The Christy Collection

Military Stories and Articles

SP4 Tom Hirst, U.S. Army (1969-1971)

SP4 Tom Hirst, U.S. Army (1969-1971)

What was the biggest personal challenge that you encountered during your military service? How did you approach and overcome this?:

I know this will sound crazy, but when I got drafted in 1969, I was 20 years old and a VEGETARIAN! I didn’t smoke, drink or eat meat. Meat was something that had never been prepared at my home, and I was pretty sure that “à la carte” wasn’t on the menu! I was sent to Ft. Sam Houston for Basic Training & AIT, and I survived by picking my way through the mess hall offerings. I hope that my next duty station will work out the same way.

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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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The Revolutionary War – Washington Crossing the Delaware

The Revolutionary War – Washington Crossing the Delaware

The American Revolution did not start off the way the Americans had hoped. By Christmas night, 1776, morale was lower than it had ever been. The British Army had captured New York the previous summer, and men were beginning to desert as Washington's Army camped across the Delaware River from occupied Trenton (Washington Crossing the Delaware), New Jersey.  What men Washington had left were largely inexperienced, as most of the veterans from the Battle of Long Island went home when their...

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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...

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Service Reflections of ET2 Dennis Sethe, U.S. Coast Guard (1964-1968)

Service Reflections of ET2 Dennis Sethe, U.S. Coast Guard (1964-1968)

PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents ET2 Dennis Sethe'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...

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SGT Zach Pierce, U.S. Army (2002-2008)

SGT Zach Pierce, U.S. Army (2002-2008)

List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

Sgt Forrest Dane Cauthorn: 2/27 Wolfhounds, 25th Infantry; 2004-2007. KIA Iraq 4 Apr 2007. Dane was a lovable teddy bear whose enthusiasm for life was betrayed by his stoic nature. He never yelled; he always related to his soldiers. He was an awesome infantryman but never tried to be a hero or be the most tactically sound person. But he was so good at his job. Dane was never willfully the center of attention, but his presence was always top of mind, and he was always heard. Dane was generally quiet but always had some relatable insight or zinger to send home. He was what kept his father sane and grounded and will be sorely missed until the end of time.

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

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

List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

In late 1976, I reenlisted for my second tour of duty. I had chosen my next duty station as West Point, NY, which was close to my parent’s residence. The year prior, while I was stationed in Hawaii, my mother had undergone major surgery in order to amputate one of her legs that had been destroyed by osteomyelitis. Her diabetes had exacerbated the disease. The only solution was amputation, a risky endeavor because the diabetes could cause the procedure to end her life. The surgery was a success and in due time, she was fitted with a prosthesis.

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SP4 Robert Kickenweitz, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

SP4 Robert Kickenweitz, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

Darkest Day for Blackhorse, SUOI CAT, By Robert Bob Kickenweitz. The 21st of May 1967 was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning, the day you were happy to be alive. I got up, put on a clean set of fatigues, and went to breakfast at the mess hall. Leaving the m ss hall, I noticed steam coming up from our tent as the dew from the night before was evaporating from the heat of the sun into little clouds. Yes, that’s just what we needed in South Vietnam: a little more humidity! After breakfast, I walked up to our chapel about one block from my tent for Sunday mass. Our chapel was located on the southwest corner of an intersection, with the 7th Surgical Hospital on the northwest corner, and across the street diagonally from the chapel on the northeast corner was the 37th Medical Group, and on the southeast corner was Regimental Headquarters.

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SrA Diarra McCormick, U.S. Air Force (2011-2015)

SrA Diarra McCormick, U.S. Air Force (2011-2015)

List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

Unbreakable Bonds From Basic Military Training. It amazes me how basic training, hair, food, and running sparked friendships and a long-lasting sisterhood in arms, like the Energizer bunny. I served with Trainee Earleen Aranda and Trainee Sheri Lee Edwards at Lackland Air Force Base for Basic Military Training in 2011. These women had my back no matter what obstacles we faced. I have fond memories of them both.

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SP4 Eugene Dawson, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

SP4 Eugene Dawson, U.S. Army (1966-1968)

List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

Richard Henry and I connected during induction to basic training at Fort Polk, LA, in February 1966. During our first recreational break, we headed directly to the recreational center and checked out guitars and amps. We hit it off right away. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitar guy, and I was the lead guitar guy and backup singer. We were both assigned the same MOS, transferred to the same locations in California and Maryland, assigned to the same unit, 81st Quartermaster Platoon, and deployed to Vietnam together.

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PFC Eugene Broyls, Jr. U.S. Marine Corps (1980-1990)

PFC Eugene Broyls, Jr. U.S. Marine Corps (1980-1990)

List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

My best friend from Chicago, Miguel Morales, and I joined the U.S. Marine Corps together. In boot camp, we were required to stand on our footlocker every evening, and when the Drill Instructor stood before us, we had to yell, “Sir, recruit (so-and-so) has no physical or mental problems to report, Sir!” We had to yell this loud and so fast that you could barely understand what the recruits were saying. Well, my friend Miguel’s bunk was right next to mine. Miguel, always the joker, whispered *watch this*, and when Staff Sargent Martinez came before him, he yelled, “Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra!”

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