VA Military Memories Competition
SGT Kitts Steven, U.S. Army (1985-2009)
Where Was Your Favorite Place Visited, Either Through Deployment or R&R, From Your Time in the Service? Can You Recall Any Memories of This Place You Found Particularly Impressive or Enjoyable?:
Deployment to Iraq in 2004-2005 was a time filled with tension, danger, and unpredictability. As a member of the Tennessee National Guard, I found myself attached to a Military Police (MP) unit out of Maine. Our missions often took us along hazardous routes, transporting individuals we referred to as “People of Questionable Actions” (POQA) from our base, Camp Caldwell, to a holding facility in Baghdad. The road was always a risk, a constant game of cat and mouse with insurgents waiting for the right moment to strike. But amidst the tension, there were fleeting moments of unexpected relief.
SPC 3C Salvatore Lorio, U.S. Army (1954-1956)
Where Was Your Favorite Place Visited, Either Through Deployment or R&R, From Your Time in the Service? Can You Recall Any Memories of This Place You Found Particularly Impressive or Enjoyable?:
Looking back many years into my Army days, I recall my R&R memories, and what I found most particularly impressive and enjoyable was the City of Tokyo, Japan. Recalling my memory of my Army stint from 1954 to 1956, comes to mind when I received my orders and was shipped to North Camp Fuji, Japan. The highlight of my Japanese experience and the most memorable time was my R&R in Tokyo. It was a wonderful experience. Tokyo was a city still recovering from World War II, rebuilt from wooden shanties to modern buildings.
SSG James R. Laudermilk, U.S. Army (2004-2015)
Where Was Your Favorite Place Visited, Either Through Deployment or R&R, From Your Time in the Service? Can You Recall Any Memories of This Place You Found Particularly Impressive or Enjoyable?:
Back in 2004 2006, I was a Sergeant deployed near the northern border of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Our base was rough, the mission serious but even in a warzone, God finds ways to remind you of His goodness. One day, we got the chance to visit a nearby orphan village. I ll be honest my first time off post, I was praying nonstop. My wife had mailed over a mountain of clothes, school supplies, and snacks for the kids. We packed it all up and headed out, not knowing what to expect.
Sgt Hank Picariello, U.S. Marine (1969-1970)
Where Was Your Favorite Place Visited, Either Through Deployment or R&R, From Your Time in the Service? Can You Recall Any Memories of This Place You Found Particularly Impressive or Enjoyable?:
I served as a Scout/Sniper with 2/26 and 1/7. Aside from our combat exploits, this patrol stands out as one of the most memorable and cherished. The Big Heist. There were several other significant intelligence patrols we conducted with 2/26 that resulted in enemy kills and captured equipment and food stores. However, not every patrol was meaningful because of combat action. One special moment occurred while heading out for a patrol that still required stealth, speed, athletic ability, cunning, and the ability to stay undetected.
ETCS Stephen Alexander, U.S. Navy (1961-1981)
Did Any of Your Parents or Grandparents Serve? What Facts or Stories Do You Remember About Their Service?:
My oldest brother, Robert C. Alexander, served aboard the USS Lexington (CV-2) during WW2 and was aboard during her final battle in the Coral Sea. He was an MM1 at that time and was assigned to a damage control party deep in the ship, near the stern. He wrote a letter outlining the battle’s events as he experienced it from his battle station. I will copy that letter here so he can tell his story in his own words.
Maj Richard M. Cole, U.S. Air Force (1970-1992)
Did Any of Your Parents or Grandparents Serve? What Facts or Stories Do You Remember About Their Service?:
Military service has become a tradition in my family. One of the things that has kept me busy in retirement is genealogy research. Through my research, I discovered that my fourth great-grandfather, William McLee “Mack” Cole, served with Company B of the South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, which drew the majority of its men from Laurens County. Pvt. Cole died of pneumonia following the Battle of Fredericksburg, Va. He died in Chimborazo Hospital Number 5 and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, Va. Men were dying in large numbers at the hospital and were buried in Oakwood with as many as six men to a grave. A small stone cube marked the graves with numbers on them that correlated to a grave registry book listing the names of the men in each grave. When I discovered that my grandfather did not have a headstone, I attempted to obtain one for him through the VA, only to have my request denied. They stated the stone cube and grave registry were sufficient markings for his grave. So, I purchased him a headstone and, with the assistance of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, had it installed over his burial site at Oakwood.