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The Christy Collection

Military Stories and Articles

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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The Allegedly Secret Origins of the Space Force

The Allegedly Secret Origins of the Space Force

For a certain corner of the conspiracy theorist world, "Solar Warden" is the magic phrase that turns our ordinary satellite age into full-blown science fiction. In that telling, the United States operated a classified fleet of anti-gravity warships since the 1980s, patrolling the solar system, intercepting alien craft, and defending Earth from threats the public never heard about.  How Solar Warden Sparked Conspiracy Theories When the U.S. Space Force stood up as a separate branch in 2019,...

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Made in Taiwan by T.C. Brown

Made in Taiwan by T.C. Brown

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T.C. Brown's "Made in Taiwan: A Naïve American's Chaotic Journey to Manhood in an Exotic Culture During Radical Times" is a Vietnam-era memoir set mostly in the bars, back alleys, and barracks of Taiwan. Brown, a church-going kid from Columbus, Ohio, joined the Air Force in 1968 at age 18, hoping to play in the Air Force Band, and instead found himself shipped to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung. From 1968 to 1973, he served as a military policeman in Taiwan and Vietnam.  Made in...

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ATC Jerry A. Burkholder, U.S. Navy (1974-1994)

ATC Jerry A. Burkholder, U.S. Navy (1974-1994)

Did Any of Your Children Follow Your Footsteps into Military Service? If so, Which Branch Did They Join, What Career Path Did They Take, and What Were Some of Their Most Notable Achievements?:

Let me start by acknowledging my family’s service. My father retired from the Navy having served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Both of his brothers served in the Army. My mom’s brother served in the Army. Two cousins on my mom’s side served, one in the Navy the other in the Air Force. I, myself, was born in a naval hospital at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. I was destined to serve. I retired from the Navy after Vietnam, the Cold War and the first Gulf War. Service is in my family.

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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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SSG Robert J. Miller, U.S. Army (2003–2008)

SSG Robert J. Miller, U.S. Army (2003–2008)

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Staff Sgt. Robert J. "Rob" Miller didn't look like the square-jawed "GI Joe" people imagine when they hear "Green Beret." He was a former high-school gymnast, band kid, Boy Scout and part-time surf bum who liked classical music as much as hard rock. He just also happened to be the guy who would one day charge a valley full of enemy fighters so his friends could live. Robert Miller Was Shaped by Family and Values Miller was born in Pennsylvania in 1983, the second of eight kids in a family...

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SGT Robert D. Pryor, U.S. Army (1967-1969)

SGT Robert D. Pryor, U.S. Army (1967-1969)

Is There a Particular Incident You Can Recall Where a Person You Served with Demonstrated Extraordinary Devotion to Duty or Bravery? Please Describe What Happened and How This Impacted You:

As an advisor to Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) detachment A-344 at Bunard, Việt Nam, I witnessed unimaginable bravery and devotion to duty in the early morning darkness of 20 June 1969 from my US and CIDG comrades-in-arms. Việt Cong were overrunning our camp, intending to kill everyone, women and children included. To rescue them, I searched the spider holes where civilians hid, taking our CIDG interpreter along. As we approached the kill zone, he suggested trading places. After switching, a mortar round blew him apart.

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Cold War – Operation Urgent Fury

Cold War – Operation Urgent Fury

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In late October 1983, the Caribbean went hot; much hotter than usual. Grenada, a postcard island with beaches, nutmeg fields, and a strategic runway under construction, had just spiraled into chaos. A Marxist government split, Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was executed by hardliners, and a Revolutionary Military Council seized power.  Operation Urgent Fury Unfolded Amid Chaos in Grenada Nearby governments understandably panicked. Washington, worried about the hundreds of American medical...

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The U.S. Military’s Anti-Communist Vampire Allies

The U.S. Military’s Anti-Communist Vampire Allies

To be clear, the U.S. military did not have an actual vampire in its arsenal. There was no secret alliance with Romania to use Count Dracula in combat. In the 1950s, Romania was part of the Eastern Bloc anyway, and it's unlikely the count would have been able to escape from behind the Iron Curtain.  Psychological Operations Philippines Used Fear Also, vampires aren't real. But that's the glory of psychological operations. The boogie men don't have to be real; the enemy just has to think...

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Service Reflections of MSgt David Manchester, U.S. Air Force (1966-1986)

Service Reflections of MSgt David Manchester, U.S. Air Force (1966-1986)

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Just before I graduated from high school, at 17 years old, I was home. It was just Mom and me, and she said to me, “I think you need to call the ‘recruiter’ and enlist in the Air Force. Since my Dad served in the Army Air Forces during WWII, there was no other choice but to join the Air Force. Mom knew that the best thing for me was to get away from home, and we could not afford college tuition, so this was the logical step.

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