Roger Neighborgall - June 11, 2014

Roger Neighborgall was born in Garrett, Indiana, in 1923. A freshman at Duke University when Pearl Harbor was bombed, and he enrolled in the 69th Division of 5th Ranger Battalion that same year, at 18 years old. He recounts his rather harrowing enrollment process, followed by the first and only time he met commanding General Patton during the Battle of the Bulge. He also displays some of the ephemera he brought back from WWII.

After returning from the war and receiving his college degree, Roger Neighborgall was employed at American Car and Foundry, where he eventually ended up in Technical Marketing as Vice President of the company. After 10 years, he began working at a new company that moved him around the US, eventually stationing him in the Washington, DC area in the 1960s.

Neighborgall recounts his time on Country Club Road, emphasizing Vienna's change in size over the years. He also describes the landscape, the commute to Washington, DC, where he had an office in the Pentagon working as a defense contractor, and institutions (the theater, the country club) and celebrations (former Mayor Charlie Robinson's 4th of July Celebrations) of Vienna's past and present.

Roger Neighborgall has involved himself in many groups, including a past presidency of The Ranger's Association and a current presidency of the Virginia Tennis League. He recounts his involvement with the committee at Our Lady of Good Council and his position as president of the W&OD trail, with attention to the history of and changes in each institution over the years.

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 Joining the 69th Division of the 5th Ranger Battalion

Meeting General Patton

Describing His Personal Collection of WWII Ephemera

Vienna's Past Landscape

Westwood Country Club

Tragedy at the Old Theater

Madison High School

Our Lady of Good Counsel

Remembering Small-Town Vienna

W&OD Trail, Past and Present

Commuting to Washington, DC; Reflections on the Metro

Former Mayor Charlie Robinson's 4th of July Celebrations

All interviews by Sophie Abramowitz and David Shelby

ViVa Vienna! - May 25-26, 2014

A cultural festival sponsored by the local Rotary Club whose entire proceeds go to Vienna's local organizations and institutions, ViVa Vienna has blossomed over the years into one of the most anticipated events in Fairfax County.

This year, we asked the crowd what ViVa Vienna means to the Vienna community. Interviewees include the Mayor and Vice-Mayor of Vienna, the Sheriff of Fairfax County, the Delegate representing Virginia's 35 District, the Master of Ceremonies for the annual Vienna Halloween Parade, Vienna Rotary Club Members, Council Members, Members of Vienna Parks and Recreation, long-time residents, and local business owners.

Without further ado!:

All interviews by Historic Vienna, Inc. member Bruce Wyman. Video recording and editing by Historic Vienna, Inc. intern Sophie Abramowitz

We're Back!

Last summer, Historic Vienna interns Victoria Gardiner and Virginia Harness collected, catalogued, edited, transcribed, and published nine interviews both on Historic Vienna, Inc.'s YouTube Channel and here on our oral history blog. Featuring sixteen long-time Vienna residents, these interviews engaged with each interviewee’s personal experience of Vienna throughout their extended residences in the town. 

This summer, we plan to expand the oral history archive, publish more interview videos and transcriptions on this website, produce an oral history guide (to be available on our blog by the end of the July), and open the project to interested community members. Stay tuned!

Do you want to volunteer to help interview someone for Historic Vienna Oral History Project? Do you know someone who you think we should interview? Please email us at hvioralhistory@gmail.com!