The value of an individual life is often shaped not by abstract ideas but behind how well one responds to unexpected demands. Laurence Jones did not enter military service seeking glory or adventure. His arrival into military life in 1967 placed him on an immediate path toward combat operations due to the escalation of the war in Vietnam.
There's a version of Lenny Corso's life that fits on an index card: Army medic, Green Beret, Sergeant E-5, Special Forces Group, National Defense Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Parachute Badge, Expert Marksmanship Medal and Presidential Unit Citation. It's accurate. It's also the smallest version of a much bigger story
Jim Mukoyama’s life changed forever on a battlefield in South Vietnam. The young Army Captain had just led his men to victory in a fierce, bloody battle against Viet Cong guerillas, when he noticed the bodies of three enemy fighters.
In both primary and secondary school, Bill became proficient in the visual arts. From the third grade onwards, he earned competitive scholarships to attend Art Institute of Chicago classes. His goal: become a commercial artist. Best laid plans.
Ernie Neely and his family lived in the Englewood area of Chicago. His dad was a Chicago policeman. He graduated from Bogan High School in 1964, then worked at a savings and loan for $1.50 per hour.
For nine years, Jerry Pawlus traveled throughout the Pacific Ocean aboard various naval ships. When his second enlistment ended, he wanted a career with a sense of adventure and excitement, so he became a fire fighter.
In 1963, Robert “Bob” Arthurs joined the Navy and broadened his horizons, carrying him from the smallest state in America to ports around the world aboard a “tin can” destroyer that became his second home.
In the spring of 1947, Chris Orozco was born in Chicago’s West Side and spent his childhood there. Eighteen years later, in the spring of 1965, upon graduating from high school, Chris became the first member of his family to join the military.
John Corcoran piloted C-130s late in the Vietnam War, typically on routine missions carrying supplies to far-flung bases. Then came April of 1975 and the evacuation of Saigon.
During his senior year in High School, he attended a career fair. The Navy was looking for recruits as enlisted flight crew. When he learned that one of the Naval aircraft tracked Russian subs he was “all in”.
William “Corky” Gould was a 20-year-old boiler technician on the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea 100 miles off the coast of North Vietnam when a fire alarm blared. A second alarm followed 20 seconds later.
Jim Hamilton discovered his passion for air travel as a teenager, when he routinely rode to O'Hare and hopped on short flights to and from Chicago — all without his parents knowledge.
John arrived in Vietnam just after the TET Offensive of 1968 to the 2/39th 9th Division. His primary base camp was Dong Tam in the Mekong Delta.
Dave Dial grew up as an only child in a hardworking blue-collar family. His parents didn’t graduate from high school, but they were doubly determined that their son would have opportunities they hadn’t.
Patrick Lloyd will never forget the first time he saw Pearl Harbor. He was just 18 in the summer of 1944, still new to the U.S. Navy. And he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Mary McCafferty was born and raised in Chicago. Her mother’s ancestors were some of the early founders of the city of Chicago.
Keith Howard had been serving at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan for several months when he received orders to board a plane, although he wasn’t told the destination.
Reginald (Reggie) Jones, a proud Chicagoan and the youngest of five children, proudly served our country all over the globe, in places most people could never imagine having the opportunity to visit.
Born on November 26, 1945, in Sandwich, Illinois, Gene Potter grew up on a family farm near Sheridan, part of a farming heritage that stretched back to 1841.
Most people don’t realize they are a witness to history until long after the moment has come and gone. So it was for Lt. Ed Bales, CIC officer aboard the Destroyer Escort USS Beale, during the Bay of Pigs, and, 18 months later, the Cuban missile crisis.