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Incredible Military Stories
Service Reflections of Sgt James Holzier, U.S. Marine Corps (1965-1969)

Service Reflections of Sgt James Holzier, U.S. Marine Corps (1965-1969)

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I was influenced by the girl that I was dating, her father was a full-bird Colonel in the Army by the name of Col. Austin Yerks. He felt that with Vietnam, it was a patriotic thing for me to do. I was planning to go into the Air Force with a buddy of mine, but at the truly last minute, I got off the bus and went to a Marine Corps recruiter. Joined on my birthday, August 18th, and never missed not joining the Air Force except for the extra pay that they received for uncomfortable living conditions in Vietnam and their unlimited supply of food.

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Service Reflections of CWO3 Scott Pipenhagen, U.S. Marine Corps (1982-2005)

Service Reflections of CWO3 Scott Pipenhagen, U.S. Marine Corps (1982-2005)

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As to why I chose the Marines, it was a no-brainer once I decided to join the military since anything else would leave me wondering if I could have made it in the Marines.
Despite growing up in a family of veterans (Grandpa, Dad, and two Uncles), I never really gave much thought to joining the military myself. This all changed one day when, out of the blue, one of my cousins came to me and said that he was going to talk to the Marine Corps recruiter and wanted me to drive him there. I agreed to drive him and, on the way to the recruiter, he told me about a “Buddy Program” in which we, supposedly, could enlist together and then be stationed together throughout our enlistment. Needless to say, this was probably not the most accurate information, but it sounded good to me.
Once we got to the recruiting station, I had already made up my mind that I needed a change in my life and was going to sign up if my cousin did since I was just wasting money at college and needed a break from schooling.
Bottom line: He did not sign up but I did.

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Service Reflections of LCDR Ed Swift, U.S. Coast Guard (1970-2000)

Service Reflections of LCDR Ed Swift, U.S. Coast Guard (1970-2000)

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Growing up in Delaware, I spent a few weeks every summer at Dewey Beach. I recall seeing a 44-foot motor lifeboat from Indian River Inlet Station on patrol and then working with an HH-52A helicopter from Air Station Cape May, N.J.
Over the radio, I learned that some folks were rescued by the Coast Guard that day and that I had probably seen part of the rescue procedure. One summer, a high school friend and his father were fishing in the Atlantic about 12 miles offshore when their boat sank. They were ultimately saved by the Coast Guard and that made a distinct impression on me.

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US Navy Sailor Tattoos and Their Meanings

US Navy Sailor Tattoos and Their Meanings

Sailors have probably been getting tattoos since landlubbers could become sailors. Many cultures have used tattoos as markings for warriors since even before the Roman Empire’s heyday. Pope Hadrian the First ended the practice in the West when he outlawed tattoos in 787. US Navy Sailor Tattoos found a rebirth in the 16th Century, however, and have been popular ever since.  The Significance of Sailor Tattoos Sailors tattooed themselves for many reasons. Tattoos were used as identification, to...

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VA Updates: Veteran Home Ownership

VA Updates: Veteran Home Ownership

Homeownership has many positive features for Veterans and their families. A home provides shelter and safety. With planning, a home is an anchor to a strong community with solid schools for children. Connecting to the community can bring purpose and a sense of belonging to replace those experienced in the military. Empowering Veterans Through Homeownership Another positive feature of homeownership is the increase in net wealth, which can happen when the home appreciates in value over time. For...

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Service Reflections of SSG Michael Kurtzman, U.S. Army (1971-1996)

Service Reflections of SSG Michael Kurtzman, U.S. Army (1971-1996)

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My first look at the military was with an Air National Guard Unit in Mansfield, Ohio. It looked very promising and in an area that interested me (computer programming). They showed me the computer and how it requires to be programmed (wires). But the reason that I didn’t choose to go this route was that they wanted me to cut my hair (still attending OSU) just for a photo. It was still over six months until I would enter basic. I couldn’t let my hair go.
The military draft lottery drawing held August 5, 1971, to determine the order in which men born in 1952 were called to report for induction into the military.
The highest lottery number called for this group (year) was 95; all men assigned that lottery number or any lower number, and who were classified 1-A or 1-A-O (available for military service), were called to report for possible induction. My draft number was 17. I was also classified as 1-A.
26 August 1971 I signed my enlistment contract for delayed entry into the US Army. I enlisted for four years which got me my choice of military occupational specialty (MOS) and where I wanted to be stationed. My choice for MOS was communications, specifically Communication center specialist. My choice of where I was to be located was Europe. It also meant that I entered active duty as an E-2.

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Service Reflections of SGT Thomas Harvey, U.S. Marine Corps (1970-1973)

Service Reflections of SGT Thomas Harvey, U.S. Marine Corps (1970-1973)

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There were several reasons why I chose military service in general and the Marines in particular. My father was an engineer on a B-29 in WWII. He felt that his military experience was a major turning point in his life. He encouraged me to consider military service and actively lobbied that I should apply to the USMA.
I chose the Marines to make a statement that I supported the Vietnam War. I attended an elite college prep school where it was fashionable to be anti-war and anti-military. I supported America’s role in Vietnam and the worldwide battle against communism. Many members of my mothers family lived under communist oppression in Poland and I felt it was my duty to defend the American way of life. I had heard horror stories as to the break down in the Army and felt that Marine discipline, training, and esprit de corps was superior to all the other armed forces. Also, I felt challenged to do something big and demanding. I could have easily hidden out in college until the war was over but I chose a more difficult route.

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Service Reflections of AOCM David Phillips, U.S. Navy (1964-1994)

Service Reflections of AOCM David Phillips, U.S. Navy (1964-1994)

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There were several events that occurred in my life which contributed to my decision to join the navy. The first occurred in 1958 when I was a young thirteen years old. My oldest brother was serving in the Navy; he joined in 1956 and in February 1958 he was on his way home on leave from his duty station in Norfolk, Va.; unfortunately, he was killed in a car accident. In my young mind, I swore I would join the Navy to finish what he had started. You see, he had only been in for two years.

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Service Reflections of QM1 Robert Grant, U.S. Coast Guard (1978-2015)

Service Reflections of QM1 Robert Grant, U.S. Coast Guard (1978-2015)

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In 1977 I was 19 when we returned home from Australia; my father was an SMSgt assigned to the US Embassy in Canberra and stationed at the RAAF Base in Richmond, New South Wales. I entered Solano Community College, living at home, going to classes full-time and working a midnight to six shift. After a year and a half, I was growing disenchanted with my life. I got off early one morning (about 4 AM in early December 1978) returned home and could not sleep. I turned on the TV and there was a thirty minute (public service) advertisement for the USCG (it was now about 5 AM). I became enthralled as I watched it, 2/3 of the way through the topic changed and focused on at sea drug interdiction in the Caribbean Sea – the narrator described this as “The Coast Guard Goes To War.”

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Service Reflections of SSG Clentis D. Turnbow, U.S. Army (1962-1982)

Service Reflections of SSG Clentis D. Turnbow, U.S. Army (1962-1982)

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Family members who served in the Army had the greatest influence on me. My brother, Bill Turnbow, my uncle, Stanley Scott, and another uncle, Leland Scott, all served in the Army. I was from a small town in southwest Kentucky called Hickman, and there wasn’t much opportunity for a young man there, so I had pretty much decided I was going in the Army after school. Four days after getting out of high school, one of my best friends decided he was going to enlist in the Navy. He wanted me to go with him, and even though I really didn’t want to go in the Navy, he finally talked me into it. The Navy recruiter was from our hometown, so we went to see him. On May 29th, 1962 Eddie Cagle and I were on a Greyhound bus headed to Memphis, Tennessee for our physicals.

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Soldier and Writer
Lt Col Michael Christy (USA) Ret.

Many articles contained in this Blog were written by Together We Served’s former Chief Editor, Lt Col Michael Christy, and published in TWS’s Dispatches Newsletter.

Lt Col Christy’s military career spanned 26 years, beginning in 1956 when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Following two years active duty, he spent another two years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. In 1962, he joined the Army National Guard and in 1966 was called up for active duty with the U.S. Army. After an 18 year distinguished Army career, Lt Col Christy retired from military service in 1984.
Lt Col Christy saw action in Vietnam with Special Forces Units, including the renowned Delta Force, and was awarded two Silver Stars, six Bronze Stars (three with Valor), and two Purple Hearts.
As a military consultant and accomplished writer, Lt Col Christy has contributed to several TV military documentaries, including those found on the History Channel, plus significant military history publications, including Vietnam Magazine.