Glenn Hall, affectionately known as Rufus, was born in Idlewild, Tennessee. Rufus was the middle child of a family of seven. Idlewild was a small farm town of about 300 people.
The Korean War Legacy Foundation website encourages visitors to “imagine being a young soldier thrust into a foreign country thousands of miles away to fight a war.”
Talking with WWII Veteran Raymond Gervais, he said “I always wanted to be doing something”, from his WWII and Korean days, to playing volleyball in his 60’s, or working with his canine search and rescue team. He has certainly kept himself active.
William “Cecil” Johnson celebrated his 18th birthday in 1954 by joining the army with the intention of becoming a ”lifer”.
While political powers battled for supremacy during the Cold War, Airman Jesse Kimp was just trying to keep warm while serving late night guard duty in Alaska Territory.
The Reverend George Kane, or rather Fr. George as he prefers to be called, grew up on Chicago’s Northwest side as the second child in a family of four.
The Navy is a family affair for the Hoders. James Sr. and James Jr. have the distinction of being just the second father/son duo to fly as honored veterans together on an Honor Flight Chicago mission.
Fred Hoffmeyer was a young Marine when 70 years ago he was exposed to an atomic bomb test in the Nevada Testing Grounds. Despite that, he has lived a long and healthy life.
Edward Cook’s pending draft and love of planes led him to enlist in the Air Force as his first choice in 1952. He had also hoped to learn a trade while serving his country and applied for Army machinist school.
“The Korea conflict was still continuing and everyone was getting drafted, pretty much as a sure thing before you turn 20-years-old.” Jack visited the local Air Force recruiter and then discussed his intentions with his parents.
James was born in 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama and graduated high school at the age of seventeen. He was offered a football scholarship in Texas but his family couldn’t afford the out of state tuition.
Before being drafted into the Army, Jack spent time at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN on a baseball scholarship as a pitcher. But when the military called, he answered.
Arriving in Seoul, Korea, Joe was assigned to the 2nd Signal Corps of the 2nd Division. His unit was in the mountains, northeast of Seoul, in Chuncheon. Joe was stationed primarily in communications.
Artie Hill, Jr. grew up on the southside of Chicago. His father, Artie, Sr. was a Pullman porter and his mother Rena, was a cook. When Artie graduated grammar school, his mother, Rena, had grown tired of Chicago and went to Los Angeles to fulfill her dream of expanding her culinary skills to become a chef.
Winifred (Winnie) French was born in 1936 in Evergreen Park, IL. Her father was a Chicago Police Officer, so the family resided in Chicago. After graduating from Morgan Park High School in 1954, she enlisted in the Air Force that same year.
USAF A-1C, Fusing Systems Specialist James D. Cook was born in a coal miners’ camp in West Virginia, sometime between the two world wars. James lived with his mom and dad, a coal miner, until he was 5 years old.
Ron was born on a farm near Freeport, Illinois in 1936, one of six kids. He and several buddies from his neighborhood in Freeport left high school halfway through senior year to sign up for the military.
Richard “Dick” Dowsett was born 1931 in Dowagiac, Michigan and spent his childhood there. After finishing high school, he attended Western Michigan University and graduated in 1953 with a degree in Business Administration.
Thomas G. (Tom) Workinger was born in 1928 during the Great Depression and grew up and attended school in Terre Haute, Indiana. He “watched” as World War II engulfed the planet.
High school ROTC was only the beginning for Jim Owen. As an ROTC second lieutenant, Jim learned a great deal about leadership, command, and camaraderie.