Thomas Dilley: ‘Why take it out on us? We were kids.’
marc.zarefsky2024-10-31T18:47:31-05:00At just 18, Thomas “Tom” Dilley walked into the draft board in Harvey, Illinois, determined to accelerate his enlistment for the Vietnam War.
Kenneth ‘Burgy’ Burmeister: ‘I was lucky as can be’
marc.zarefsky2024-10-21T11:14:22-05:00Ken "Burgy" Burmeister was 19-years-old when he moved up his draft number in August 1969 to choose service in the Army, following in his father's footsteps.
Bob Baron: A very spicy life
marc.zarefsky2024-10-21T11:12:42-05:00If variety is the spice of life, then Bob Baron can tell you, his life has been very spicy. Bob describes himself as a “war baby”, born in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, the second of four boys.
Frank Gillie Jr.: Memories of War
marc.zarefsky2024-10-21T11:11:08-05:00The small black-and-white photograph has faded with time, but now it means even more to Frank Gillie Jr. He picks it up carefully and holds it reverently in his cupped hands, as he shows it to me.
Jamie Rivera: South Korea’s importance to the Vietnam War
marc.zarefsky2024-10-21T11:08:19-05:00Like so many young men, Jaime was drafted into the army in 1967. The United States was concerned about the spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia.
Richard Raish: Touring Europe
marc.zarefsky2024-10-21T11:06:53-05:00A Navy veteran, Ricardo would admit that he could host tours of several European capitals based on his vast experience during “Med cruises” on the carrier USS Intrepid (CVA-11).
Michael Collins: A legacy of service
marc.zarefsky2024-10-21T11:03:35-05:00Mike Collins learned a few things about helping others while growing up as the eldest of nine children — lessons that helped him in the Air Force, in law enforcement, and through community service.
Ronald Matonovich: I finally applied myself when I joined the Navy
marc.zarefsky2024-10-28T18:56:58-05:00Ronald Matonovich grew up in the Hessville neighborhood in Hammond, Indiana. Ron was the oldest of five children all living in a two bedroom, one bathroom house.
Robert Smith: Everyone in the Army is a soldier
marc.zarefsky2024-10-21T10:56:52-05:00According to Robert Smith, no matter what job you had in the Army, you were a soldier. When they needed you to pick up a rifle, that’s what you did.
Bob Falkman: Driving a ‘kiddie cruise’
marc.zarefsky2024-10-21T10:53:34-05:00Both of Bob Falkman’s parents served in the US Army during World War II, his father as a lieutenant in the Supply Corps and his mother as a nurse. They met in Algiers and married shortly after returning home from overseas.
James ‘Big Jim’ Schlegel: Scars are tattoos with better stories
marc.zarefsky2024-09-20T21:28:45-05:00Ever wonder how someone gets interested in or decides to sign up to serve? For Jim Schlegel, he recalls hearing about Dr. Tom Dooley. Dr. Dooley was on board a ship that transported North Vietnamese Christians out of the area.
Bernadette Sanner: Women of War — The Vietnam Nurses
marc.zarefsky2024-09-20T21:25:45-05:00Bernadette “Bernie” Sanner always dreamed of being a nurse from the time she was a little girl growing up in East Chicago, Indiana. The nurses in Bernie’s unit all worked together very closely wherever they were needed.
Bob Shervino: The Hungry Hero
marc.zarefsky2024-09-20T21:19:41-05:00It might surprise you to learn what Bob Shervino remembers first when people ask about serving as an infantryman in Vietnam. “God was I hungry,” he says. It’s 55 years later, but the pained look on his face makes it seem like yesterday.
Donald Hendrick: Guns and Choices
marc.zarefsky2024-09-20T21:15:14-05:00Donald Hendrick, born in 1948, grew up in The Cabrini Green complex. He was the youngest of four children. The exposure to gangs and guns did not make for a warm fuzzy childhood.
Mike Ahasic: A gut-wrenching experience
marc.zarefsky2024-09-20T21:12:18-05:00During his first two years of service, Army life was pretty good for Mike Ahasic. Everything changed during his third year, however, when he served in Vietnam. More than 50 years later, his emotions are still raw.
Don Ehrhart: An Unexpected Story
marc.zarefsky2024-09-20T21:04:36-05:00Upon graduating from high school, Don Ehrhart visited his local Navy recruiter and enlisted in July, 1968, deferring his reporting day to October. Don worked with his father who had a construction business and completed his testing and the required physical examination.
Ivan Lee White: Falling in love with flying
marc.zarefsky2024-09-23T08:44:30-05:00Ivan Lee White was born in 1943 while his dad served in the Army overseas. As he and his younger brother later learned, his dad fought in Europe with General George Patton’s Third Army.
Donald Taylor: How sweet it is
marc.zarefsky2024-09-20T20:57:21-05:00Don was the DJ in Qui Nhon and his sign-on slogan on the Music Machine show was, “How sweet it is! Hello out there in Qui Nhon Land!” Qui Nhon was one of the six areas in Vietnam that broadcasted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Craig and Laurel Schilling: Newlyweds enlist together
marc.zarefsky2024-09-20T20:52:05-05:00When Laurel and Craig Schilling walked down the aisle in May of 1972, they had no idea their plan to return to college safely ensconced in married student housing was never meant to be.
Michael Embrey: Dedicated to making a difference
marc.zarefsky2024-09-21T11:05:58-05:00Once he realized he was being drafted, Michael followed the lead of a few friends and auditioned for the Air Force military band. They didn’t have an opening then, so he started basic training at a temporary base in Amarillo, Texas.