In 1978, I enlisted in the Indiana National Guard, along with my wife. We were one of the first couples to partake in basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. There was much that happened during our time at Fort Jackson, and with graduation came the knowledge that together my wife and I could overcome anything. My MOS training was as a 76Y unit supply clerk.
On Nov. 5, 1979, the Iran hostage crisis started. I enlisted in the Army on the advice of my father. My father was a four-year veteran of the Navy and a 16-year veteran of the Marine Corps. I told him one day I wanted to be a Marine, and he slapped me upside the head, and said I should consider a different approach and not spend all my time on a Navy ship like he did. My father fought in the Pacific for part of World War II and later in Korea as one of the Frozen Chosen.
On my enlistment in 1979, I was awarded the MOS of 95B Military Police, My first duty assignment was Fort McPherson in Atlanta. I lived in East Point, where my son was born, I worked the road for a while, then I worked in Patton Hall as the door guard. My next duty assignment was in Korea. I was assigned to Joint Security Area Panmunjom in South Korea, My duties included driving the Swiss and Swedish delegates assigned to the truce talks. I was later selected to be the only driver for Swiss Consul General Otto Bornhauser.
After Korea came Fort Hood, Texas, where I was assigned to the 401st Military Police Company. My platoon did not have a motor pool person to assist the mechanic in day-to-day services, so I volunteered to be that guy in the motor pool. The motor sergeant took a liking to me and gave me an MP and assigned me a toolbox. Later I did on-the-job training in the motor pool -- first TAMMS and PLL School, then motor sergeants.
My unit was in the air the day we invaded Grenada. We were diverted to Honduras, where we relieved an MP company from Panama. My company was split into two parts. I was made the detachment motor sergeant, supply sergeant and communications sergeant. We survived an in-country IG inspection, passing with flying colors. On my return to Fort Hood, I was given the position of headquarters and headquarters detachment (HHD) motor sergeant.
My next duty assignment was in Furth, Germany, just outside Nuremburg. I started out as an MP squad leader responsible for three M1A2 Jeeps, since I knew maintenance. Even through my squad didn't like it, we spent many a day working the road in the motor pool, ensuring that my assigned jeeps were drivable. During an IG inspection, my squad jeeps were the only to pass with flying colors. While the rest of the company was working weekends in the motor pool, my Squad had the weekend off. My platoon leader was the company motor officer; the motor sergeant had not had formal training and was sent to Stuttgart for a motor sergeant course. I was placed in the motor pool as the acting motor sergeant. I subsequently left the motor pool as the assistant motor sergeant; while acting motor sergeant, we passed the follow-up IG inspection, and it was recommended to the command that I be kept in the motor pool to keep things running as they did for the time the motor sergeant was in training.
During my time in Germany, a training exercise was held that brought the whole of the Pennsylvania National Guard to Germany. It was at the time the largest movement of troops to Germany since World War II. I was a liaison for units assigned to the northern portion of Germany. We stayed on a British compound. Boy, can those Brits drink!
My next duty assignment took me to Fort Bragg. I was assigned to the Military Police battalion as an MP but was pulled from the MP company to run the HHD Motor Pool. During my time at Fort Bragg, we were deployed to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hurricane Hugo devasted the Island, and we spent six months on the island until the prison was rebuilt, and law and order were restored. On our return from St. Croix, we were told we were on non-deployable status until after the first of the year. That was in November, just before Thanksgiving. I'm not sure what non-deployable meant, because on the 24th of December, I was on an airplane headed for Panama for the removal of Manual Noriega.
On my return from Panama, I was told that my motor pool had won second place in a contest for small unit maintenance across the whole of the United States. My wife was tired of me never being home and raising our child on her own; she asked me to put in for something where I might not be deployed so often. I put in my packet for warrant officer training in the maintenance field. I was called to company headquarters and given the good news that I had been selected -- not for warrant officer, but Army recruiting.
After completing recruiter training, I was sent to the recruiting battalion in Milwaukee's Whitewater recruiting office, It was closed due to a recruiting cutback, I was then sent to the Burlington recruiting office, yet stayed in the same zone. Later, Burlington was closed, and I was sent to Racine, still keeping the same recruiting zone. At the time I was in Racine, which was meant for five recruiters, we had 10 or more. I was given the choice of staying in recruiting or returning to an active Army post. I chose recruiting and was stationed in Appleton. There I met two NCOs that I have the greatest respect for: my station commander, Steven Bosch, and company 1st Sgt. A. Steven Hixon. After two very successful years in Appleton, and being named top senior recruiter two years in a row, I was converted to OOR and made station commander in Burlington.
After a year in Burlington, I was reassigned to the Army recruiting station in Muncie, Ind. After two years in Muncie, I got reassigned to the recruiting station in Downers Grove, Ill. On completion of my two years in Downers Grove and on a permanent profile due to having foot surgery, I decided to call it quits. Retiring in September 1999, I left knowing I had done my best in serving my country in every capacity I was needed to perform.
After my retirement, I worked 14 years as the Randolph County veteran service officer, During my tenure as VSO, I as able to open a local veterans shelter, "The Journey Home." I was awarded the 2017 Veteran of the Year for the State of Indiana. As of this past March, I have been post commander for Farmland American Legion Post 353 in Farmland, Ind. I'm still an accredited service officer with The American Legion, helping veterans get their benefits.
