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The Christy Collection

Military Stories and Articles

Korean War – Night Fighter Team

Korean War – Night Fighter Team

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On January 21, 1953, during Korea’s Winter War. Night fighter team "George" of composite squadron three (VC-3) was operating from USS Oriskany (CVA-34) in the Sea of Japan. The Night Fighter Team Filed a Misleading Report Excerpt from combat report: Saw 75-100 trucks on G-3, seven trucks seen damaged. Meager to intense AA, much rifle fire was seen. The plane hit by 30 cal. Item - Lt. James L. Brown, USNR assigned F4U-5N #124713. One-night landing aboard without incident. 2.6 combat hours....

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The Defiant One: Col Robin Olds, U.S. Air Force (1942-1973)

The Defiant One: Col Robin Olds, U.S. Air Force (1942-1973)

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Fighter pilots used to say that there was a glass case in the Pentagon building to the precise dimension of then-Colonel Robin Olds, who would be frozen in time and displayed wearing his tank-less flight suit, crashed fore and aft cap, gloves, and torso harness with .38 pistol and survival knife. Beside the case was a fire ax beneath a sign reading: "In case of war, break glass." Born for War and Raised to Fly It was something of an exaggeration, but it contained an element of truth: Robin...

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LCDR Curtis J. Smothers, U.S. Navy (1962-1986)

LCDR Curtis J. Smothers, U.S. Navy (1962-1986)

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?:

A Navy Father and an Army Son. Yes—one of my children did follow my footsteps into military service. My son, Mark, chose a different path, but one just as meaningful. After growing up for 20 years as the son of a Navy man, he decided the Army was the right fit for him. I was serving as an active-duty Navy officer when Mark made his decision. One of the proudest moments of my life came in 1981 at an Army Recruiting Station in Fresno, California, when I had the honor of administering the oath of enlistment to my own son. Watching him raise his right hand and swear to serve our country was a powerful reminder that service is not only a profession, but a legacy.

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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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SGT Mark Evans, U.S. Army (1971-1977)

SGT Mark Evans, U.S. Army (1971-1977)

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?:

My Son, CW2 Mark W. Evans, Jr. started his military career in the Navy as an Aircrew Rescue Swimmer, he had been to Afghanistan and Bosnia in the Navy, and was one of the first to respond when the USS Cole was attacked. After 7 years he decided he wanted to be in the front of the helicopter and switched to the Army, went to Warrant Officer School and Flight School. He chose to fly the Blackhawk. The most notable flight he said was, he got to fly the Washington Redskin Cheerleaders around in Iraq. He had been scheduled to fly Sadam Husain after he was captured but he had accumulated to many hours so he had to hand that flight off.

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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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AGCS(NAWS) Terry L. Latham, U.S. Navy (1964-1992)

AGCS(NAWS) Terry L. Latham, U.S. Navy (1964-1992)

Did You Meet Your Spouse while Serving? How Did Your Story Begin, and What Challenges Did You Have to Overcome in Adjusting to Married Life in the Military?:

It was only 9pm but I was in bed as my 12 hour watch started at 0800 and that meant a 6am getup and hour commute to downtown London on the tube. A knock on my door woke me up. I shuffled in my robe downstairs to the door and opened it up to find two blokes who I had met at the local pub standing there. “We pulled a couple of dolly birds in from the pub and told them this Yank had a party going on so they followed us here…can we bring them in?” I have to get up early….but they insisted…so…I left the door open and went back into my bedroom cautioning them …”Don’t leave a mess…don’t drink up all my booze.” About 30 minutes later I hear yelling and doors slamming and I get up…throw my robe on and go out into the hallway. The two blokes are in the hallway knocking on the closed bathroom door…and I could hear the sound of a female crying from inside the bathroom.

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Capturing Skunk Alpha By Raúl Herrera

Capturing Skunk Alpha By Raúl Herrera

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In "Capturing Skunk Alpha: A Barrio Sailor's Journey in Vietnam," author Raúl Herrera does something a lot of Vietnam books promise but very few deliver: he keeps you at "deck level" the whole time and still shows you the bigger war. Capturing Skunk Alpha Brings the War Down to Deck Level On the surface, it's the story of one mission: the July 1967 hunt for a North Vietnamese resupply trawler, codenamed "Skunk Alpha," and the small Swift Boat, PCF-79, that helped stop it cold off the coast of...

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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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Everything You Never Knew About the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Everything You Never Knew About the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

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On Oct. 3, 1921, the protected cruiser USS Olympia put to sea for a final assignment. She left with a reputation already carved into naval history and with orders that carried more weight than any broadside. Her destination was Le Havre, France. Her charge was a single coffin bearing the United States' Unknown Soldier of World War I.  USS Olympia Prepares for a Historic Voyage Olympia had been a headline from the day she touched water. Launched in 1895, she was the largest ship yet built...

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5 Unsung Heroes of the U.S. Marine Corps

5 Unsung Heroes of the U.S. Marine Corps

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When it comes to famous Marine Corps veterans, everyone remembers Lewis "Chesty" Puller, John Basilone, Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly, and a slew of other legendary devil dogs. But to celebrate the Marine Corps' 250th birthday, it's important to remember that the Corps has no end of heroes, many of whom fade away further and further with time.  So we don't forget the Marines who fought with distinction, but may not have been as quotable as Chesty, as political as Smedley Butler, or as smart as John...

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