Bonnie and Jack Cordaro have a unique story. They both served their country at different times in different places. While many military spouses met through their service, Bonnie and Jack served separately and met at a social for young professionals in Chicago.
When Dominick Calamino, Jr. was attending Chicago Vocational High School in the mid-60’s, the U.S. Army was drafting young men to serve in the Vietnam War.
William “Bill” Baker grew up probably as far from the sea as one could in the States. Born in Minneapolis on January 5, 1940, he lived in Maple Lake just north and west of the Twin Cities, surrounded by farm country.
During high school, Howard was a member of Junior ROTC. Thus, he learned basic military skills including marching and handling a rifle.
David Grauer feels bad that he never saw combat in World War II. He is also very glad he never had to kill anybody.
When Jane Moyers graduated from Madonna High School, she was already determined to pursue a career in nursing.
When Donna Glielmi and her fraternal twin sister were born in Chicago in 1955, her mother hadn’t known that she was pregnant with twins.
With her good high school grades, Mary Arvidson was assigned to become a Traffic Analyst, tracking radio signals from foreign military units.
Steelworker Second Class Stephen Fenes was born and raised in Hammond, IN where he grew up on a farm with his parents and siblings.
James Carson, known as JC to his friends, decided at 18 to enlist in the Navy. “I wanted to do my part to help fight the Vietnam War.
Curtis Bentley grew up 90 miles from Atlanta on his family’s 200 acre farm “growing anything we could eat, except for the cotton.”
At the beginning of World War II, Anthony “Tony” Vinezeano was 13-years-old. By the time he was 17, he could wait no more to join the fight, changing his birth certificate to gain admittance.
“I know what it’s like to be shot at and missed.” That’s how Bill Siska described part of his experience in the U.S. Navy stationed in Nha Be, Vietnam.
Early in life, Clelia Ginay experienced a great deal of misfortune, but she persevered. She said “My life started when I joined the Navy.”
John "Gene" Craig was a crypto officer aboard the USS Mississippi when it was decommissioned, making him responsible for destroying all classified material on the ship.
During Phillips Cirullo's time in the Navy, he served aboard three different vessels. The majority of his time came on the brand new USS Enterprise, the first-ever nuclear powered aircraft carrier.
After four years of active duty in the Navy beginning in 1963, Thomas Chambers went on to serve 29 more as a member of the Reserves.
On August 7, 1969, Corpsman Richard Campbell's medical training, and valor, rose to the occasion.
Terry Cable's tour of duty in Vietnam included time aboard the USS Satyr, a vessel equipped to repair the boats that patrolled Vietnam’s rivers and canals.
Survived the War and Typhoon Louise