Robert Hornung: Life of a Grunt in the Hot Jungle
marc.zarefsky2022-06-09T06:13:35-05:00Robert Hornung grew up on the south side of Chicago. His older brother served in the Korean War. He volunteered for the draft in 1968, at age 18.
Paul Barrath: From Naval Reserve To Active Duty During the Vietnam War Years
marc.zarefsky2022-06-09T06:12:44-05:00Growing up in a military family, it was not a difficult decision for Paul Barrath to make the decision to enlist in the U.S. Navy.
Stephen (Pete) Pedersen: Achieved a Double Mustang
marc.zarefsky2022-06-09T06:11:26-05:00Looking back on his early life, Lt. Colonel (Ret. U.S. Army) Stephen (“Pete”) Pedersen mused that the big surprise at his birth had been that he was a boy and not a girl.
Thomas Corzan: Three Decades in The Navy
marc.zarefsky2022-06-09T06:18:52-05:00When Tom turned 18, he took to heart the Navy slogan, “Join the Navy and See the World.” He enlisted and did just that.
Kenneth Albert: Blood, Sweat and Tears on the Mekong River
marc.zarefsky2022-06-07T19:41:55-05:00“Join the Navy and see the world!” But in Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Ken Albert’s case, it was not “see the world” but more like “be in the line of fire 24/7 for as long as your Vietnam tour of duty lasts.”
Arnold Grauer: The Real Mash Unit
marc.zarefsky2022-06-07T19:42:10-05:00In 1964 the Vietnam draft impacted the lives of so many young men. Arnie, who had already graduated from medical school, decided to be the master of his fate.
The Galvans: A Band of Three Brothers
marc.zarefsky2022-06-07T19:42:17-05:00Growing up, the Galvan brothers, Manny, Felix, and Lu, did almost everything together. As young adults, all three entered the military and served during Vietnam – sometimes even in the same village.
Joseph Kwasny: Ambushed on the Beach
marc.zarefsky2022-06-07T19:42:31-05:00Joseph Kwasny was the youngest of six children in a Polish household and neighborhood. He is a Purple Heart recipient, had a career in law enforcement and continues to help veterans today.
Leon Wilson: From Blue Water to Brown Water Navy
marc.zarefsky2022-06-07T19:42:39-05:00Leon H. Wilson was born and raised in the Englewood neighborhood in Chicago. Leon, wanting more adventure than what he was experiencing on the South Side of Chicago, made the decision to join the U.S. Navy at the age of seventeen years old.
Joseph Matkovcik: A Medic With Many Stops
marc.zarefsky2022-06-07T19:42:47-05:00Joseph Matkovcik grew up in Berwyn and enlisted in the Army in 1972 at the age of 27. Between high school and enlisting, Joseph worked for the County Police, the County Sheriff and worked in a machine shop.
Robert Sussman: Live for 365 Days
marc.zarefsky2021-11-04T10:14:27-05:00Before college, Bob Sussman had lived all over the country, but never in one place longer than a year and a half.
Donna Glielmi: A Data Systems Technician
marc.zarefsky2021-09-29T20:25:00-05:00When Donna Glielmi and her fraternal twin sister were born in Chicago in 1955, her mother hadn’t known that she was pregnant with twins.
Carol Stegall: Helping People and Animals with the Same Passion
marc.zarefsky2021-09-29T20:17:50-05:00Carol Stegall wanted to be a vet but knew she couldn’t afford the extra years of school, so her second choice became her lifelong work.
Honor Flight Chicago to fly Vietnam-era veterans beginning in 2019
marc.zarefsky2018-11-08T00:27:32-06:00CHICAGO (Nov. 7, 2018) – Honor Flight Chicago, the not-for-profit that [...]