Jonathan Feltner oral history interview

The Scope and Contents note of this oral history was originally generated by feeding the electronic transcript into OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4o on 2024 July 9. It was then reviewed and edited by a human.

Interview with Jonathan P. Feltner, Dartmouth Class of 1967, for the Dartmouth Vietnam Project. Feltner recounts his early life growing up in Rochester, New York, and his decision to join the Navy ROTC at Dartmouth, which funded his education but required a service commitment. He describes the evolving campus atmosphere from 1963 to 1967, marked by increasing antiwar protests. Feltner describes his experience post-graduation in officer training at Quantico and his deployment to Vietnam in January 1968, where he commanded the 3rd Platoon in intense combat near the Demilitarized Zone. He details his experiences in various battles, including being wounded twice, and the challenges of leading his platoon. Feltner discusses his involvement in the 1975 evacuation of Phnom Penh and Saigon and the S.S. Mayaguez rescue operation, reflecting on the psychological impacts of war and the importance of competent leadership. He concludes with the enduring lessons of Vietnam, emphasizing thoughtful military action, and shares his post-war experiences, including a 2010 return visit to Vietnam for a memorial service.