Everyone’s life takes twists and turns. Sometimes, the twists result in unexpected opportunities while the turns present formidable challenges. How we handle those opportunities and challenges determines the courses our lives take. No one knows that better than Commander Charles P. Zuhoski, U.S. Navy (Retired). In August 1966, limitless possibilities opened for him as he […]
Some people come to critical decision points in their lives and wait for the Fates to make the decisions for them. Others, like Technical Sergeant Kenneth Ash, U.S. Air Force (Retired), make the hard choices themselves and chart their own paths, unwilling to leave their futures to chance. Ken joined the Air Force in 1967 rather than waiting to be drafted, beginning a journey of service that lasted twenty years. Although he had no way of knowing where his journey would ultimately take him, he knew with certainty his choice was the right one for him at the time.
When a young person signs up for the military, they never know what opportunities or hardships lie ahead. Of course, they know basic training will be difficult, but beyond that, their lives depend upon their specific jobs, the places they are assigned, the situations they are placed in, and the people they work with. These factors combined to bring both trauma and triumph to Second Lieutenant Bonita Trams during her ten-year military career. Throughout it all, Bonita remained committed to her dream of serving as an Army nurse and speaking out for the children she was assigned to protect.
Navy sailors serve in hotspots around the world. When tense situations develop, one of the first questions on the president’s mind is, “Where are the Navy’s aircraft carriers?” In 1972, when the president needed the Navy to help stop the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive during the Vietnam War, Boatswain’s Mate Chief Frank Tyree, U.S. Navy (Retired), answered the call onboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CV-41). He answered the call many more times over the course of his long career, going wherever and whenever the Navy needed him. Yet the Navy is only one aspect of Frank’s public service—he continues to help those in need even today.
To some, it seems our lives are pre-ordained. They believe where we are from and whether our parents are rich or poor may well determine how we will turn out in life. Private First Class Raymond Jubera didn’t believe that. Instead of letting life control him, he took control of his life and was “all in” with the decisions he made. As a result, he participated in history rather than just reading about it in a newspaper. This is his story.
By definition, the draft is disruptive. It yanks people out of their communities and commits them to military service, usually during time of war. Such was the case for Specialist 4 Thomas Steffl, who was drafted for service in the U.S. Army after graduating from college in 1965. His commitment took him to Vietnam, where he maintained communication wires and defended base camps during 1966 and 1967. He then returned to the United States and got his life back on track, working hard to earn a slice of the American dream for his family. This is his story.
It’s often said there are only two things in life you can count on, death and taxes. Ask Specialist 4 Mark Myers, U.S. Army, and other young men during the mid-1960s and they would tell you there was a third – the draft. Mark received his draft notice shortly after his college notified his local draft board he was eligible, thus beginning a chain of events that would lead to him patrolling the jungles of South Vietnam in search of the Viet Cong. This is his story.
Since time immemorial, children grow up and leave their parents, seeking to chart their own way. For most, that means learning life’s lessons the hard way as they find it difficult to accept their parents’ advice, even though their parents walked in their shoes not so many years before. Storekeeper Second Class Donald A. Chivas, U.S. Navy, bucked the trend and listened to his father, realizing his father’s wisdom could help him navigate a pivotal fork in the road. The result changed Don’s life forever. This is his story.
Everyone understands soldiers follow orders. They must or their military organizations will devolve into chaos and fail. What makes the U.S. military unique, however, is it expects its soldiers to think and take the initiative, seizing opportunities that might otherwise be lost. Such was the case with Sergeant Harold P. Jantz, U.S. Army. When a far superior enemy force engaged his platoon during the Vietnam War, he charged into the fray and brought to bear the necessary firepower to defeat his foe. Without his quick thinking and forceful action, his entire platoon might have been destroyed. In the aftermath, he left no U.S. soldier behind. The events of that day were the defining moments of his life, molding him into the man he is today. This is his story.
Those who come to America seeking a better life have a long and distinguished history of serving our country. Beginning with the Revolutionary War and continuing in every war since, immigrants have served in every branch of our Armed Forces, willingly putting their lives on the line for their adopted home. Aviation Machinist Mate Third Class Ignacio Rodriguez continued that proud tradition, enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1964. He flew as an aircrewman on EC-121 Super Constellations hunting hurricanes in the skies over the Western Pacific and operating out of Da Nang and Chu Lai during the Vietnam War. He earned his U.S. citizenship the hard way – by serving our country during time of war. This is his story.