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Reflections

Service Reflections of LT David G. Potter, U.S. Coast Guard (1968-1973)

Service Reflections of LT David G. Potter, U.S. Coast Guard (1968-1973)

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In Spring 1968, the Vietnam War was very hot and heavy. Politicians were screaming about men hiding in colleges. I finished my college degree (B.S., wildlife biology, Washington State University) and received a research assistant full scholarship to Penn State for a master’s degree studying wood ducks. Drove 90 miles, including changing a flat tire on a snowy road shoulder, to hear my draft board take minimal time to decide I would be drafted if I didn’t get into an Officer program.

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Service Reflections of Capt Al Kyle, U.S. Marine Corps (1967-1971)

Service Reflections of Capt Al Kyle, U.S. Marine Corps (1967-1971)

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My dad and father-in-law were both career Marines – a big-time influence! Also, I had an NROTC scholarship to Duke University, and graduated in 1967. I was a Marine officer for four years, from 1967 to 1971. Before graduation, we were asked our preferences for a duty station. We were given three choices: West Coast, East Coast, or Vietnam, and were guaranteed to get one of our first three choices. HA! Virtually every graduate ended up in Vietnam.

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Service Reflections of Lt Col Arthur Wedra, U.S. Air Force (1962-1984)

Service Reflections of Lt Col Arthur Wedra, U.S. Air Force (1962-1984)

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The draft was on! I dreamed of being an Air Force pilot… had several training flights during my first two years of Air Force ROTC at Gettysburg College (PA), a detachment that trained only pilots in 1956-1957. After completing my second year of ROTC, I was subjected to a complete physical, in which I discovered that I was color-blind and consequently would never be able to fly as an Air Force pilot. I was disappointed, but shortly thereafter learned that the Navy had an easier-to-pass color-blindness test… so I arranged for a physical at the Philadelphia Navy Base… it was an all-day exercise; the last event was the color-blindness test. The testers brought out what I knew was the same test the Air Force testers used. Surprised, I asked about the different tests and replied, “Oh, we found out that this one is more reliable.” And so ended my desire to be a military pilot. I put the whole idea of military service on the back burner until my senior year, in the spring of 1962…following two dropouts for lack of funds to return.

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Service Reflections of Sgt Howard Johnson, U.S. Marine Corps (1969-1973)

Service Reflections of Sgt Howard Johnson, U.S. Marine Corps (1969-1973)

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One of my family members served with Washington in the Revolutionary War, John Cahoes. He was actually on a sortie to capture an English General. They had to cross from New York to New Jersey in a rowboat, crossing between English warships in the dark of night. Intel had it that the British general had a kept maiden at a local pub, and the Americans caught him with his pants down. His troops were encamped just down from the pub. They caught him in bed and hauled him back down to the bay before they let him put his pants on. Then they rowed back across the bay between the warships.

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Service Reflections of CMCS Daniel McKinnon, U.S. Navy (1976-1997)

Service Reflections of CMCS Daniel McKinnon, U.S. Navy (1976-1997)

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My decision to join the Navy was heavily influenced by my stepfather, a seasoned World War II and Korean War Navy veteran who retired as a Boatswain’s Mate First Class (BM1). After my mother remarried, he was transferred from the Navy shipyard in Boston to the Navy shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, just when I started high school, and it was not an easy transition for me. During my senior year of high school, his no-nonsense advice was clear: he strongly encouraged me to enlist, telling me to visit the recruiter because, upon graduating from high school, I’d need to leave his house. His experience as a crusty old salt and his ‘firm guidance’ (nice way of saying it) steered me toward a Navy enlistment.

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Service Reflections of SGT Troy Horn, U.S. Army (1990-2007)

Service Reflections of SGT Troy Horn, U.S. Army (1990-2007)

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I’ve traced my family history back to the Battle of Hastings – my family has chosen military service for as far back as I have been able to trace. I guess it’s in the blood. But really, my decision to enlist in the Army was deeply shaped by the unwavering support and inspiration from my family and friends. Growing up, I was surrounded by loved ones who valued service, discipline, and patriotism, with many sharing stories of their own experiences or expressing admiration for those who served.

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Service Reflections of ADJ3 Ross Helco, U.S. Navy (1967-1970)

Service Reflections of ADJ3 Ross Helco, U.S. Navy (1967-1970)

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Well, it’s the summer of 1966, and I just graduated from high school — then I got accepted to college in September and couldn’t wrap my head back in the books again, so I quit halfway through that semester. During that time, I kept getting notices in the mail to report to draft headquarters and going to college deferred 10 notices in 2 months — So, the day I quit, I went back home to visit my parents and, while I was doing that, I ran into a high school friend of mine and asked him what you doing – he says to me, I’m heading down to the Navy recruiting office and I say wait I’m going with ya – so that’s what we did – join the Navy because I didn’t want to carry a gun and get shot at.

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Service Reflections of AD2 Kenneth Wagner, U.S. Navy (1959-1962)

Service Reflections of AD2 Kenneth Wagner, U.S. Navy (1959-1962)

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As a junior in high school, my two best friends, Bob Johnston and Bob Ely (a sophomore), and I were entranced by two Navy shows on TV. , “Men of Annapolis” and “Victory at Sea.” We lived in a small town, Lucerne Valley, on the Mojave Desert, and job opportunities after graduating were minimal. These shows seemed to pique our interest in the Navy as a job that would give us a trade, feed us, house us, and pay us. College was not an option at that time. Besides the distance we would have had to travel, finances played a part in our decisions. The more we looked into the Navy, the more we were convinced that that was what we wanted after graduation. We were so excited about this particular service that Bob Johnston and I decided to form a Navy club. A retired commander who lived in the valley agreed to sponsor us. He suggested calling it the Future Navy Men’s Association. Commander Wickware arranged a weekend for us at NTC San Diego, where we were treated royally. We contacted a recruiter in San Bernardino, Ed Futch, letting him know of our intentions to join.

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Service Reflections of Sgt Patricia Robinson, U.S. Air Force (1971-1975)

Service Reflections of Sgt Patricia Robinson, U.S. Air Force (1971-1975)

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I graduated from high school in 1968 and worked full-time as a bookkeeper for a boot factory in New Hampshire. I didn’t make much money there and had little or no interest in the job or the factory. I was dating a man who was clearly not my intellectual equal, but he was the best I could find in small-town New Hampshire. As always, I read many books and dreamed of a different life. How would I find that life? I had no money and played around so much in high school that my GPA was considerably below the level needed for college.

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Service Reflections of SP5 Charles Morrison, U.S. Army (1964-1968)

Service Reflections of SP5 Charles Morrison, U.S. Army (1964-1968)

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I had worked as a fingerprint technician with the FBI in Washington, DC, from June 1962 through August 1964. I then called an ARMY RECRUITER and volunteered to join the Army. When speaking with the recruiter, I also selected the US ARMY SECURITY AGENCY. He warned me that I had to score at least 112 on my battery tests to be in the ASA MOS. Luckily, I scored 114.5. By the way, I was in the ARMY SECURITY AGENCY Honor Guard while going through my MOS schooling for THE ENTIRE year of 1965. I started out as just an honor guard member, then became a squad leader, a platoon Sergeant, and ultimately, the Field First, overseeing the entire Honor Guard, Companies A & B. The Honor Guard was Company “G” at Fort Devens. The attached picture was taken when I was Field First on NCO Day, when all companies marched to Soldier’s Field to listen to various speakers.

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