Oral history with Preston Hughes; 2002

Oral history.; Interview recorded December 12, 2002. Preston Hughes was born in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 1943. In 1948 his family moved to Louisville, Mississippi and later to Kosciusko. After a West Point recruiter visited Hughes' high school, Hughes signed up for the military academy in 1961. He spent 4 years there and graduated in 1965 as a second lieutenant in field artillery. After graduating, Hughes attended both airborne and ranger school at Fort Benning. He was then assigned to an artillery unit in Fort Carson, Colorado. In 1966, Hughes left for a one-year tour in Vietnam. During the war, he served with the second battalion of the 35th artillery. After returning from Vietnam, he was assigned to an artillery-training center at Fort Sill. In June 1969, he returned to Vietnam for a second tour. In 1970, Hughes spent a year studying the Turkish language at the Defense Language Institute in California. As a further part of his training, he attended the University of Utah in 1971 to receive his M.A. in Middle East Area Studies. In 1972, Hughes moved to Istanbul and was later assigned to command a warhead attachment in Izmit. He eventually took a job as Captain in Ankara. In 1981, Hughes started working as the liaison for NATO in the Turkish general staff headquarters and was involved in an effort to defend southern Turkey. He served in this position for 4 years, including the period of Desert Storm. Hughes finally returned to Mississippi in 1992 after spending 14 years in Turkey. In retirement, Hughes supported public education and worked on many initiatives to improve it.

Oral history.; Interview recorded December 12, 2002. Preston Hughes was born in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 1943. In 1948 his family moved to Louisville, Mississippi and later to Kosciusko. After a West Point recruiter visited Hughes' high school, Hughes signed up for the military academy in 1961. He spent 4 years there and graduated in 1965 as a second lieutenant in field artillery. After graduating, Hughes attended both airborne and ranger school at Fort Benning. He was then assigned to an artillery unit in Fort Carson, Colorado. In 1966, Hughes left for a one-year tour in Vietnam. During the war, he served with the second battalion of the 35th artillery. After returning from Vietnam, he was assigned to an artillery-training center at Fort Sill. In June 1969, he returned to Vietnam for a second tour. In 1970, Hughes spent a year studying the Turkish language at the Defense Language Institute in California. As a further part of his training, he attended the University of Utah in 1971 to receive his M.A. in Middle East Area Studies. In 1972, Hughes moved to Istanbul and was later assigned to command a warhead attachment in Izmit. He eventually took a job as Captain in Ankara. In 1981, Hughes started working as the liaison for NATO in the Turkish general staff headquarters and was involved in an effort to defend southern Turkey. He served in this position for 4 years, including the period of Desert Storm. Hughes finally returned to Mississippi in 1992 after spending 14 years in Turkey. In retirement, Hughes supported public education and worked on many initiatives to improve it.

Oral history.; Interview recorded December 12, 2002. Preston Hughes was born in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 1943. In 1948 his family moved to Louisville, Mississippi and later to Kosciusko. After a West Point recruiter visited Hughes' high school, Hughes signed up for the military academy in 1961. He spent 4 years there and graduated in 1965 as a second lieutenant in field artillery. After graduating, Hughes attended both airborne and ranger school at Fort Benning. He was then assigned to an artillery unit in Fort Carson, Colorado. In 1966, Hughes left for a one-year tour in Vietnam. During the war, he served with the second battalion of the 35th artillery. After returning from Vietnam, he was assigned to an artillery-training center at Fort Sill. In June 1969, he returned to Vietnam for a second tour. In 1970, Hughes spent a year studying the Turkish language at the Defense Language Institute in California. As a further part of his training, he attended the University of Utah in 1971 to receive his M.A. in Middle East Area Studies. In 1972, Hughes moved to Istanbul and was later assigned to command a warhead attachment in Izmit. He eventually took a job as Captain in Ankara. In 1981, Hughes started working as the liaison for NATO in the Turkish general staff headquarters and was involved in an effort to defend southern Turkey. He served in this position for 4 years, including the period of Desert Storm. Hughes finally returned to Mississippi in 1992 after spending 14 years in Turkey. In retirement, Hughes supported public education and worked on many initiatives to improve it.

Oral history.; Interview recorded December 12, 2002. Preston Hughes was born in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 1943. In 1948 his family moved to Louisville, Mississippi and later to Kosciusko. After a West Point recruiter visited Hughes' high school, Hughes signed up for the military academy in 1961. He spent 4 years there and graduated in 1965 as a second lieutenant in field artillery. After graduating, Hughes attended both airborne and ranger school at Fort Benning. He was then assigned to an artillery unit in Fort Carson, Colorado. In 1966, Hughes left for a one-year tour in Vietnam. During the war, he served with the second battalion of the 35th artillery. After returning from Vietnam, he was assigned to an artillery-training center at Fort Sill. In June 1969, he returned to Vietnam for a second tour. In 1970, Hughes spent a year studying the Turkish language at the Defense Language Institute in California. As a further part of his training, he attended the University of Utah in 1971 to receive his M.A. in Middle East Area Studies. In 1972, Hughes moved to Istanbul and was later assigned to command a warhead attachment in Izmit. He eventually took a job as Captain in Ankara. In 1981, Hughes started working as the liaison for NATO in the Turkish general staff headquarters and was involved in an effort to defend southern Turkey. He served in this position for 4 years, including the period of Desert Storm. Hughes finally returned to Mississippi in 1992 after spending 14 years in Turkey. In retirement, Hughes supported public education and worked on many initiatives to improve it.