Project of the Skyline
College/North San Mateo County Oral History Archives, Skyline
College Library
Student project for LSCI 110 – Digital Oral Research Project, Skyline College
Legacy yet to be written: Mark Miranda III
Click here to read the
research essay, “Legacy yet to be written”, by Matthew Miranda
Click on the links
below to hear audio segments from an April
2005 interview by Matt Miranda with Mark Miranda III, who is a Vietnam Veteran
and is now a U.S. Customs Supervisory Inspector.
Mark Miranda III in the middle w/ his
sons at his side.
Table of Contents:
1. Background Information
2. Joining the Marines
5. Deep in the heart of Vietnam
7. Final thoughts of a life changing
experience
Segment 1
Background Information (71 KB)
Basic information on Miranda
Mark Miranda stands with his parents &
siblings after graduating from camp Pendleton
Segment 2
Joining the Marines (272 KB)
Call of duty around the corner, Vietnam War
escalates.
”It was either join or be drafted…”
Mark Miranda at graduation from camp
Pendleton
Segment 3
Marine Corps. Training (275 KB)
Upon joining the United States Marine Corps,
Mark
endures Marine Corps boot camp.
After completing the hardships of boot
camp, Mark is now apart of the 2070 Platoon.” This is Mark’s family now…”
Mark is in the third row from the top, 9th
Marine (starting from left to right)
These roughnecks
were like brothers to my father as they watched out for each other.
This was the bunk
that Mark had. The bunk was no hotel suit, but was sufficient for down time.
Segment 4
Transition to Vietnam (460 KB)
Transitioning to
Demilitarized Zone; port of entry and drop
off for military supplies
Segment 5
Deep in the heart of Vietnam (663 KB)
A description of
A market in a poor Vietnamese village in
Dong Ha
These are two Vietnamese boys my father
came across on his recon missions;
My father befriended these boys by trading
them some bubble gum in return for a can opener
Mark is seen here fishing with grenades. After the underwater explosion, many fish
floated to the surface, while the local villagers gathered the fish for food.
Segment 6
Closure to Vietnam (168 KB)
Mark gives his views and insights on the
Vietnam war.
“Mark stands by his jeep that he use’s to
transport the General he is assigned to protect”
Segment 7
Final thoughts of a life changing experience (647 KB)
Mark here gives his final thoughts of all the
hardships he has endured, and where it has landed him today.
Inspector Miranda is seen here greeting a
Russian official as he and the rest of the
Inspector
Miranda has just completed a mission where he and other fellow Customs officers
successfully arrested a heroin smuggling cartel and his accomplices.
Image sources: Images provided by Mark Miranda III “Any use of these
images is prohibited!”
Links to Related Subjects
http://www.marines.com/default.asp
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/
*These
audio files may be played with Windows Media Player or Real
Player.
To download a free copy of Windows Media
Player, click here.
To download a free copy of Real Player,
click here.
last revised: 5-24-05
by Eric Brenner, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA
These materials may be used for educational purposes if you inform and credit
the author and cite the source as: North San Mateo County Oral History
Archives, Skyline College Library. All commercial rights are reserved. To
contact the author, or send comments or suggestions, email: