Faith Fishburn:Oral consent, is saying that I, Faith Fishburn, am a student taught by Dr. Rebecca. Scofield, an associate professor in the history department at the University of Idaho. And it informs you of the conditions of participation. Participation is voluntary. You may withdraw from the project or end the interview at any time.
FF:The interview will last up to 60 minutes. The interview will be recorded and transcribed. A copy of that transcription will be made available to you. The recording of the interview may contain material to which you hold copyright. You may transfer a copyright of this material to the regents of the University.
Transcriptions will be made available to my entire history class for research purposes. They will then be preserved by special collections and archives. The University of Idaho students, faculty and staff, as well as any researchers visiting special collections in the archive may use the interview for research, education, promotional, or other purposes deemed appropriate.
The University of Idaho Library will preserve the interview in transcript. The interview will be made publicly accessible through the University of Idaho library for scholarly and historical purposes, including potentially through its website. Do you agree to the consent form and its statements?
FF:Okay. Awesome. Now I'm gonna get into sort of my introductory little piece. I am Faith Fishburn currently in Moscow, Idaho on September 23rd at 6:33 PM. I am being joined by my grandfather Earl Fishburn. Who's currently in Heppner Oregon, over the phone. Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview with me.
Can you tell me a little bit about where you were born and raised?
EF:Yes. I think I can tell you that I was born. I was born in Pocatello, Idaho on September 7th, 1937. And I grew up just outside of Pocatello on a small farm, actually more just- we had about 40 acres of pasture. And we were there until I graduated from high school. I went to grade school in Pocatello grade school. It was a one room schoolhouse, it had all first through eighth grade all together in that one room. After I graduated or after the eighth grade, I went to Pocatello high school. And I graduated from there in, I think it was 1954, or 53.Then I spent two years at Idaho state university before I transferred to Idaho for my final two years of college.
[02:03]
FF:And while you were at the University of Idaho how did you afford your college education?
EF:How did I afford it? Well, I guess I'd saved up enough money. It wasn't that expensive back then. I didn't take out any student loans or anything.
FF:Did you think it was necessary to have a college degree to get a good job?
EF:Yes, that seemed like it would be necessary. I wanted to work- for the forest service was my first choice, although I would've also considered the Bureau of Land management. Or probably even park service, but I mostly, I was interested in the forestry end of things. And I figured I'd probably should have a forestry degree if I planned to make a career outta it.
FF:And so after graduating, after graduating from the University of Idaho where did you go?
EF:I got a job with the forest service, in Bly, Oregon.
And I was there for two years and then I was, well, back then they did have a military draft. If they weren't getting enough people signing up by then, without it, they might draft a few. And my Aunt was on the selective service board and keeps track of whose number comes up on draft. And she told me that If I made it till I was 24, I probably wouldn't be drafted. And I, that made me feel pretty good, cuz I already had a started in my career with the Forest service and I didn't really look forward to being in the military for a couple of years, but I would've turned 24 in September of 1961 and in July of 1961, I get my draft notice.
FF:And so did you think being drafted was at all connected to your social class?
EF:I don't think that had anything to do with it. It seemed like, most of the kids, a lot of the school kids that I graduated from high school with a lot of them weren't thinking much about a future job. And a lot of 'em did enlist into one of the military branches. So they weren't drafting that many. I don't think, oh, my brother was drafted about a year and a half before I was, so I knew it was a possibility.
FF:And so how long did you spend in the military?
EF:Yeah, it was a two year draft and they, the Forest Service, agreed to hold my job for me for two years. If I, if I signed up, after my two years in the military, then they would not hold my job for me any longer.
FF:That was really nice that they were able to hold the job for you.
EF:Well, yes, it was, it made you feel good. The military, I was one of, probably one of the oldest enrollee in my basic training classes. And I'd had two years of ROTC in college, one year at Idaho State University and one year at University of Idaho, I think. I know I had two years of ROTC.
So that the military was really kinda pushing me towards going to Auburn and becoming an officer and going to officer training school. But I told them I agreed to serve two years. I hadn't agreed to serve any past that time and when I, my two years up, I decided that I'd go back to my forestry job.
FF:How long did you continue working for the forestry service?
EF:I think it was about 34 years total. Well, I had, so I probably was two years before I was drafted and, and then about 32 years after I got outta the army.
FF:So talking a little bit about drafting, did that influence your thoughts on the Vietnam war at all?
EF:The Vietnam war wasn't going at all. When I was in the military, they were sending most of the people that graduated from basic training most of them were going to Korea. I. I wasn't, I wasn't really looking forward to going to Korea and they didn't, they didn't send me there.
[08:32]
They sent me to Fort Lewis, Washington and put me in a battle group that was going over to Berlin, to, to Germany. And while we were in Germany, we, we would be primarily in, in
Oh, I can't remember where we were. We kind of were in a couple places in Germany, but mostly Berlin, I guess it was Berlin was divided into four sections. One section was managed by Russia. And the, the other three sections were divided one third to Great Britain, one third to France, and one third to the United States.
So, and they had, they, the wall was up, the Berlin wall was up. So the three free governments, American, France, and Britain were on one side of the wall. And the fourth part of Germany was managed by Russia.
FF:So yeah, you weren't in the military during the Vietnam war. How did you feel about the Vietnam war sort of watching it unfold? Sort, you know, as a citizen of the United States?
EF:Well, I guess I didn't think that much about it, so I knew I wasn't going there. In fact, I was pretty happy with my forestry job. And I wasn't looking forward to going back [to the military]. When I was drafted or where they sent me anyway in the army, there was no, well, there was no women in my company. I don't know if there was any in, in my whole battle group. I know they weren't drafting women. So there might have been a few that enlisted. I don't know, but there was none in my, in any company that I was in.
FF:How did you feel about those gender roles?
EF:I, see from what I see, I, don't, I think women can certainly fill a good position in the military.
FF:So going a little bit away from the military side of things and onto a slightly lighter topic. What music or artists did you remember listening to in the 1960s?
EF:Well, Elvis Presley was probably my favorite choice.
FF:What about his music? Did you like?
EF:I don't know. I just kind of like Elvis Presley, although overall I was more into country music, Johnny Cash. In fact, I met Johnny Cash when I was going to the University of Idaho.
FF:Do you remember any favorite songs that you had?
FF:Were there any favorite songs that you remember having?
EF:Oh, well they were probably things like Ring of Fire and. Elvis Presley Heartbreak Hotel, and Don't be Cruel and things like that.
FF:Did you ever think about the deeper meaning in the music or did you just listen to the music to be entertained?
EF:Well, I like listening to it, but I didn't plan on learning how to, I didn't, I didn't do a lot of singing or, or, or playing any instruments. And I didn't anticipate that I wanted to go that route.
FF:What was it like watching the presidential elections then versus watching them unfold now?
EF:Well There, there didn't seem to be the animosity between the Democrats and the Republicans that there is now. I think right now politicians have forgotten how to compromise. They, they got their head made up in one direction and they, they, refused to see the other side of it. I think in order. Be very successful politically, you have to learn to compromise on some things.
FF:And you felt like in the 1960s politicians were much more willing to compromise?
FF:You talked a little bit about John, John F. Kennedy being assassinated. Do you sort of remember where you were when you heard about hearing that?
EF:I don't remember where I think I was. Let's see. That was, I believe that was about, about, about this time of year as I recall. And I could be wrong, but it seemed like it was. Late summer, early fall. And I was working for the forest service in Paisley, Oregon.
FF:What was your reaction to hearing that news?
EF:Well, it, it was pretty shocking. I, I. I liked Kennedy and I thought he was doing a good job. I really felt bad when that would've happened.
FF:Were there any other sort of major news or historical events that you remember hearing about
EF:In the, during the sixties?
FF:Yeah, during the sixties, it's okay. If it's late fifties or early seventies too.
EF:Well, probably it was, we weren't that about when we sent somebody to the moon? I was very interested in the moon, I don't recall exactly what year it was, but it seems like it was in the late sixties or early seventies, some place there.
FF:How did you feel about the space race? Aside from being interested in it?
EF:I was very interested in it. I wasn't planning to be personally involved in it in any way, but I thought it was probably very important. And now it sounds like it's, they're about to do it again. And I guess, I'm all for it. I think it's doing a good job.
FF:And were you aware of any of the sort of big social movements of the 1960s? Like the civil rights movement?
EF:I think you had to be aware of it with Martin Luther King and him and his assassin. That was, that was kind of a big blow end. Yeah. I think the civil rights movement was pretty prominent.
FF:How did you feel about watching the movement unfold?
EF:I thought it was probably about time.
FF:What was it like living in a sort of watching the civil rights movement while living in an area of the United States that was predominantly white?
EF:Yeah. It, and it, it was. I wasn't around very many of the minorities. Although we did have a few working for the forest service on summer crew and stuff, they always did a good job. I was glad to have them.
FF:Have you changed your mind on any big issues or any big values? Since the 1960s?
EF:I don't think I've changed any I'm probably a, a little more. I was probably pretty conservative and I'm probably becoming a little more progressive, I should guess. You'd say that I was in the fifties and sixties.
[18:20]
FF:And sort of as our final question here, what do you think was the best aspect of the 1960s?
EF:The best aspect of the 1960s is probably the civil rights movement.
FF:Why would you say that's the best aspect?
EF:Well, it just seems like it was something that was long overdue and, and It became very, was kind of important. Right. Then I, I have to say, I think just looking at the last couple of years, I think there's still a lot more racism still in the United States than people were thought. There was. I think it's too bad, but I think there's still a lot of it out there.
FF:Thank you so much for your time. That was the last question. So I'm gonna go ahead and end the recording right now.