Ian Bitzes and William Cross
Recorded
July 30, 2022
Archived
July 30, 2022
41:47 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
ddf000571
Description
Ian Bitzes (24) talks with his grandfather William "Rory" Cross (86) about his life in the National Guard, ranching, and his time in the Wyoming House of Representatives.Subject Log / Time Code
I asks R about joining the National Guard.
I asks about the physical. R talks about weekly drills and having to go to the Army for six months of basic training. He says the military experience was good for the Guard.
Rory describes going to Officer Candidate School (OCS) and being commissioned 2nd Lt.
R went to Yale
R says National Guard was a side gig. He continued ranching and never saw active combat. He got married, went back to the ranch, and had three kids.
I asks about rodeo. R says he didn’t have time but he wanted to do it.
R says rodeo is an off school of cattle ranching since they also use horses. R talks about his favorite horses
I remembers riding in a tractor with R. He talks about hay ranching in Douglas, WY and also Nebraska. He talks about the difference between two ranches.
I asks R about politics - R’s grandfather, dad, and he were all in the Wyoming House of Representatives. R served as Speaker of the Wyoming House. He discusses his path in Wyoming Politics.
I asks if it the same process today
R was a Republican, I asks if they got along with Democrats. R says didn’t get too partisan, Wyoming came first.
I asks R if he has any regrets. R says no, he could’ve wound up somewhere else (he was a wrestler at Yale.)
I says things are chaotic, and asks R what kind of advice does he have for people. R says to count our blessings
R describes a typical day on the ranch and the yearly cycle. How they got their land, his grandfather was a homesteader.
R talks about what bills he was involved with in the house.
I talks about his generation versus his grandfather’s/R’s generation. R mentions that a lot of the young people don’t come back to ranch, and the reasons why.
R says “hang in there” to future generations.
I says R is inspiring to him
I and R talk about I's enlisting. R talks about the German prisoners worked their land during WW2 and the Japanese Internment camps.
Participants
- Ian Bitzes
- William Cross