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VA Military Memories Competition

IT2 Teresa Reeder, U.S. Navy (1984 – 2002)

IT2 Teresa Reeder, U.S. Navy (1984 – 2002)

What Was Your Most Memorable Xmas From Your Military Service? What Made It So Memorable?:

In my years of service as an U.S. Army chaplain, rooted in a childhood spent among the values and rhythms of a Green Beret family, I learned the power of presence. My father, a retired Special Forces officer, demonstrated the art of being fully engaged wherever he was, whether in the thick of an overseas mission or at our kitchen table. That steady, attentive presence shaped me deeply, and it’s a habit I strive to keep alive in my own ministerial calling within our pluralistic organization.

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Cpl Paul Scimone, U.S. Marines (1964 – 1968)

Cpl Paul Scimone, U.S. Marines (1964 – 1968)

What Was Your Most Memorable Xmas From Your Military Service? What Made It So Memorable?:

Xmas Eve 1967 at PhuBai 3rd Med Bn. In triage, where I was an ambulance driver and stretcher-bearer, several casualties came in. We moved one young Marine with a GSW through and through the head back into Shock and debridement where he could pass away quietly and comfortably in the dimly lit room. It was an eerie scene, where he lay as if in state on the litter in the center of the S&D room. Although he had a strong heartbeat and pulse, they were sure I would take him to Graves in the morning. After settling down, I returned to my hooch, where everyone was telling stories of home and crying in their beer. After a few shots of Kessler with beer chasers, I tried to sleep but couldn’t put that young Marine out of my head for some reason. I went back to triage to check and see if he had crossed over yet and was surprised to find him chugging along as he was before. I started to leave when something pulled me back. The thought of this poor kid dying alone on Christmas Eve stabbed me deep in the chest, and I decided he wouldn’t die alone that night. I pulled up a chair and took his warm hand, whispering to him that it was okay to let go. I could have sworn that I felt him squeeze my hand one time but reasoned that it must have been the alcohol. I don’t know what time I dozed off, but early next morning, a corpsman came in to check on him, only to find me asleep and holding his hand, and thinking maybe I knew and recognized him. When I told him why I spent the night there, HE broke down crying and hugged me. Surprised that his vitals were still strong, they readied him for the medevac to Danang. My only regret was that I never knew his name. I fancied being able to tell his parents/family/wife that he was not alone on Christmas Eve. Semper Fi

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SGT Irvin Moran, U.S. Army (1965 – 1968)

SGT Irvin Moran, U.S. Army (1965 – 1968)

What Was Your Most Memorable Xmas From Your Military Service? What Made It So Memorable?:

I have enjoyed many beautiful and heartfelt Christmases in my life, but one stands out as my most memorable. It was Christmas 1967, and I was a 20-year-old paratrooper serving in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP). In December 1967, our LRRP teams were conducting seven-day reconnaissance missions in the rugged jungle rainforest mountains along the borders of South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Our mission was to locate the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units that were infiltrating South Vietnam along the infamous “Ho Chi Minh” trails. We would attempt to observe these units until our Brigade’s Parachute Battalions and/or air assets could engage them. Our team’s survival in this environment depended on complete stealth.

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SGT Bruce Kevin Blair, U.S. Army (1979 – 1991)

SGT Bruce Kevin Blair, U.S. Army (1979 – 1991)

What Was Your Most Memorable Xmas From Your Military Service? What Made It So Memorable?:

It was December 1990. I was at Fort McCoy, WI, getting ready to be deployed to the sandbox for Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia. It was a couple of days before Christmas, and the CIA gave us a briefing. The agent told us that if fighting breaks out over there, 1 out of 3 of us probably won’t come back home. On Christmas Eve, a major snowstorm and ice storm hit the Midwest. Many of our wives were carpooling in a van and driving a great distance to get a chance to see us one last time, which would be on Christmas day since we were deploying right after Christmas. We were allowed to see our wives on Christmas Eve and Christmas night only. On Christmas Eve, my first sergeant called me into his office to let a few other soldiers and me know that the Red Cross had contacted them with bad news. Our wives were in a terrible accident, and the van they were traveling in was involved in a slide-off on the interstate about 4 hours away near Chicago and, tumbled over a couple of times and landed upside down in a ditch. All were taken by ambulance to the hospital; however, we did not know who was injured and how badly injured we already had in the back of our minds we might never see our wives again once we deployed if war were to break out.

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BM3 Aaron Wayne, U.S. Navy (1964 – 1968)

BM3 Aaron Wayne, U.S. Navy (1964 – 1968)

What Was Your Most Memorable Xmas From Your Military Service? What Made It So Memorable?:

My first child, Cindy, was born on December 24, 1967. On Christmas Day I went to see my new daughter and to give my wife Shelley a watch that I had bought her for Christmas. On December 27, the USS Yorktown left for the 1968 WestPac cruise that was to become a part of the history books. First to San Diego, then on to Hawaii. When we were a few days out of Pearl Harbor on our way to Yokosuka, Japan, we received the news about the capture of the USS Pueblo and were informed that we were now headed for the Sea of Japan.

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CPT Joshua Gorczyca, U.S. Army (2017-Present)

CPT Joshua Gorczyca, U.S. Army (2017-Present)

What Habit(s), Good Or Not So Good, Did You Pick Up During Your Military Service That You Still Practise To This Day?:

In my years of service as an U.S. Army chaplain, rooted in a childhood spent among the values and rhythms of a Green Beret family, I learned the power of presence. My father, a retired Special Forces officer, demonstrated the art of being fully engaged wherever he was, whether in the thick of an overseas mission or at our kitchen table. That steady, attentive presence shaped me deeply, and it’s a habit I strive to keep alive in my own ministerial calling within our pluralistic organization.

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EM3 Chandra M. Holland, U.S. Navy (1993-1996)

EM3 Chandra M. Holland, U.S. Navy (1993-1996)

What Habit(s), Good Or Not So Good, Did You Pick Up During Your Military Service That You Still Practise To This Day?:

Military service can leave an indelible mark on a person s habits and routines. From the first day of training, certain behaviors become ingrained, shaping not only how we approach tasks but also our mindset and work ethic. Many of these habits carry over into civilian life, and for me, they have been instrumental in running my veteran-owned business and have enriched my personal life as well.

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JOC JoAnn Hellmann, U.S. Navy (1973-1996)

JOC JoAnn Hellmann, U.S. Navy (1973-1996)

What Habit(s), Good Or Not So Good, Did You Pick Up During Your Military Service That You Still Practise To This Day?:

A habit is defined as a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. According to that definition, I d have to say the habit I picked up during my military service that I still practice today? My husband John! I met him during recruit training in Orlando, Florida in 1973 and we married in 1974. I often wonder if we re the only ones that went from boot camp romance to golden wedding anniversary, which we celebrated earlier this year.

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CSM Michael H. Sweeney, U.S. Army (1969-1999)

CSM Michael H. Sweeney, U.S. Army (1969-1999)

What Habit(s), Good or Not So Good, Did You Pick Up During Your Military Service That You Still Practise to This Day?:

Well, the Britannica Dictionary defines habit as: a usual way of behaving: something that a person often does in a regular and repeated way. With that in mind, the first thing that comes to mind, really the only thing, is waking up very early every morning. Sort of a given, isn t it? You know, We do more before 0900 than the rest of the world does all day , right? Well, this morning, like every morning, I woke up before 0500, and I have been retired from the uniform for 26 years and completely retired for over two years. That defines a habit that I have had now for over 55 years.

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

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

What Habit(s), Good or Not So Good, Did You Pick Up During Your Military Service That You Still Practise to This Day?:

Throughout all of my school years and into early adulthood, participation in sports and any other physical fitness activities were non-existent in my life. Little did I know, that by joining the Army in late 1973 at the age of 23, my previous semi-sedentary lifestyle would become a thing of the past.

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AX2 Tim Hinds, U.S. Navy (1963-1969)

AX2 Tim Hinds, U.S. Navy (1963-1969)

What Habit(s), Good or Not So Good, Did You Pick Up During Your Military Service That You Still Practise to This Day?:

This one was easy. It was life-changing for me. I may have posted this already but Im not aware how to enter it. I was chosen to be on what was called the J.J crew. We trained pilots and crew in operations of Antisubmarine warfare. Our air-craft was the P-2V Neptune. I was an AX-2, but we learned how to maintain all the electronics aboard the aircraft. My job was to preflight the aircraft scheduled for early morning missions. I was also an aircrew radio operator. On this particular early morning, I was testing the radio equipment. It failed so I did the obvious and replaced the radio module. That didn’t fix it, so I took the next obvious step, then the next, until I ran out of options. I was kind of a high-strung guy with more ego than brains. But my friend, also on the crew, asked what the problem was. I told him in an irritated , leave me alone manner. So he just went on with his tasks. A little later, as time was becoming an issue, he came over the wing beam and saw I was still struggling to figure it out. He then said “Still stumped in a friendly way?” Then he offered a suggestion and I snapped back, “I’ve got this I know how it works, I’ll get it, I don’t need your help!” He made a face, shook his head and went on, reminding me that the flight was scheduled in a half hour. I was getting nervous, and finally I tried his suggestion. It worked.

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