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Military Campaign Stories

Service Reflections of MSGT Willie McGee, U.S. Air Force (1974-1998)

Service Reflections of MSGT Willie McGee, U.S. Air Force (1974-1998)

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I was fascinated with aircraft before I could write! Whenever I saw a plane (or even an airship) flying, I would have to stop and just watch it until it was out of sight. I WAS HOOKED whenever I saw the “US Air Force Blue” promotion on (the late 50s) TV! Even now, I remember my first model plane kit, an F-86 Super Sabre, and I was too young to read the instructions telling me I needed glue! Anyways, this love of aircraft stayed with me all through my formative years and into high school. During that time, the anti-Viet Nam movement was escalating. That and my “only son” status made thoughts of joining the military disappear.

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Service Reflections of SGT Raymond L Britt, U.S. Marine Corps (1965-1971)

Service Reflections of SGT Raymond L Britt, U.S. Marine Corps (1965-1971)

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PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents SGT Raymond L Britt's legacy of his military service from 1965 to 1971. 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 following 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. Start recording your own Military Memories HERE. Please describe who or what influenced your decision to join the Marine Corps. 17-year-old, Raymond L Britt Sometimes other people believe they know more about another person's health than a doctor. This is the case in this story and how one's ignorance forced me to change my life. After sustaining a severe brain concussion in gym class in...

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Service Reflections of CWO2 Jon Nolan, U.S. Coast Guard (1988-2011)

Service Reflections of CWO2 Jon Nolan, U.S. Coast Guard (1988-2011)

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PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents CWO2 Jon Nolan's legacy of his military service from 1988 to 2011. 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 following 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. Start recording your own Military Memories HERE. Please describe who or what influenced your decision to join the Coast Guard. I was working for the Liberty County Sheriff's Department. While on patrol, I heard a Coast Guard advertisement on the radio and remember thinking to myself…Hey, I've heard of them. I wanted to leave for the Sheriff's Department and return to action. I took a chance and never...

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Service Reflections of SGT Michael Fouts, U.S. Army (1972-1976)

Service Reflections of SGT Michael Fouts, U.S. Army (1972-1976)

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PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents SGT Michael Fouts's legacy of his military service from 1972 to 1976. 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 following 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. Start recording your own Military Memories HERE. Please describe who or what influenced your decision to join the Army. My father was in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, which included service in SAC and service in an AEW&C unit (full of C-121 Constellation aircraft) that patrolled the waters off the East Coast in the '60s. He served during WWII, Korea, and the Vietnam eras. The Vietnam draft was...

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Service Reflections of SGT William Walsh, U.S. Air Force (1974-1978)

Service Reflections of SGT William Walsh, U.S. Air Force (1974-1978)

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Since my parents went through the Great Depression and only finished the 8th grade, there was never an incentive for me to go to college. I grew up a country boy with interests in Hot Rodding and playing fastpitch softball. I continued both during my service career. After High School, I assumed that I would get a job at the Kelly Springfield Tire Co, where my father was a bead room supervisor. The company would not hire me because I had not fulfilled my military draft obligation.

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Service Reflections of EM2 Floyd Farrar, U.S. Navy (1957-1962)

Service Reflections of EM2 Floyd Farrar, U.S. Navy (1957-1962)

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PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents EM2 Floyd Farrar's legacy of his military service from 1957 to 1962. 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 following 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. Start recording your own Military Memories HERE. Please describe who or what influenced your decision to join the Navy. B-29-20th Airforce, Tinian Island late 1944 My father was a WW II Seabee Carpenter's Mate 2nd. He was with the 38th Battalion during the invasion of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands during 1943-44. He then was sent to Camp Floyd B Parks in Pleasanton, Calif., where he learned...

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HM3 Johnathan Loper, U.S. Navy (2010-2016)

HM3 Johnathan Loper, U.S. Navy (2010-2016)

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What was the biggest personal challenge that you encountered during your military service? How did you approach and overcome this?:

As a Navy Ceremonial Guard Casket Bearer, we did 6 funerals daily, 5 days a week in Arlington National Cemetery. However, one funeral in particular was very tough. Everything seemed normal. The car pulled up to the chapel; I removed the urn from the back seat and carried it past the seated family to the front of the chapel. I placed the urn on the small table and made my way out and down to the basement, where we usually waited for the family to speak and pay their final respects upstairs.

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OSCS Larry Tucker, U.S. Navy (1956-1977)

OSCS Larry Tucker, U.S. Navy (1956-1977)

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What was the biggest personal challenge that you encountered during your military service? How did you approach and overcome this?:

Early in my career, I received a recommendation for the Naval Aviation Cadet program, a golden ticket to becoming a pilot. The skies beckoned, and I eagerly pursued my dream. However, fate had other plans. Dental issues stood between me and the cockpit, and I found myself grounded. The Navy pilot wings eluded me, but destiny had a different flight path in mind.

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BM2 Richard Kirshen, U.S. Navy (1967-1971)

BM2 Richard Kirshen, U.S. Navy (1967-1971)

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What was the biggest personal challenge that you encountered during your military service? How did you approach and overcome this?:

Not all experiences during the Vietnam War were unpleasant. There were a few “pleasant” events when I was in Vietnam during those strange days…days that ended on a high note. One might get the idea, from the glut of stories and movies that arose out of that war, that everything that occurred during that peculiar time was either horrific or life-threatening. That was not quite the case. There were brighter moments, moments that were still frightening, dangerous, and thought-provoking, but in another way.

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Cpl David Mulldune, U.S. Marine Corps (1967-1969)

Cpl David Mulldune, U.S. Marine Corps (1967-1969)

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What was the biggest personal challenge that you encountered during your military service? How did you approach and overcome this?:

Upon arriving in Vietnam, I was assigned to India Company, 3rdBattalionn, 27th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. I had only been in Vietnam for about three to four weeks when word came down that we would leave to go on Operation Allen Brook. During briefing, we were told that Go Noi Island was serving as a staging area for NVA units preparing for attacks against Danang. Intelligence wasn’t sure of the exact enemy numbers but figured it to be around the strength of the battalion (approximately 1,000 men). Upon reaching our objective, we came under heavy attack and, at one point, were encircled by several NVA units.

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1SG Randy Taylor, U.S. Army (2002-2023)

1SG Randy Taylor, U.S. Army (2002-2023)

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What was the biggest personal challenge that you encountered during your military service? How did you approach and overcome this?:

In 2006, I deployed to Iraq for my second 12-month tour, this time to Baghdad. I had previously been deployed to this theater in 2003 during the Initial Invasion but in Kirkuk. This time, my deployment experience has drastically changed with the counterinsurgency agenda, operating during the surge within a Sunni and Shia Faultline, as well as pinned up against the developing/ evolving use of IEDs and ambush techniques. Every patrol, either mounted or dismounted, would prove to be a gamble of committed forward movement within the muhallahs. Every Platoon operating within the Area of Operations was in tune with each other and shared in the concern and worry for elements leaving and entering FOB Falcon. Platoons and Sections on a mission would be met and sent off at the gates with supportive encouragement, and a couple of cigarettes as final pre-combat checks were being completed. I was a squad leader during this deployment and shouldered the safety and leadership of my M1114 truck crew, which included 1 gunner, 1 driver, and 2 dismounts.

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