My uncle served in the Army during the 1930s. My father was a World War II veteran. All my buddies in grade school were the sons of World War II or Korean War veterans. In my high school, all but one of the male teachers were World War II or Korean War veterans. When I went off to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, I discovered it had an Army ROTC program known as "the West Point of the Quartermaster Corps”. I enrolled in the program and took part in the Ranger program and Pershing Rifles. After graduation and commissioning, I spent three years on active duty and then a year in the active reserves.

When my son went off to college, he also enrolled in ROTC and served three years on active duty. Thirty years apart, we both served in the same battalion in Korea.