PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
The following Reflection represents ATC Jerry A. Burkholder’s legacy of their military service from 1974 to 1994. If you are a Veteran, consider preserving a record of your own military service, including your memories and photographs, on Togetherweserved.com (TWS), the leading archive of living military history. The Service Reflections is an easy-to-complete self-interview, located on your TWS Military Service Page, which enables you to remember key people and events from your military service and the impact they made on your life.
Did Any of Your Children Follow Your Footsteps into Military Service? If so, Which Branch Did They Join, What Career Path Did They Take, and What Were Some of Their Most Notable Achievements?
Let me start by acknowledging my family’s service. My father retired from the Navy having served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Both of his brothers served in the Army. My mom’s brother served in the Army. Two cousins on my mom’s side served, one in the Navy the other in the Air Force. I, myself, was born in a naval hospital at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. I was destined to serve. I retired from the Navy after Vietnam, the Cold War and the first Gulf War. Service is in my family.
But, a generation was skipped when my daughter did not join up. However, my first grandchild joined the Army after high school graduation.
She had been training as an EMT while in high school and received her EMT certification upon graduating high school. She had been talking with an Army recruiter and decided to join up and become a Combat Medic.
She first went to Fort Jackson, SC for basic training followed by Medic training at Fort Sam Houston, TX. Because of her EMT training, she breezed through the course. Her instructor made her sort of a student instructor and a tutor.
From there, she reported to Fort Bragg for Airborne training. After completing all the requirements for training, they changed the quotas and she basically sat there for nearly three months. She was very disappointed in that outcome.
After her “dead” time at Fort Bragg, she received orders to Fort Irwin, CA. That is where they train squads in desert combat conditions prior to deployment.
During her time there, she got injured. The circumstances surrounding that are still not clear to me. Anyway, she was in therapy for some time before being medically discharged. She is now a 100% P&T disabled veteran.
Since her return home, she enrolled in college and will graduate this summer. She also purchased a house. She is doing well at this point but continues with therapy. Probably lifelong.
All this has happened before her 25th birthday which is next month (Feb).
That’s the story of my family’s service. Thank you.
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