Official blog
TWS Website
TWS Website
U

MENU

The Christy Collection

Military Stories and Articles

Service Reflections of GYSGT Wesley Heckman, U.S. Marine Corps (1983-2003)

Service Reflections of GYSGT Wesley Heckman, U.S. Marine Corps (1983-2003)

,

My father was the biggest influence on me to join. Although he never once said anything to me about joining the Marine Corps, he never went to the recruiter with me. The only statement he made to me was…

1. “Boy, if you want your driver’s license at 16, you need to get a job, buy a car, and insurance. Then you can get your license.”

2. ” When you turn 18, you are going to have to get out of MY house or pay rent” That was his philosophy. I bought a 1965 Malibu from our next-door neighbor for $500.00; my mother was the bank, payments were established, and at 18, I was in the Corps.

I was born at Camp LeJeune. My brother at Portsmouth, Va, and my sister at New Port, RI. When my father went to Viet Nam we lived near my Grandparents in Pittsburgh, PA. When he returned, he got I&I duty in Providence, RI, and we lived at Quonset Point, RI. When he had to spend the night as Staff Duty NCO, he would often take me along to hang with him, which was really great during Xmas, you know, Toys For Tots. Back then, you donated any toy, used or new. So the corner of the Shop was filled with toys, and I tested them before they were distributed.

I remember riding with him in a 5-ton, taking Marines to the airstrip. Later in my career, I asked him about those rides. We were hauling Marines to begin deployment to Viet Nam. From there, we moved to Parris Island, and for the next six years, it was boot Camp. It was a different time there as well. We saw a lot of training and got to do a lot. Once or twice I ran obstacles on the Confidence Course or climbed the O course rope to prove to young recruits “a child can do it.” I loved it. So without a word from my father, he showed me his love of the Corps, which I chose as well. Our favorite movies to watch together were John Wayne in the Sand of Iwo Jima, The Great Santini, and The Boys in Company C.

read more
Service Reflections of AT2 Larry French, U.S. Coast Guard (1966-1970)

Service Reflections of AT2 Larry French, U.S. Coast Guard (1966-1970)

,

PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents AT2 Larry French's legacy of his military service from 1966 to 1970. 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...

read more
Service Reflections of MSG Edwin Holt, U.S. Army (1967-2008)

Service Reflections of MSG Edwin Holt, U.S. Army (1967-2008)

,

PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents MSG Edwin Holt's legacy of his military service from 1967 to 2008. 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...

read more
Service Reflections of RM2 Darryl Cady, U.S. Navy (1966-1970)

Service Reflections of RM2 Darryl Cady, U.S. Navy (1966-1970)

,

In 1966, I was working at GE in Brockport, NY. I just purchased a small motorcycle. I had a 1957 Chevy and was having fun. I knew I would get drafted soon and was just waiting for that to happen. My dad was in the NAVY Seabees in WWII and kept telling me it would be better in the Navy than in the Army. My grandfather was in the Army in France during WW I. So, I grew up with my dad’s stories about his time in the South Pacific during WW II. I had it in my mind that the Navy would be better, but I did not like the idea of 4 years away from my family, friends, and girlfriend. So, I was going to wait for the draft. Then, one day in July 66, I ran into a friend from HS who had just joined the Navy. He said I should join him, and we could go in together and not have to go to Vietnam. We had already lost 5 or 6 guys from our HS in Holley, NY (8 altogether). So, I drove to the recruiter’s office in Batavia, NY, and signed up. I did not ask for any special training. It was a 120-day delay program, so we still got to enjoy the summer and fall. Then we got delayed a couple more weeks and finally left on November 22, 1966. That was my 19th birthday. That is how I started my time in the US Navy. Best thing I ever did.

read more
Service Reflections of CAPT LaVerne Arndt, U.S. Marine Corps (1963-1969)

Service Reflections of CAPT LaVerne Arndt, U.S. Marine Corps (1963-1969)

,

Military draft at age 22 into the Army. Enlisted in the USMC after talking with the Navy and AF recruiters. Fast-talking USMC Gunny Sgt. Culp, who was my girlfriend’s brother-in-law.

I wanted to get toughened up as an individual man, and the Marines were my best choice.

The Marine training at Parris Island and later at Quantico provided me with confidence in my abilities. I was very successful at PI, winning almost every award a recruit could win, including the American Spirit of Honor Medal: Leatherneck award, PFC, and rifle expert out of boot camp. I extended a year at boot camp to get Sea Duty because I wanted to travel. After two years of Sea Duty, I was selected meritoriously for OCS. At Quantico, I also did very well and finished 19th out of a class of 541 Officers. I selected the 0302 Infantry Officer MOS.

read more
Service Reflections of LTC Richard Swier, U.S. Army (1967-1990)

Service Reflections of LTC Richard Swier, U.S. Army (1967-1990)

,

My father, Joseph Swier, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WW II in the Pacific Theater, inspired me to join the United States Army.

My father was in the seminary to become a priest, but when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, he left the seminary to join the Army.

President John F. Kennedy, who served in the Pacific Theater, as did my father, also influenced me.

Both of these men and fellow veterans were and still are my heroes.

read more
Service Reflections of MSGT Jan Klebukowski, U.S. Air Force (1985-2007)

Service Reflections of MSGT Jan Klebukowski, U.S. Air Force (1985-2007)

,

Early in my life, both my late parents took me to the 1964-65 Worlds Fair in Flushing Meadows Park, NY. I still remember the old Rocket displays from NASA that were on display at the fair. It got my interest in planes and the Space program.

I remember watching the first landing on the moon by Neil Armstrong on our old black and white TV at home. My late parents always watched the progress of the US Space Program from the beginning, with all the launches of the Saturn and Mercury Rockets until the historic moon landing by Neil Armstrong.

read more
Service Reflections of CDR Theodore Scheeser, U.S. Coast Guard (1961-1986)

Service Reflections of CDR Theodore Scheeser, U.S. Coast Guard (1961-1986)

,

I was raised in Akron, OH, not noted for its water boundaries. My family vacationed in Marblehead, OH, and I watched the Coasties at the nearby rescue station with awe. Since the Draft was ever-present and college was not in the future, I decided to join. When it came time to enlist, the recruiter was never there (a sub-station). I almost went into the Navy to get out of Akron.

But my mother, God rest her soul, made me keep trying. She didn’t want me to lose my dream.

Finally, I caught the recruiter, MM1 Reitler, and enlisted. But to confuse the recruiter, I sent my twin that afternoon to enlist. We went to the buddy program.

read more
Service Reflections of SP4 Patrick Newman, U.S. Army (1970-1973)

Service Reflections of SP4 Patrick Newman, U.S. Army (1970-1973)

,

I came from an extremely abusive childhood; my mother constantly abused my siblings and me physically and psychologically. If I did not get my ass kicked 3-4 times per week for some minor infraction, that was a good week. I was constantly told that I would never amount to anything. Around my 13th birthday, my parents found an adult whom they felt would be a good role model and mentor for me. It turned out that this person was a pedophile, and he abused me until I was 16 years old. I tried to speak to my parents about this type of abuse, but they thought I was lying.
When I turned 16, I could no longer take abuse from my parents or our family friends. I obtained the handwritten birth certificate that my parents received from the hospital after I was born. This was not the “Official” birth certificate kept at the Clark County, Chicago hall of records office. With a friend’s help, I changed my DOB to reflect my age as 18. During that time, the need for volunteers to join the Military was incredible, and I am sure my recruiter looked the other way regarding the forgery.
I was now on my way to the induction center in downtown Los Angeles where I was sworn in as a member of the US Army.

read more
Service Reflections of BM3 Jack White, U.S. Navy (1964-1970)

Service Reflections of BM3 Jack White, U.S. Navy (1964-1970)

,

Several factors influenced my decision to join the Navy in 1964. First, in 1960, my senior year at Canoga Park High School, I received a congressional appointment — fundamentally, a football scholarship — to the U.S. Naval Academy with the provision that I enroll at Pierce Community College in Woodland Hills, California. Pierce was one of the community colleges designated by the Naval Academy and their football coach, Wayne Hardin, as having an athletic training program capable of transitioning appointees to a higher level of experience and expertise before our entrance to the Academy. Well, that worked out fine for a few months; I had passed the Navy physical and had a good football season, but then my best childhood friend and I decided to join the Tri Chi (XXX) fraternity at Pierce College. Then, fraternity life provided an entirely new and exciting social avenue to discover; however, my grades suffered due to the newly introduced fun factor in my life.

Consequently, I failed to maintain the required grade point average and thus lost my appointment to the Academy. I considered the loss inconsequential at the time, as I had the time of my young life. I felt bad for my parents, who were pretty proud of the appointment and never really got over it. As for me, I suppose I will continue to replay the pros and cons of that decision through the years.

read more
Service Reflections of CMSGT Bruce Hanke, U.S. Air Force (1967-2004)

Service Reflections of CMSGT Bruce Hanke, U.S. Air Force (1967-2004)

,

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.

read more