Guide to the Geoffrey C. Getman (Class of 1965) oral history and papers relating to the Vietnam War, 1967-2010

John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2016

Collection Overview

Title:	Geoffrey C. Getman (Class of 1965) oral history and papers relating to the Vietnam War
Date range:	1967-2010
Creator:	Getman, Geoffrey Charles, 1949-2003
Extent:	0.25 linear foot
Abstract:	This collections contains materials about the life of Geoffrey Charles Getman (Class of 1965) and his service in the Army during the Vietnam War. The materials were collected as part of the Vietnam Veterans Archive project by Professor Beth Taylor. Getman trained as an Infantry Captain, but after receiving serious wounds in January 1968, recovering, and receiving a purple heart, was assigned to desk jobs thereafter. His last position in Vietnam was as XO of LRRP company E/20 LRRP (Long Range Recon Patrols) / 75th Infantry (Rangers) Regiment where he handled army administration and logistics. He extended his tour to become an R&R Liaison Officer, spending the last 100 days of 1969 as the MACV liaison officer at the R&R Center in Honolulu. He was discharged as a Captain in March 1970. This collection contains a brief biography of Geoffrey Getman written posthumously by his sister, Susan Getman Abernathy, and her recollections of her brother’s feelings and her role in anti-war efforts, during the Vietnam War era. There is also a communication describing his military and civilian life that Geoffrey Getman sent in 2003 to his OCS classmates via email as they were reuniting in the virtual world, state-side. There are two photographs of Getman in his dress uniform circa 1967.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	AMS.1U.G9

Scope & content

This collection contains an autobiographical sketch written by Geoffrey C. Getman as an email in 2003 to his OCS classmates describing his military experiences serving in Vietnam and his life afterward. It also includes a brief biography written by his sister Susan Getman Abernethy with her recollections of her brother’s feelings and her role in anti-war efforts during the Vietnam War era. Susan also contributed 2 photographs of Geoff taken before he left for Vietnam in his uniform. These materials were collected as part of the Vietnam Veterans Archive at Brown University conducted by Professor Beth Taylor.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Abernethy, Susan Getman
• Ellis, Lisa Getman
• Harkey, Virginia Getman
• McNamara, Robert S., 1916-2009

Subject Organizations

• American Express International Banking Corporation.
• Atlantic Baking Company. (Rockland, Maine)
• Columbia University. Graduate School of Business.
• United States. Army, Vietnam. Headquarters and Headquarters Company. (Special Troops)
• United States. Army. Field Force, Vietnam, 1st.

Subject Topics

• families
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Casualties
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements--United States

Geographical Names

• An Khê (Vietnam)
• Cam Ranh (Vietnam)
• Hawaii
• Hoi An (Vietnam)
• Rockland (Me.)
• Vietnam--Description and travel

Occupations

• Military officers
• Officers, Military and naval

Subject Topics

• Military

Arrangement

This small collection is arranged in 2 series:

• Series 1. Biographical/Autobiographical
• Series 2. Photographs

Biographical note

Geoffery Charles Getman, grew up in Buffalo, New York, son of Charles W. and Virginia Henry Getman, and brother of Susan (Getman) Abernethy, Virginia (Getman) Harkey and Lisa (Getman) Ellis. He received an A.B. degree from Brown University in 1965 and was proud of being a Brown alumnus. He was very capable intellectually and enjoyed his classes. He also enjoyed his social life at the university, where he was a member of a fraternity and had many friends. He was the manager of the hockey team.

Geoff was drafted by the Army quite soon after graduation from Brown. After OCS training he and about 20 of his class were sent to Panama to temporarily fill empty slots at the 193rd Infantry Brigade. He went to “jump school” and “jungle school” there and left Panama in October 1967 with orders for the 4th Infantry Division, in Vietnam.

He arrived in Cam Ranh, Vietnam in November 1967 and was sent to the 1st Cavalry 7th Cavalry Regiment instead. After about six weeks in the field, in January 1968, he was seriously wounded in the hills of Hoi An and eventually medevac’d to Okinawa, arriving there about a week before the Tet Offensive. Geoff writes in his own story to his OCS class that his RTO (Radio Telephone Operator), Medic and FO (Forward Observer) and the person who replaced him in the field were all killed [in the Tet Offensive]. He received a Purple Heart.

After recovering, he was sent back to Vietnam in May 1968 with a profile that kept him to a desk job. His first assignment was as XO (Executive Officer) of the HHC (Headquarters and Headquarters Company), Special Troops, USARV, which he did not like, though he commented “it was nice duty in a lovely beach resort, and you’d hardly know there was a war going on.” He extended his tour by six months to get another assignment to the G3 staff at IFFV (First Field Force Vietnam) in Nha Trang and soon worked himself into a position of XO LRRP company E/20 LRRP (Long Range Recon Patrols) recently moved to An Khe (from Pleiku). His CO handled all the S2 and S3 functions and he handled all of the administrative and logistics, at which he felt he excelled. The LRRP/LRP units had the mission of working deep within an enemy's areas of operation. While Getman was XO of the unit, all of the LRRP units were designated as Ranger companies of the 75th Infantry (Rangers) Regiment. He extended his tour a second time for six months, and instead of taking the free leave (between tour and extension) he applied to be an R&R Liaison Officer and was accepted. He spent the last 100 days of 1969 as the MACV liaison officer at the R&R Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was honorably discharged as a Captain in March 1970.

He returned to New York and within six weeks the Kent State shootings, the Hard Hat Riot (May 8, 1970) and the Invasion of Cambodia ensued. Getman did not feel ready for re-entry into this culture after being away for three years. Through connections he interviewed at American Express for an overseas job managing a military banking facility in Vietnam which he accepted. He left New York in September 1970 training in Okinawa and Saigon and then spent time in Vietnam as the manager of the American Express banking offices in Pleiku and then the Phan Rang branches. During this time he saw Vietnam in ways he could not before and he grew to appreciate the Vietnamese culture and history. (He visited Vietnam four times throughout his life after leaving this position in Asia.) In late 1972, American Express had a reduction in workforce affecting Getman, and he decided to go to Columbia University for his M.B.A. degree.

He graduated Columbia in May 1974 and entered a career in investment banking, managing fixed income portfolios for institutions. He worked in New York, Baltimore, and Chicago (Fiduciary Trust Company, Morgan Stanley and USF&G) where after some time he was offered and accepted a golden parachute.

Getman then decided to follow a dream and in 2002 opened a bakery, Atlantic Baking Company, in Rockland, Maine, near where his ex-wife’s family had a house and he had spent many summer vacations. He imported two bakers for the baking responsibilities and handled the company’s business aspects, arranging both the retail and the wholesale orders.

Getman had been married in 1979 to Judith Fletcher Getman and had two daughters and a son. His son drown in 1985 at the age of 3-1/2 years. He and his ex-wife separated in 1996 and divorced in 1999 while they were living in Baltimore. Geoff collected antiques and fine photography. He loved classical music, reading the New York Times, baking pies and growing orchids at home. Geoffrey C. Getman committed suicide on October 6, 2003 in Rockland, ME.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Geoffrey Getman (Class of 1965) oral history and papers relating to the Vietnam War, AMS-1U-G9, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	Given by Ginger Harkey (sister of Geoffrey Getman) 2012 May 10.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Barbara Ambos.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2016-01-25

Additional Information

Related material:

Part of the Vietnam Veterans Archive (Brown University).

Inventory

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