Reflections

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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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Service Reflections of BM3 Michael Maloney, U.S. Coast Guard (1969-1973)

Service Reflections of BM3 Michael Maloney, U.S. Coast Guard (1969-1973)

I was 18, having just finished a semester of junior college, and just had no clue where I wanted to go in life. My girlfriend broke up with me, so I thought I would join the Marines. But my cousin, who was already a USMC Captain, aviator, and Vietnam veteran, talked to me. He said, “If you join the Marine Corps, I’ll kick your a@#.” Then he laughed and said, “Look, you’d be a fine Marine, but join the Coast Guard or Air Force. They treat their people better.” Having grown up in Florida, being around water and boats all my life, I went to the CG recruiting office in Orlando, FL, where SS1 Gravett signed me up.

PS That girl that broke up with me married me four years later. We’ve been married for over 40 years now. Blessed.

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Service Reflections of CPL Chandra Duncan, U.S. Marine Corps (1981-1986)

Service Reflections of CPL Chandra Duncan, U.S. Marine Corps (1981-1986)

As a child, I always wanted to be a Marine and spent many hours watching movies and playing “war” with friends in the backyard wearing surplus WWII, Korea, and Vietnam apparel and gear given to me by my “uncle” Jr. The late 90s, while I was in high school, was a relative time of peace, and the few people I did see joining the military were doing it for college money, which, while making sense to me, also kind of soured the idea for me. In my senior year in 2000, the Army National Guard ran a recruiting event in the quad area at lunch, and a friend and I added our names to a list to get more information; my mother always told me that the military would brainwash me and that I was flat-footed and wouldn’t be accepted anyway (I’m not flat-footed) and when that Army Sgt called the house I heard my mother quickly give him a piece of her mind and then abruptly hang up on him, and that was the end of that, I wasn’t fully committed to the idea myself and had apprehensions and concerns about whether I’d be up to military life and honestly was unsure that I even had what it takes to make it through boot camp. After high school, I worked for my family, got engaged, and took out a loan for my first home. Then September 11th happened. I was angry, and silly as it may sound, I was filled with guilt as I saw on the news the brave men and women my age who answered the call to service both before and during this unprecedented time in our country. Still, I had obligations here at home and continued on my current course at the time. Years passed, and I grew older and feared that my youth would quickly pass me by. Then, the economic recession of 2008 hit.

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Service Reflections of Maj Toppie Robinette, U.S. Air Force (1954-1974)

Service Reflections of Maj Toppie Robinette, U.S. Air Force (1954-1974)

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 SN David Robb, U.S. Coast Guard (1964-1968)

Service Reflections of SN David Robb, U.S. Coast Guard (1964-1968)

PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents SN David Robb's legacy of his military service from 1964 to 1968. 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. My family wanted me to follow in professional tracks as an attorney, and I realized I was too physical for that kind of life. On advice from my college counselor, he suggested I take a couple of years off to "find myself." I did. I went to the local recruiting office in...

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Service Reflections of 1SG Sean Hayes, U.S. Army (1984-2010)

Service Reflections of 1SG Sean Hayes, U.S. Army (1984-2010)

As a kid, I always liked the military. As a young kid, I wanted to join the Navy. When I got to high school, we had Army JROTC, and my interest changed to Army or Marines. My dad, who was in the Army, convinced me that the Army was the way to go because it was bigger and promoted faster. He was a tanker and tried to steer me to armor. I wanted to be an airborne ranger, and my dad said whatever you do, ensure you get what you want in your contract. When I went to the recruiter, I scored very high on the ASVAB. The career counselor told me that he didn’t have airborne infantry available. He said the only thing with airborne was the 31C Radio Operator, probably because of the high GT. I believed him and felt good about getting guaranteed airborne. It first took me to the 82nd, and as soon as I got there, I started applying for a Ranger assignment because I got put in the Engineer Battalion, and it wasn’t what I wanted. After a year and a half, I got my wish and orders for Ranger Indoctrination and the 2nd Ranger Battalion.

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Service Reflections of MAJ James C Camel, U.S. Marine Corps (1987-2006)

Service Reflections of MAJ James C Camel, U.S. Marine Corps (1987-2006)

PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents MAJ James C Camel's legacy of his military service from 1987 to 2006. 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. Photo before Officer Candidate School Board Early in life, I was always drawn to superheroes and men wearing military uniforms. One of my favorite television shows growing up was the G.I. Joe cartoon. My imagination grew from watching soldiers in action. It was the best...

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Service Reflections of A1C James Strickland, U.S. Air Force (1955-1960)

Service Reflections of A1C James Strickland, U.S. Air Force (1955-1960)

PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents A1C James Strickland's legacy of his military service from 1955 to 1960. 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. Collings Foundation B-17 The first item seeing the "Memphis Belle" during its WWII bond drive, sitting on a wooden platform in front of the courthouse in Dayton, Ohio, when I was 6 years old. The second item, late fall 1943 or early spring 1944, was standing in the middle of...

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Service Reflections of ETCS David Scheffler, U.S. Navy (1972-1995)

Service Reflections of ETCS David Scheffler, U.S. Navy (1972-1995)

PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents ETCS David Scheffler's legacy of his military service from 1972 to 1995. 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. The Next Adventure I served in the US Army during the Vietnam War, developing a sense of Duty and Service. As my 'Sense' of duty developed, I simply knew that I was born to serve. Perhaps I was influenced by my years as a Boy Scout sitting around myriad campfires listening to the...

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