Paul "Bud" Haedike was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943. Before long, he was assigned as a bombardier on a B-17 bomber crew. From the final months of 1944 until the end of the war in Europe, Haedike took part in 23 bombing missions, and none of those missions came with a guarantee he would return to base safely. In this edition of "Vete…

Roger "Buck" Winters was a recent high school graduate working at a tool factory in Texas when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He immediately wanted to quit his job and join the U.S. Army Air Corps. The government would not let him do either of those things at first. Winters would join the Army in 1943 and get trained as an …

On April 1, 2024, LCDR Lou Conter, U.S. Navy (Retired) died at the age of 102. He was the last living survivor of the USS Arizona, which was sunk by the Japanese during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. His passing marks a somber milestone for a generation that courageously rose up to defend our nation and our allies. In this edition …

Chris Alvarez grew up knowing he wanted to serve and that he wanted to serve with the best. After being convinced to join the Marines once he was old enough, a high school teacher who had served in the Marines encouraged him to learn more about the U.S. Navy SEAL's. It didn't take much research for Alvarez to decide that's exactly what he wanted to…

Kelly Elmlinger was a three-sport athlete in high school. She excelled in cross country, basketball, and track. After considering military service, she decided to keep playing sports at the next level, but she quickly decided college was not for her. That's when she joined the Army and became a combat medic, eventually with the 82nd Airborne Divisi…

Thomas "Drago" Dzieran grew up in Communist Poland. He realized he was being fed lies and propaganda as a boy when he got in big trouble at school for asking simple questions about the government. As a young man, he became actively involved in the Solidarity movement and in spreading anti-Communist messages. His activities landed him in prison and …

In the early 1960's, the U.S. Army developed a new way of moving troops into and out of strategic locations. It was called Air Cavalry and operated under the theory that moving forces by helicopter was faster and more precise than driving them or having them jump out of airplanes. One of the earliest and best known Air Cavalry engagements was at La…

Leon Walker, Jr. grew up in a family full of Army and Marine Corps veterans. He tried to enlist in the Marines but the recruiter didn't want to be bothered on his lunch hour. Within minutes, Walker joined the U.S. Navy. He was initially assigned to serve as a deckhand on the fast frigate USS Reid, but on his first deployment he started learning how…

Melvin Jenner was already in the Michigan Air National Guard when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After joining the U.S. Army Air Corps and undergoing training for a bomber crew, he was soon flying missions in the European Theater of World War II. The next few years would bring him harrowing bomber missions, a secret flight …

Patrick Finn fibbed about his age in order to join the U.S. Marine Corps a bit earlier than he should have. He served honorably and was ready to end his service before the Korean War ever began. But his inability to come up with $92 led him to re-enlist and in the summer of 1950 he was off to fight a war in a place he knew nothing about. The summer…

In our last edition of "Veterans Chronicles," we learned about the World War II service of U.S. Air Force Col. Joe Peterburs (Ret.). He told us all about escorting U.S. bombers into Germany, strafing Luftwaffe airfields, and shooting down a highly decorated German ace before getting shot down himself on the very same mission. Please be sure to list…

Joe Peterburs was on track to become a priest. All of that changed when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The next year, Peterburs joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained to be a fighter pilot. He mastered the P-40, but by the time he got to England in late 1944, the P-51 was waiting for him. In this edition of "Veterans Ch…

Tom Toski was drafted into the U.S. Navy in 1943 and was deployed on a destroyer escort to the Pacific theater upon completion of his training. By the end of the war, just two years later, Toski had earned five battle stars, including Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Toski shares his story of service, describes his …

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Royal Earle, Jr. and a buddy were on their way to join the the U.S. Marine Corps to take the fight to Japan. But his friend got snagged by the U.S. Navy instead. Unfazed, Earle endured Parris Island and Camp Pendleton and received training as a switchboard operator and wireman in preparation for service in…

John DeGennero was just 15 years old and playing at a park on the Sunday the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After turning 17 in 1943, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, determined to help win the war. Over the next two years, that teenager perfected a skill that would be crucial to winning the Battle of Iwo Jima. In this edition …

Richard Baughn served as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps and then the U.S. Air Force for more than 30 years both active duty and reserve. He retired as a brigadier general. Gen. Baughn's passion was flying and he put it to excellent use as a P-51 pilot over Europe in World War II and flying the F-104 and F-105 in Vietnam. In this edition of "…

Vincent Speranza was born to immigrant Italian parents in New York City. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Speranza's father stressed to his boys that they were Americans and that America must not lose the war. He was quite a bit more conflicted over the prospects of his sons fighting against Italy. Once old enough to serve, Speranza was ass…

Lester Schrenk joined the U.S. Army Air Forces on his 19th birthday in November 1942. Even though he still sees perfectly today, he was told he could not become a pilot due to poor eyesight. So this Minnesota farm kid was assigned as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 bomber crew. At 5'11", he was much bigger than most men tasked with squeezing into th…

Roy Gleason grew up near Chicago and fell in love with baseball while watching Cubs games with his grandfather. As a young teenager, he learned he had a tremendous amount of talent. After moving to California, he soon found himself signed to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. In 1963, Gleason was a late-season call-up for the Dodgers, played in …

Louis Bourgault was 16 years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor - too young to formally join the military. After his father rejected a teenage plot to go join the Canadian forces, Bourgault enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps when he turned 17. After grueling basic training at Parris Island, Bourgault was tapped as a message runner. He was s…

John 'Lucky" Luckadoo wanted to join the war effort against Nazi Germany even before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He and a friend hatched a plan to join the service in Canada until Lucky's father refused to allow it. But his friend went through with it. After Pearl Harbor, while in his first year at college, Luckadoo joined the U.S. Army Ai…

Dakota Meyer decided to have some fun with the U.S. Marine recruiter visiting his high school. Within minutes he had a change of heart and signed up to serve. Meyer would serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a horrific day in September 2009 would change his life forever. In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Meyer shares the very difficult story …

Russell "Rusty" Schweikart grew up with a great interest in aviation and watching the planes fly around Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey. So it was no surprise when he joined the U.S. Air Force and was trained as a fighter pilot. He later joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard. But in 1963, he was selected as a NASA astronaut and was …

Howard Hill attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and went on to flight training, where he became a radio intercept officer (RIO). Deployed to Vietnam as a backseater on an F-4, Hill flew many missions, including one that earned him his first Silver Star before being shot down two months later. In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Col. Hill deta…

Whitey Johnson was a farm kid from Minnesota who had the chance to fly a crop duster when he was a teenager. The day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he stood in line to join the U.S. Army Air Corps. In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Johnson describes his excitement at being assigned to the Flying Tigers, serving on the Shanghai R…

Randy Bresnik was born into a family that already had an aviation legacy. His father was a U.S. Army Air Cavalry helicopter pilot in Vietnam and his grandfather spent five years as the official photographer for Amelia Earhart. But Bresnik would chart his own path, attending The Citadel as a Navy ROTC student and ultimately choosing the U.S. Marine …

Brendan Quisenberry grew up with a deep appreciation for military service, as both his father and grandfather were veterans. As a sophomore in high school when terrorists struck the U.S. on 9/11, he knew he needed to serve. A couple of years later he joined the U.S. Army and by 2004 he was on his first deployment overseas - this one to Iraq. Follow…

Harrison Schmitt's father was a geologist but it wasn't until college thatSchmitt decided to follow in his dad's footsteps. By the mid-1960's, Schmitt had a Ph.D and was working at the U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Center. Before long, NASA was looking for geologists to advise on the upcoming lunar missions. Schmitt then advised the Apollo …

Ray Hildreth joined the U.S. Marine Corps in an effort to shape up after a brush with the law as a teenager. He joined during the Vietnam War, never once thinking he would be sent overseas. But after a grueling basic training period, Marine recon training, and sniper school, he was soon on his way to Okinawa to prepare for service in Vietnam. In th…

Ramon "Tony" Nadal continued a proud family legacy when he was accepted into West Point after high school. Nadal's father was one the first Puerto Rican graduates of the U.S. Military Academy back in 1928. After his commissioning and officer training, Nadal quickly pursued special forces training with the Army Rangers and Pathfinders among others. …

David Marshall was 16 years old and lying in a New York hospital room after suffering a sports injury when he heard about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Upon turning seventeen the following year, he was drafted into the Army, intially trained as a medic before assigned as an engineer in the infantry - specifically the 84th…

Paul Cunningham graduated from high school in 1948 and had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. After some convincing from the local Air Force recruiter, he was off to train as a radar repairman. Just two years later, he was at war halfway around the world in Korea. In this edition of "Veterans Chonicles," Cunningham describes his work assem…

Giovanni Renteria was in New York City undergoing training for Morgan Stanley in their offices inside the South Tower of the World Trade Center. On day two of the three-week program, Renteria and his colleagues finished their first session early. He and another employee headed downstairs for some coffee. While down there, they saw the debris fallin…

Joe Mantegna grew up around multiple family members who were combat veterans of World War II. He tried to become a pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War but was dismissed due to poor eyesight. But for more than 20 years, Mantegna has been a very active supporter of our active duty military, veterans, and families of the fallen. Sinc…

You may know him best as country music star Craig Morgan. But for 17 years, including 10 years on active duty, Craig Morgan Greer served our nation in the U.S. Army. He spent time with both the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. Morgan is also a veteran of Operation Just Cause, the U.S. mission in Panama in December 1989. In this edition of "Vetera…

Frank Blount was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force in 1960 upon graduation from Florida State University and completion of its ROTC program. Over the next 20 years, Blount would pilot planes carrying everyone from the President of the United States to heroes of our space program to precocious kids. He would also see intense action as a gunship p…

Charlie Plumb ended up in the U.S. Navy because money was tight for his family and it was a big economic relief when he was recommended and accepted at the U.S. Naval Academy. Upon commissioning from Annapolis and competion of flight school, Plumb would soon be flying an F-4. Little did he know what awaited him just a few years later in Vietnam. Pl…

William Walter joined the U.S. Air Force in 1976. Two years later he arrived at Hurlburt Field in Florida for AC-130 gunship training. Over the next couple of decades, his serice in Air Force special operations would place him on missions from Operation Eagle Claw to rescue U.S. hostages in Iran to Operation Just Cause in Panama to Operation Desert…

Michelle Curran was a teenager when she was mesmerized by the roar and power of military jets. Soon she was off to ROTC in college. Within just a few years, she would be at war in Afghanistan and eventually become the lead solo pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Maj. Curran takes us inside her role …

Charlie Duke attended the U.S. Naval Academy but accepted a commission into the U.S. Air Force upon graduation. After early assignments, including service near Berlin in the tumultuous days of the early 1960's, Duke was accepted as a NASA astronaut as the United States pressed on towards President Kennedy's goal of sending a man to the moon and ret…

While not a veteran himself, actor and director Gary Sinise is now synonymous with devotion to our active duty military, our veterans, and their families. Sinise turned 18 years old shortly after the U.S. withdrawal of forces from Vietnam. However, hearing the stories of service in Vietnam from his wife's brothers instilled a deep appreciation for …

Ed Hubbard has been fascinated by flight since he can remember. When he was a kid, his parents dropped him off to watch planes at the local airfield for hours at a time. He joined the Air Force Reserves in hopes of becoming a pilot. He later went on active duty, became an officer and earned his wings. While serving in Europe in the mid-1960s, order…

Ronald Webb was commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer through the ROTC program at Indiana University. First trained as a navigator, Webb later received his pilots' wings in 1966. Soon, he was off to Vietnam, flying missions out of Da Nang with the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron. On most missions, he served as the "backseater" to Korean War double ac…

John Raaen, Jr. entered the U.S. Military Academy in the summer of 1939, just weeks before World War II broke out in Europe. During his four years at West Point, there was no question his class would be going to war. Commissioned in 1943, Raaen soon joined the elite Army Rangers. Just a year later, as a captain, Raaen led men ashore at Omaha Beach …

Just before 8 a.m. on June 6, 1944, U.S. Army Captain John Raaen, Jr., of the 5th Ranger Battalion, landed at Omaha Beach in Normandy as the Allies launched their campaign to breach Adolf Hitler's Atlantic Wall and work to free Europe from Nazi tyranny. In our previous edition, Raaen, who is believed to be the last living American officer from Omah…

John Raaen, Jr. grew up in an Army family and his father was a West Point graduate. Long before World War II, the Raaens were family friends with the Eisenhowers, the Bradleys, and other figures who would become household names in World War II. In 1939, Raaen followed in his father's footsteps and enrolled at West Point just as war was about to eng…

Bernie Oder joined the U.S. Air Force in 1972 when his number came up among the final names in the military draft. While serving as a supply clerk in the Philippines, Oder became friends with service members in special operations and decided to pursue that for his own career. After rigorous training in many disciplines, Oder was soon part of Air Fo…

When college wasn't working out, Mike Sarraille decided to become a U.S. Marine when he became friends with a recon Marine and was impressed by his humble confidence. Saraille also become a recon Marine as well as a sniper. But a couple years later, after being encouraged to become an officer, he entered BUD/s training and became a U.S. Navy SEAL. …

Donald Banks enlisted through the Draft Board to join the U.S. Army and then jumped at the chance to serve in the 82nd Airborne Division. After very difficult paratrooper training, Banks soon found himself jumping into Normandy on D-Day and later fighting in the Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden and at the Battle of the Bulge. In this …

George Ferkes could not pass up the opportunity to fly in the U.S. Air Force. After finishing flight school in 1970, he soon found himself in the skies over Vietnam. Ferkes flew in support of Operation Lam Son 719/Dewey Canyon II and the Siege of Fire Support Base Fuller. Less than a decade later, Ferkes was co-piloting an MC-130 gunship as part of…