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Military Campaign Stories

Four-Legged Military Hero – MWD Lucca

Four-Legged Military Hero – MWD Lucca

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During the long war in Iraq and Afghanistan, coalition forces relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe by detecting explosives, finding illegal drugs, searching for missing comrades, or targeting enemy combatants. Dozen died in the line of duty. Others struggle with wounds and post-traumatic stress. Many have earned recognition for heroism. Among the heroes is Lucca, a highly skilled German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix trained to sniff out explosives and protect the combat Marines and Special Forces she served.  Lucca is the Most Legendary Military Working Dogs Lucca and her military dog handler Marine Staff Sgt. Chris Willingham were together on two combat tours in Iraq. Later Lucca would have an Afghanistan tour with her new dog handler, Marine Corporal Juan Rodriguez.  According to the Military Working Dog Team Support Association, Inc. Lucca is among the most legendary military working dogs. Through almost six years of military service, Lucca...

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The Road Not Taken by Max Boot

The Road Not Taken by Max Boot

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In chronicling the adventurous life of legendary CIA operative Edward Lansdale, The Road Not Taken definitively reframes our understanding of the Vietnam War. In this epic biography of Edward Lansdale (1908 - 1987), the man said to be the fictional model for Graham Greene's The Quiet American, best-selling historian Max Boot demonstrates how Lansdale pioneered a "hearts and mind" diplomacy, first in the Philippines, then in Vietnam. It was a visionary policy that, as Boot reveals, was ultimately crushed by America's giant military bureaucracy, steered by elitist generals and blueblood diplomats who favored troop build-ups and napalm bombs over winning the trust of the people. Through dozens of interviews and access to never-before-seen documents-including long-hidden love letters-Boot recasts this cautionary American story, tracing the bold rise and the crashing fall of the roguish "T. E. Lawrence of Asia" from the battle of Dien Bien Phu to the humiliating American evacuation...

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The Chopper Popper

The Chopper Popper

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The grounds of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs are packed to the gills with Air Force history. Among the legends on display is a green-colored Air Force Reserve A-10 Thunderbolt II (also known as a Warthog), positioned with its nose skyward. A closer look at that nose reveals its name: "The Chopper Popper."  How the Chopper Popper Keeps the Tradition of Nose Art Alive Nose art isn't that common in the Air Force these days, but it's not totally forbidden. The aging but plucky fleet of A-10s have all but kept the tradition alive in recent decades. Warthogs are usually bearing teeth or tusks on their noses, not the sea creature gripping a helicopter in its massive claws. The Chopper Popper's art is an homage to its nickname, picked up for the stunning air-to-air kill made by then-Capt. Bob Swain during the first Gulf War. The A-10 is known for a lot of things, but dogfighting isn't one of them. It was designed to be a gun with wings, a flying tank that could get in close...

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2LT Beauford Theodore Anderson, U.S. Army (1942-1952)

2LT Beauford Theodore Anderson, U.S. Army (1942-1952)

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The tiny village of Soldier's Grove, Wisconsin, has a population of only 534 people, but it has a rich history. In the 1980s, it became the first town in America to get more than half its energy from the sun, making it the country's first "solar village." It's also where World War II veteran Beauford Theodore Anderson came of age.  The Heroism of Beauford Theodore Anderson Born in 1922, Beauford T. Anderson joined the Army at age 20 and was sent to the Pacific Theater. He returned to Wisconsin, briefly starting a floor sanding business before rejoining the Army as a recruiter. There could be no finer example of an American soldier than the one Beauford Anderson made. While fighting on Okinawa, he received the Medal of Honor for an act of valor that felt like it could only come out of a movie.  The invasion of Okinawa in April 1945 would be the largest amphibious landing of the entire Pacific War, called the "typhoon of steel" by those who fought there. With Allied naval support, the...

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Service Reflections of HM2 Steven Bowyer, U.S. Coast Guard (1967-1973)

Service Reflections of HM2 Steven Bowyer, U.S. Coast Guard (1967-1973)

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PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents HM2 Steven Bowyer's legacy of his military service from 1967 to 1973. 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. Why I joined the United States Coast Guard Upon graduation from High School in 1966, the draft was in place. I, however, wanted to be able to choose for myself rather than the government. I had no idea at the time which was the right branch of the Armed Services to join, and I...

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Service Reflections of PFC Raymond Ringgold, U.S. Army (1943-1946)

Service Reflections of PFC Raymond Ringgold, U.S. Army (1943-1946)

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PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents PFC Raymond Ringgold's legacy of his military service from 1943 to 1946. 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. By the time I graduated from high school in 1942, World War II was well underway. My father was an air raid warden, and when there was a blackout drill, we walked the neighborhood to make sure all curtains were drawn tight and there were no visible lights. The Government decided...

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Service Reflections of SSGT Dennis Bengtson, U.S. Air Force (1969-1973)

Service Reflections of SSGT Dennis Bengtson, U.S. Air Force (1969-1973)

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PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents SSGT Dennis Bengtson's legacy of his military service from 1969 to 1973. 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 Air Force. At the time, so many Marines and Army were going to Viet Nam, and I still wanted to do my part. If I went to the Navy and got assigned to a ship, went out in the ocean, and did not see land, I couldn't wrap my head around that being from land-locked Iowa. I had already taken...

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Service Reflections of CDR Thomas Nelson, U.S. Navy (1970-1997)

Service Reflections of CDR Thomas Nelson, U.S. Navy (1970-1997)

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PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents CDR Thomas Nelson's legacy of his military service from 1970 to 1997. 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. CPT Quinlan, USMC - Class Officer for my AOC class My family history certainly helped me decide. Many of my ancestors were in wars, particularly my 4th great-grandfather, who signed the Declaration of Independence and was commander general of the Virginia Military who fought in the...

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Service Reflections of CAPT Bruce Lake, U.S. Marine Corps (1965-1970)

Service Reflections of CAPT Bruce Lake, U.S. Marine Corps (1965-1970)

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PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents CAPT Bruce Lake's legacy of his military service from 1965 to 1970. 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. My Dad (on the right) at Camp LeJeune 1947 My father had served as a Marine and was stationed at Camp LeJeune, where I was born. His brother had also served as a Marine and served in Korea a few years later. Whether you were in the service for several years or as a career,...

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SGT Zach Pierce, U.S. Army (2002-2008)

SGT Zach Pierce, U.S. Army (2002-2008)

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List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

Sgt Forrest Dane Cauthorn: 2/27 Wolfhounds, 25th Infantry; 2004-2007. KIA Iraq 4 Apr 2007. Dane was a lovable teddy bear whose enthusiasm for life was betrayed by his stoic nature. He never yelled; he always related to his soldiers. He was an awesome infantryman but never tried to be a hero or be the most tactically sound person. But he was so good at his job. Dane was never willfully the center of attention, but his presence was always top of mind, and he was always heard. Dane was generally quiet but always had some relatable insight or zinger to send home. He was what kept his father sane and grounded and will be sorely missed until the end of time.

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SSG Victoria Ryan, U.S. Army (1973-1988)

SSG Victoria Ryan, U.S. Army (1973-1988)

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List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

In late 1976, I reenlisted for my second tour of duty. I had chosen my next duty station as West Point, NY, which was close to my parent’s residence. The year prior, while I was stationed in Hawaii, my mother had undergone major surgery in order to amputate one of her legs that had been destroyed by osteomyelitis. Her diabetes had exacerbated the disease. The only solution was amputation, a risky endeavor because the diabetes could cause the procedure to end her life. The surgery was a success and in due time, she was fitted with a prosthesis.

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SP4 Robert Kickenweitz, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

SP4 Robert Kickenweitz, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

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List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

Darkest Day for Blackhorse, SUOI CAT, By Robert Bob Kickenweitz. The 21st of May 1967 was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning, the day you were happy to be alive. I got up, put on a clean set of fatigues, and went to breakfast at the mess hall. Leaving the m ss hall, I noticed steam coming up from our tent as the dew from the night before was evaporating from the heat of the sun into little clouds. Yes, that’s just what we needed in South Vietnam: a little more humidity! After breakfast, I walked up to our chapel about one block from my tent for Sunday mass. Our chapel was located on the southwest corner of an intersection, with the 7th Surgical Hospital on the northwest corner, and across the street diagonally from the chapel on the northeast corner was the 37th Medical Group, and on the southeast corner was Regimental Headquarters.

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