Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-MR-2004-028-009
Reid Melton served as a Peace Corps volunteer in India from 1965 to 1967 on a rural public health and nutrition project. He had studied Indian history and Hindi in college to prepare. Training for his group, India 20A, was held at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Melton was stationed in a village outside of Jabalpur and worked at the local hospital where he assisted with medical procedures, smallpox vaccinations, and family planning. He also started other projects with poultry and kitchen gardens, and taught in the social work school. He became very close with the local doctor's family. Melton struggled with health problems throughout and was medically evacuated slightly before the end of his service term. He later continued to study Hindi in graduate school and returned to India as a Peace Corps trainer before establishing a career in international organizations. Interviewed and recorded by Norma Wilder Benavides, November 8, 2003. 2 tapes (web streaming files combined into 1 file).