Amaryllis Rieck and Fred Edward
Description
Fred Edward (82) shares about his life with his friend Amaryllis Rieck (48). Fred talks about his experience in the Air Force during the Vietnam and Korean War, draws parallels between the Civil Rights Movement and the current Black Lives Matter Movement and shares about the realities of racism and segregation.Subject Log / Time Code
Participants
- Amaryllis Rieck
- Fred Edward
Venue / Recording Kit
Tier
Initiatives
Subjects
People
Transcript
StoryCorps uses Google Cloud Speech-to-Text and Natural Language API to provide machine-generated transcripts. Transcripts have not been checked for accuracy and may contain errors. Learn more about our FAQs through our Help Center or do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions.
00:00 My name is Amy Rick. I'm 48 years old today is July 16th, 2024 in Kennewick Washington with my dear friend and Fred Edward and it we've been friends for about 25 years now, and that's who I'm interviewing for sitting with.
00:20 My name is Fred Edward. I am 82 years old. Today is Thursday, July 16th, 2020 Kennewick Washington and the name of my conversation partner is Amy Rick and we've been friends for 25 years.
00:42 When I heard about getting the chance to do storycorps with you your stories are with me so much to see so much to me know. How are you with what is coming up from the there anything that you want to start talking about?
01:00 Yes, I know one of our recent conversation was about being a musician and how that happened and whatever.
01:12 I when I was in high school. I was a drummer in the school band.
01:19 The first band at SLU had I was a drummer that bad but I did that for two years and then
01:29 Senior year needing home Player for my senior year.
01:39 So I took a saxophone home for the summer and it was a school saxophone and I have to play Anything could not be music.
01:57 And it was a man who this couple of Doors Down who was in the Air Force Band?
02:09 And so he heard me making noises and what you said and he was a trumpet player.
02:26 But he says I think I could teach you how to play their instruments.
02:30 So we got a fingering chart that shows what the back of 35555 card.
02:51 Longest anything but they
02:56 What did teach me breakfast for the instrument but every day?
03:16 Birth control
03:20 When I went back to school in September.
03:25 The band director asked me if I was there.
03:28 I said yes, Brenda chromatic scales and Cecil play for me.
03:46 I end up playing solo sax alto sax solos facts.
03:57 In the back, so that means I'm not going to read a pretty good also read music that is.
04:16 So that was the beginning of my really really play the saxophone.
04:30 Are you guys staying for the Air Force?
04:40 Earlier in my life. I have been in the office that was on the Air Force Base until the career. Going really strong in the office.
05:07 Right there so I can go in the direction of I've never heard the story about the orphanage before 16.
05:36 Jewelry sisters that with you
05:41 And I
05:52 With the music it was still in my senior year that be organized a little bit and play rhythm and blues music then the matter fact of the band directors. He played in a like something so I hope you're not expanding.
06:24 I went into the Air Force and my first assignment was in Korea.
06:36 Soaking in that year. I didn't play any music.
06:40 But after I came back
06:43 I started playing music again to play for it, but I wanted to learn something else.
06:52 So I did that and it started breaking up bass bands at Regional Regional International.
07:11 What happened to my music?
07:14 Call Caden High School hour plumber keep an ice cream to the school. I graduated from here so you can stay there, but I went there.
07:33 The driver drummer Mesa building and he played because I saw him and tried to music out there, but the important thing I think it's just the music.
08:10 Then I got going to school.
08:13 And it was just too much much much going on, but when I was in Vietnam going to school and trying to still open.
08:30 I was playing music in Vietnam saxophone alto sax on base. So they would
08:41 Ejaculate that finger
08:47 Play music in Vietnam.
08:51 I stayed at 18 months.
08:58 Doing a little bit of bass guitar. I bought a bass guitar instrument.
09:14 Coming back from Vietnam after 18 months.
09:19 Continue to play music
09:22 And that is when I initially joined the group in Spokane.
09:27 And
09:31 How did you come to work in the Northwest in Georgia?
09:43 Germany and France where I bought a new silver a saxophone to have
10:05 If they were made in France.
10:08 So I bought a new home in Paris in France.
10:31 And and
10:39 Stop playing music of all the bear.
10:44 Came back to the States videos of France and Germany.
11:00 I got the North Dakota in the winter.
11:04 And I have not been to Vietnam yet.
11:08 Hernandez a 68 so almost everyone in the military was going to be
11:19 78 days in volunteers Southeast Asian eventually anyway play music. That's my job as well as play music and nothing else to do other than work.
12:01 You know 12 hours a day.
12:04 And so when would you like play music music music?
12:39 They had a theater on base that we can go to one Saturday for Saturday.
12:48 We were going to practice Alabama that we had. Are you going to practice?
12:54 But somebody had taken the amplifier.
12:58 I had one so we couldn't practice.
13:08 Spectiv Barrett
13:25 And during that time it was a rocket attack on the base.
13:31 And I will organ player.
13:35 Super super super the organ player on that song and
14:24 But after we came from the movie.
14:36 But what happened is that it was a rocket.
14:41 It's okay. Thank you beautiful in shelter sandbags.
14:51 Riding a bike together
14:56 Daughter Daddy
14:59 Born at
15:04 And when he
15:07 As he was writing this is rocket attack Canyon.
15:11 Long story short is that he got killed?
15:26 Jordan show up in circuit. Yes. So what this video?
16:00 Hummus recipe
16:37 You'll see anybody. Some Christmas music and then
17:14 Does she know any good and that would have been the first meeting with the debate?
17:33 Ain't nothing.
17:50 Vietnam
17:54 Into Spokane
18:07 The first time I had 6 months longer 18 months 6 months a year in California Edwards Air Force Base in California.
18:34 How do you say?
18:40 And ask again.
18:52 Fairchild in Spokane, Washington
19:06 Get into a band there.
19:12 And what was supposed to happen after five years. I was to go to Upper, Michigan.
19:23 Agnostic
19:26 Ansel and I had a good for over a year left before I could.
19:34 And so when I got notified I was going to go to Upper, Michigan.
19:42 Ask game Personnel that this assignment was coming for me.
19:56 I had the person in.
20:01 Personnel that the sun was coming for me.
20:05 But to hold it.
20:08 I told him to give it to me.
20:12 Cuz if I had a list of the year to go out and have to go to bed and I called him and told him to please to give him.
20:47 Arduinos six years in Spokane
20:52 What I did, I played music for 3 years.
20:56 You know, I think 17 stop playing music.
21:08 Pakistan I became leader and manager of the band.
21:13 I was going to school.
21:32 Speed of the pan on the personality
21:44 And I had a contract with the Air Force so I could go with you.
21:49 I couldn't get rid of the kids and I thought I said something has to give.
22:06 So after 3 years would I did?
22:10 Was Nick a decision stop babies?
22:14 Focus on me
22:21 Which in retrospect?
22:26 You know brother do music.
22:29 Sacrifice that will now because I
22:50 I am rolling Zoo.
22:56 In the military there a lot of universities colleges.
23:07 Start loading the program with the University of Oklahoma.
23:13 Humanity
23:25 Purchase art
23:28 Museums
23:31 And private collectors
23:44 Private Collection Museum
23:53 And as I continue with education
23:56 I got really interested in.
24:01 People people people people people, but I'm doing all of this resident in caesarea.
24:18 Always curious and
24:51 And you would never miss an opportunity for that, but I was sleeping.
25:14 And identity psychology
25:22 Start studying psychology, and I have so many credits.
25:36 Learning everything
25:47 Take some 101 requirement.
26:09 Hasty
26:11 I got an associate degree.
26:15 Six months later. I got something to write for credit college is now okay, I forgot to do.
26:58 So that's what happened 6 months later.
27:03 3 degrees. Can I ask a question about before you went? I don't know the difference that you felt in the racial Topography of 64 and my wife and daughter.
27:42 Travel across country from New Mexico to California
27:50 Florida see my oldest daughter.
27:55 Philadelphia to Dion
28:00 What happened? Is that 64 women trailers?
28:07 Howard Johnson was the big hotel. Today.
28:19 Stop at a phone booth if you have a place to put my wife.
28:39 Turn around and go back to show up.
28:44 What happened?
28:48 Experiences are traveling cross-country.
28:52 So, what did we have?
29:13 And I got a half tank of gas. I was gassed up. My first question is that you do have a bathroom that we could use.
29:25 He said no.
29:27 Open podcast.
29:39 Now people always talk about the south being different races across the country.
30:00 On the bus
30:04 Batman
30:05 That black people
30:08 Atlanta to st. Louis, Missouri for pacification black stuff on the back of the bus
30:20 What's the stop?
30:23 In the south
30:26 It might be a window that we get something out of whatever we could get something to eat to eat on the bus.
31:09 The bus. Again for 3 minutes
31:15 35 minutes 35 minutes.
31:26 Let me see going to Sandra.
31:30 And what would happen is that?
31:34 White people would get served.
31:39 Waiting there ma'am. They said you could come in.
32:07 St. Louis, Westport
32:17 Seattle weather
32:27 Not every place you can get a California ID. So for me Khalid hotel motel.
33:20 It's weird coming from California headed to Georgia, Florida, and I'm sure that experience.
33:56 Go to the gas station.
34:00 Maybe you know, you know.
34:04 No and get out of here.
34:11 Shut up, and let me see my oldest daughter.
34:29 Navigate to near Jacksonville, Florida yoga music honestly that kind of stuff and all of that.
34:57 Stop go to Europe.
34:59 Message Jeremy Foley.
35:04 In San Andreas what happened to eat civil rights?
35:11 And sometime on the weekend before my wife and kids came over. I would go to Amsterdam from France.
35:19 Go to build to remember me.
35:39 And he said, you know.
35:42 Never take me there.
35:44 Black babies
35:49 Black
35:56 He said you may lose before you say you do not fight.
36:12 I remember him saying that.
36:21 On our way to Amsterdam so meaningful to me.
36:44 Yeah, you can go fight for the country, but not feeling yourself traveling and doing everything.
37:07 Okay, I understand and appreciate that.
37:19 Until we learn you know and
37:28 After the 16 tried it was appointed by President Johnson why people rides
37:43 Nearby auto repair
37:58 Okay in the order they were things like
38:27 Identify
38:37 F&S 1368
38:45 You know, I mean number one thing like African friend in the u.s. Being the 80s that when are we going to yes? Yes.
39:20 Okay e r m e r.
39:37 Governor of Georgia
39:53 So here we are.
39:58 I'll tell you that happened because you learned that summer instrumental music Jacksonville, Florida to the airport because you're younger than I am.
40:48 And every day at school
40:58 Senior week that people dress up and come see me.
41:10 If I was getting $78 a month 7830.
41:35 44 MI
41:50 One of the things that happen after 4 years.
41:54 Being in the Air Force
41:57 Way back home my homeroom teacher answer the phone repeatedly electric basic subject everything the whole class together.
42:43 Because science chemistry
43:14 Black. Back after 4 years
43:18 She had a reason to Savannah State.
43:33 Nope, at that time you could ever call a black person.
43:57 Different something but you couldn't get a job as a teacher. It seems to me you said you'd have to go way out in the country.
44:15 And you knew you want to travel?
44:28 Isn't nearly as much as I did, you know.
44:34 Air Force's white brown yellow red
45:11 But it didn't happen but what happened, but when it got real
46:26 16 years
46:29 Supply sergeant
46:38 Social action
46:43 So what happened in the early seventies all of the military all of the services?
46:49 Describe an activity something about race.
46:54 Sovereignty
46:58 Air Force Base in the Air Force
47:28 And what happened? Is that everybody on base?
47:35 Everybody on base had to attend which patients seminar every year.
47:44 Generals don't know Skype
47:56 I did that and then after about 2 years 2 years stage Human Rights Commission.
48:14 Did the same thing and something involved in a military member or discrimination can someone and their what?
48:31 You know.
48:42 Bin 77 new information to me.
49:20 Quite an experience, you know.
49:24 Anderson
49:37 R214 African did he help him comments? You might have just been a comment, but it really impacted.
50:22 Music
50:26 Forget to come in and never forgive him.
50:52 And serving our community, which is where I met you when you were still working.
51:08 I'm good. Thank you for thank you for all that. You sure today wasn't anything that we know what we're doing. We have our conversation. Usually why when it was at the mall and thank you Unice.
51:59 Thank you Unice. That was okay.