I have met more than "a few good men" in my life and many, if not most of the best were in military service. This lineup of heroes that are or were friends is being posted in their honor for the upcoming Memorial day. I have known far more veterans than these below, but lack pictures or enough of their history to write about. There is no particular order. It is being put together as I find their pictures in my messy computer folders, so none is featured over another, except for William.
Of course my biggest hero remains Joyce's uncle William. His story is already posted on this blog.
This next hero, is Doug Culwell with his wife Mary. Doug (or Doc as we all called him) was with me in Glynco, Ga. and on Guam occasionally on Sangley Point, Philippines and in San Diego afterwards. Doc was a good friend and a good man. We did a lot of partying and always had a good time and never, well almost never got into trouble. The picture was 2 years before his death.
This was Doc a few weeks after I met him in 1964.
The next hero here is Cal Potter. Cal and I flew through typhoons together, stood airborne radar watches over the US 7th fleet together, deployed all over the far east together, had more liberties ashore than I could possibly remember and were in San Diego together. Cal does not look much different today. He has been practicing Judo and teaching it for the last 20 years or more.
This is another picture of Cal when we were on the island of Corregador, in Manila bay. Corregador was the last place American troops surrendered to the Japanese in World war 2. Cal is standing next to a 12 inch mortar still there from the war. He was not trying to hide his face, but rather ingesting a cold San Miguel beer that we brought with us.
Next up is John Alejandro, my co-worker from the Litton days, who is still a friend and correspondent on a daily basis. John started as a tunnel rat in Vietnam. He later moved to door gunner, both very dangerous jobs during the Vietnam war. John was and still is a comedian as anyone who worked at Litton will verify. I clipped this picture from his Facebook page.
Next up is Joyce and my nephew Patrick who put 23 years in the US army. He spent most of his years in the 10th mountain division. He did 2 tours in Korea, He completed parachute jump school, severe weather mountain survival school, did 2 tours in Iraq, 1 or 2 tours in Afghanistan, was in the invasion of Panama and more than I know of in his 23 years in uncle Sam's army.
Next up is James Stoeppler, air force veteran. James served as a nurse during his time in uncle Sam's military. James is a nephew of Joyce's uncle William and a very accomplished gentleman.This picture is from 1958.
This is Jim just out of basic training in 1958. Jim never got overseas during his 4 years as an army medic, but he did have some combat medical experience. He fought the battle of Minot N. Dakota with winters that regularly went to 28 degrees below zero with high winds, who could survive that? He did treat a lot of battle wounds from bar fights and brawls. He had to take an ambulance out to pick up the remains of an airman who stuck a shotgun under his chin and blew his brains out. I can't imagine much worse than that. It was a very messy cleanup. Jim also ran the ER from 1600 to 2400 in Minot.
Below is Audie Luna and me in 2003. Audie served in the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is more than most people think of when they hear about the service. Coast guardsmen piloted landing craft in the invasion of Normandy during World War 2, They were stationed on far flung Pacific islands, until recently, operating Loran (long range radio and navigation) stations necessary for trans-Pacific air transits. Today they interdict armed drug smugglers on the high seas and provide security for the president when he is at his seaside golf resorts. Audie was my boss at that time and he was presenting me with a certificate for something I had accomplished at Litton. I cannot remember what it was. Audie is a fine gentleman and family man that I have the pleasure of working for and with.
This next picture is, left to right, Doc Culwell, Roy Dordick, David Barth Ken Vaughn. You know about Doc from above. Roy was with me and the others from Glynco, Georgia to Guam, to San Diego, and with me on the Kitty Hawk. Our shop chief used to start the day with "where's Drifty?" He named Roy Drifty because he was usually not around much. I do not know what happened to Roy after he left the navy. David Barth was also with our crew from Glynco through Guam. When the rest of us left Guam David stayed longer and ended up in Vietnam when the squadron moved there. David and I are still in contact on a regular basis; he has had a long marriage and is a great family man who has done well after his navy hitch. The last man in the picture, Ken, stayed in the navy for 30 years and rose to master chief, the highest enlisted rank in the navy. He stayed on flight duty his whole career. He would have stayed in the navy longer, but the navy does not allow enlisted men to stay beyond 30 years.
This is John Houdek, our crew chief on crew 4 back in 1965. I saw a picture of him at the squadron reunion several years back and John aged very well. He was a really good crew chief.
I almost forgot this one. It is Orie DeBord with Barbara DeBord and the back of Kevin DeBord's head. They are on the pier in San Diego by the USS Oriskany. Kevin's dad had just arrived home from a cruise off the coast of Vietnam. Orie was an aviation ordance man working on the flight deck when the Oriskany caught fire on the 26th of October, 1966. Orie's family heard about the fire on the nightly news and heard there were 44 dead and 156 injured, mostly on the flight deck where Orie worked. They waited more than a week until the Oriskany got to port in the Philippines and Orie could call and tell them he was okay. Orie is and was a hero that day, before and after that day.
I put this picture in because it was a navy recruiting poster in World War 2. I have no doubt this poster influenced many future World War 2 heroes to join the navy.
The next two pictures are of Wake Island. Why are pictures of an island here? Wake island was attacked on December 8 of 1941, because Wake is across the international date line Wake was actually attacked and taken over by the Japanese on the same day and time as Pearl Harbor. The marine garrison held out for 15 days under savage attack by a far superior Japanese force and was held by Japanese until after the end of World War 2. The Japanese surrendered Wake on September 4, 1945. The brutality of marine captives led to the hanging of the Japanese commander on Wake in 1947. I could not determine how many marines died during captivity on Wake.
The second picture is the Drifter's Reef bar in 1965 when Cal and I were there. I thought a lot about its history in World War 2 when we were there.
The drifter's reef was not there in World War 2. That saddens me because I think the marines could have used a few beers waiting between the Japanese attacks. As you can see there wasn't much to the reef in 1965. We did have a great crew party there, with fishing, BBQ steaks and a lot of beer one day and night. The only event during my navy time with officers and men partying together. It still cracks me up when I see the phrase "officers and men" think about that. It is still used in the navy.
This below is my father in Eichstatt Germany in 1945. He was in Patton's 3rd army as an artillery soldier. He never spoke about it so I know nothing more than he was there.Of course my biggest hero remains Joyce's uncle William. His story is already posted on this blog.
This next hero, is Doug Culwell with his wife Mary. Doug (or Doc as we all called him) was with me in Glynco, Ga. and on Guam occasionally on Sangley Point, Philippines and in San Diego afterwards. Doc was a good friend and a good man. We did a lot of partying and always had a good time and never, well almost never got into trouble. The picture was 2 years before his death.
This was Doc a few weeks after I met him in 1964.
The next hero here is Cal Potter. Cal and I flew through typhoons together, stood airborne radar watches over the US 7th fleet together, deployed all over the far east together, had more liberties ashore than I could possibly remember and were in San Diego together. Cal does not look much different today. He has been practicing Judo and teaching it for the last 20 years or more.
This is another picture of Cal when we were on the island of Corregador, in Manila bay. Corregador was the last place American troops surrendered to the Japanese in World war 2. Cal is standing next to a 12 inch mortar still there from the war. He was not trying to hide his face, but rather ingesting a cold San Miguel beer that we brought with us.
Next up is John Alejandro, my co-worker from the Litton days, who is still a friend and correspondent on a daily basis. John started as a tunnel rat in Vietnam. He later moved to door gunner, both very dangerous jobs during the Vietnam war. John was and still is a comedian as anyone who worked at Litton will verify. I clipped this picture from his Facebook page.
Next up is Joyce and my nephew Patrick who put 23 years in the US army. He spent most of his years in the 10th mountain division. He did 2 tours in Korea, He completed parachute jump school, severe weather mountain survival school, did 2 tours in Iraq, 1 or 2 tours in Afghanistan, was in the invasion of Panama and more than I know of in his 23 years in uncle Sam's army.
Next up is James Stoeppler, air force veteran. James served as a nurse during his time in uncle Sam's military. James is a nephew of Joyce's uncle William and a very accomplished gentleman.This picture is from 1958.
This is Jim just out of basic training in 1958. Jim never got overseas during his 4 years as an army medic, but he did have some combat medical experience. He fought the battle of Minot N. Dakota with winters that regularly went to 28 degrees below zero with high winds, who could survive that? He did treat a lot of battle wounds from bar fights and brawls. He had to take an ambulance out to pick up the remains of an airman who stuck a shotgun under his chin and blew his brains out. I can't imagine much worse than that. It was a very messy cleanup. Jim also ran the ER from 1600 to 2400 in Minot.
Below is Audie Luna and me in 2003. Audie served in the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is more than most people think of when they hear about the service. Coast guardsmen piloted landing craft in the invasion of Normandy during World War 2, They were stationed on far flung Pacific islands, until recently, operating Loran (long range radio and navigation) stations necessary for trans-Pacific air transits. Today they interdict armed drug smugglers on the high seas and provide security for the president when he is at his seaside golf resorts. Audie was my boss at that time and he was presenting me with a certificate for something I had accomplished at Litton. I cannot remember what it was. Audie is a fine gentleman and family man that I have the pleasure of working for and with.
This next picture is, left to right, Doc Culwell, Roy Dordick, David Barth Ken Vaughn. You know about Doc from above. Roy was with me and the others from Glynco, Georgia to Guam, to San Diego, and with me on the Kitty Hawk. Our shop chief used to start the day with "where's Drifty?" He named Roy Drifty because he was usually not around much. I do not know what happened to Roy after he left the navy. David Barth was also with our crew from Glynco through Guam. When the rest of us left Guam David stayed longer and ended up in Vietnam when the squadron moved there. David and I are still in contact on a regular basis; he has had a long marriage and is a great family man who has done well after his navy hitch. The last man in the picture, Ken, stayed in the navy for 30 years and rose to master chief, the highest enlisted rank in the navy. He stayed on flight duty his whole career. He would have stayed in the navy longer, but the navy does not allow enlisted men to stay beyond 30 years.
This is John Houdek, our crew chief on crew 4 back in 1965. I saw a picture of him at the squadron reunion several years back and John aged very well. He was a really good crew chief.
I almost forgot this one. It is Orie DeBord with Barbara DeBord and the back of Kevin DeBord's head. They are on the pier in San Diego by the USS Oriskany. Kevin's dad had just arrived home from a cruise off the coast of Vietnam. Orie was an aviation ordance man working on the flight deck when the Oriskany caught fire on the 26th of October, 1966. Orie's family heard about the fire on the nightly news and heard there were 44 dead and 156 injured, mostly on the flight deck where Orie worked. They waited more than a week until the Oriskany got to port in the Philippines and Orie could call and tell them he was okay. Orie is and was a hero that day, before and after that day.
I put this picture in because it was a navy recruiting poster in World War 2. I have no doubt this poster influenced many future World War 2 heroes to join the navy.
The next two pictures are of Wake Island. Why are pictures of an island here? Wake island was attacked on December 8 of 1941, because Wake is across the international date line Wake was actually attacked and taken over by the Japanese on the same day and time as Pearl Harbor. The marine garrison held out for 15 days under savage attack by a far superior Japanese force and was held by Japanese until after the end of World War 2. The Japanese surrendered Wake on September 4, 1945. The brutality of marine captives led to the hanging of the Japanese commander on Wake in 1947. I could not determine how many marines died during captivity on Wake.
The second picture is the Drifter's Reef bar in 1965 when Cal and I were there. I thought a lot about its history in World War 2 when we were there.
The drifter's reef was not there in World War 2. That saddens me because I think the marines could have used a few beers waiting between the Japanese attacks. As you can see there wasn't much to the reef in 1965. We did have a great crew party there, with fishing, BBQ steaks and a lot of beer one day and night. The only event during my navy time with officers and men partying together. It still cracks me up when I see the phrase "officers and men" think about that. It is still used in the navy.
Below is my uncle Kenny. He was a marine's marine. He signed up on December 8, 1941 and went to war. He never spoke much about it so I do not know as much as I would like to know. I know he was in Carlson's raider batallion from beginning until they were disbanded. They went into Japanese held areas before scheduled landings to do recon and cut a few throats in the middle of the night. He did say he was sorry about that one night when he was drunk out of his mind. He was later in the invasion of Saipan and shortly after he went ashore on Guam. When sober he was the nicest gentleman any one would ever meet. When he was drunk he was fierce and combative.
This picture below is VW-1 crew 4 in 1965. At one time I knew every one of these guys, but now only remember a few. I am in the back row 2nd from left. Far left back row is Ronnie Cress, engine mechanic, me, 3rd from left is Casebier, lead tech, 4th is J.J., radioman, he could transmit 60 words a minute using Morse code with a speed key, 5th is Jack Buck (not the sports caster), but rather our radar leading petty officer and my nemesis, 6th I do not remember, 7th is Cal Potter my good buddy, far right is Bill Locher, tech who looked near exactly like me. We were confused by a lot of people. Middle row 3rd from right is Tommy Fincannon, one of the funniest guys ever. The rest I cannot remember, except for front row center was Lt. commander Armstrong our pilot and top dog.
Below is Joyce's father and her mother in 1945. Her dad's ship the USS Brownson a destroyer was sunk on Christmas Day 1943. They were invading the Cape Gloucester area of the island of New Britain. A Japanese Val bomber dropped a 500 pound bomb down the 2nd stack and the ship sunk in a few minutes. He was plucked out of the water by another destroyer. He was given 30 days survivors leave and then assigned to ferry duty taking LST's on a shakedown cruise from Ohio, down the Mississippi to New Orleans so they could be sent to the Pacific. On an overnight stop in Saint Louis he met Joyce's mother and the rest is history.
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