history and working with young people. He ends by expressing his concerns about national polarization and stresses the importance of preserving Vietnam War perspectives through the Dartmouth Vietnam Project.