Scope and Contents

Less than a quarter of a linear foot of audio recordings and poetry donated to the archive by Mary Defoe. The recordings are of her husband Kenneth Lee Defoe talking about his experiences in Vietnam serving with 199th Light Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion 40th Artillery, C Battery from May 1967 through July 1969.

Biographical / Historical

Born in Washburn, Wisconsin in 1946, Kenneth Defoe volunteered for the United States Army in 1966 and served over nine (9) years. After training, he went to Vietnam and served with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 40th Artillery, C Battery where he had an MOS of Fire Direction Crew Chief, Radio Operator and Recon Sergeant with the Forward Observer Team. He was stationed at Bien Hoa and Saigon while holding the rank of Staff Sargent and earning multiple medals, ribbons and commendations.

After being discharged in 1975, he became a counselor and teacher. Kenneth Defoe passed away in 2013 of causes related to Agent Orange.