Jerry Zabel was born in 1947 just outside of Munich, Germany. His mother and father, who met shortly after World War II while working at a clothing factory, were both survivors of the Holocaust; having endured life in concentration camps at the forefront.
Imagine a family of eleven children reared on the near west side of Chicago which sent all the men, brothers and brothers-in-law alike, into service of our country. This is the Latham family legacy.
Dr. Richard Lee was sure of one thing as he shipped out for Vietnam in May of 1969. “I knew I was going to die,” he says with the calm, matter-of-fact assurance of a seasoned clinician accustomed to facing hard truths.
It was a childhood plagued with asthma and multiple hospital stays that first put the thought of nursing into Denise O’Leary Kennedy’s head. She saw so many nurses during those early years she couldn’t help but admire them.
Ronald “Ron” Wills was born and raised in Saybrook, a small town in Central Illinois where Ron’s father farmed while his mother raised Ron, his brother and three sisters, and helped run the machinery with the best of them.
Dr. Stuart Poticha grew up on the north side of Chicago near Wrigley Field. His father was a flight surgeon in the Marine Corps during World War II.
Donald Clarke was born near Boston in 1948 and grew up next to the Revere Beach amusement park and boardwalk. His family has a strong history of fighting for the United States.
Colonel (Retired) Dennis Shea embodies citizenship. Dennis’s military story begins as a freshman at Depaul University. Freshmen were required to participate in ROTC.
Growing up as the youngest in his family, Donald “Don” Ramsbottom learned how to leverage speed and agility to excel. These traits proved invaluable during his service in the Vietnam War.
A U.S. Army helicopter dangled precariously over the battlefield. Wounded soldiers needed help. Right Now. Speed was critical. But every time the pilot tried to touch down fierce enemy gunfire erupted.
Arthur “Arty”, Charles “Charlie”, and Thomas “Tom” Miller grew up in a family of eleven on the Southside of Chicago. They had two younger brothers and six sisters.
Norbert and David grew up in the quaint town of Whiting, Indiana. They come from a family of seven, with their mother also being from Whiting. Both Norb and David served in Vietnam.
John Wander was born in 1941 and raised in Downers Grove. His parents were both the children of immigrants, and they both faced significant challenges when they were growing up.
William “Bill” Koc was born in the city of Stickney, IL in October 1946. Bill was one of twelve children (being #3 himself). He remembers always being surrounded by family.
Tom Kelly grew up in Oak Lawn, then moved to Chicago where his father was a Chicago police officer. Tom was the middle child of 3. There were family members who also served in the military.
Donald W. McCollough, born near the small town of Jewett, Illinois, was the middle child of a family of eight. His parents, Harold and Ethel, worked on a farm that grew sugar cane.
The Corcoran brothers grew up on the far south side of Chicago in a family of 11 children. Jerome (Jerry) was number 9 and Richard (Rich) was number 10 of 11 children. There were seven boys and four girls in the family.
The eldest of eight children, Dan Rittenhouse learned early on how to adapt and serve – two themes that played major roles in his military career and throughout his life.
Sarge was on patrol in Vietnam walking point with his M-60 down a narrow trail. A tracer round whizzed, cracked, past him to his right. He immediately rotated his body to the left when a second round hit him in the chest exiting through his back just missing his lung.
Daniel Edward Sowonik was born on October 16, 1947. For the first 14 years of his life (as an only child) Daniel lived in a small town in Wisconsin, north of Wisconsin Dells, with his parents and grandparents.
