Interviewee: Eugene Biernacki
Interviewer: Alex Thomas
Interview Summary
My interviewee is my grandfather, Eugene Biernacki, who is 91-years-old and was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. He is currently residing at Brookdale Assisted Living in Northbrook, Illinois. My grandfather told stories of his deployment to Korea during the Korean War, like leaving home and the different ports he went to, as well as his day-to-day routines on the ship he was on, the USS Rochester. His job on the ship was to record all information of what was occurring on the ship, including changing of officers, the places they sailed to, and more. This interview covers topics such as memories of home, new experiences, America’s involvement, circumstances of deployment, policing action vs fighting a war, and much more! The interview was conducted via Zoom because my grandfather and the rest of my family are in Glenview and Northbrook, Illinois, and Zoom was the easiest method to interview from here at Colby. The interview was conducted by Alex Thomas, a current senior Sociology major and ice hockey player at Colby College, who is deeply interested in history, especially America’s involvement in history throughout the world.
Biography
Eugene was born and raised in the Chicagoland area, and has lived here his entire life. After his time in the Navy and the Korean War, Eugene returned home and opened his own hair salon in Des Plaines, Illinois, where he spent his whole working life as a hairdresser. He married Olga Biernacki and had two kids. He has lived a full and fulfilling life, and continues to be a bright light to his five grandchildren.