Empehi Veterans

My name is Roger L. Byous, graduated from Morgan Park, Jan.1965. Served in the U.S. Navy Aug. 31,1965 to July 30,1969. Did NOT serve in Vietnam. My job title was "Radioman." The duty stations I served at were, Great Lakes, IL. Naval Station, Bainbridge, Md. Naval Station, Keflavik, Iceland NATO Naval Air Station and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Naval Air Station.

Hope you get a lot of Veteran response for this alumni board.

Thanks,

Roger Byous

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John E. Pagel

My name is John E. Pagel 2nd, graduated January 1963 class. Graduated the 24th of January and entered the ARMY on the 29th. Took basic at Fort Knox KY, Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Jackson SC, and Jump School at Fort Benning GA.

Then assigned to 101st AIRBORNE Division at Fort Campbell KY. Was there from July 22nd 1963 till July of 1965 when I was deployed to Vietnam as a rifleman with the first boat load of 101st which landed there July 29th. 1965. Attaching a scan of my DD-214 and a photo of me taken in September of 1964 before my 14th parachute jump at Campbell. Funny was never on a plane until my first jump in Jump School, didn't land with a plane until after my 7th.

Best regards,

John Pagel

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David Estes

I served as a grunt with the 25th and 101st Airborne divisions in Vietnam in 1971. I live in Normal IL now, but work 3 days a week at a museum founded by my father - The Livingston County War Museum in Pontiac IL. We have exhibits from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our blog is:

www.warmuseum.blogspot.com

We have a lot of photos and articles about the museum on it. We also have a Facebook page under "Livingston County War Museum". Please check it out and become a friend of the museum.

Hope you will be able to visit our museum. Please contact me before you visit, and I'll be sure to be there to show you around.

Sincerely,
David Estes
Education Director
Livingston County war Museum
Dal Estes Education Center
Pontiac IL
email: lcwarmuseum@yahoo.com
museum: (815) 842-0301

John Nielsen June 66 Army

I joined Air Force ROTC when I started at IIT in 1966. After a year, the AF gave me a scholarship, and as part of that I had to enlist. Unfortunately after my sophomore year I had to attend a training camp where my temper and big mouth got the better of me and I told a real AF Major to do something impossible. Oops. There went the scholarship, but fortunately they chose to discharge me, rather than keep me as an Airman Basic for the next 8 years. My military career resumed when I was (un)lucky enough to get number 34 in the first draft lottery. I tried for a deferment, but the government seemed to get rid of them as fast I qualified. I was even certified to teach K – 8 in Chicago – there are generations of kids who should be grateful that deferment was removed. I passed the Navy’s OCS test, but when they wouldn’t send me to nuclear power school because of my vision. I turned down the opportunity to spend 6 years installing engines in ships and enlisted in the Army to play trombone in the 5^th Army band at Ft. Sheridan. I went to basic at Ft. Lewis WA in August 1970 and somewhere in there the 5^th Army band was dissolved. I got out of basic late because I came down with pneumonia, and then was sent to the Navy’s music school in Little Creek, VA.

I think music school was a 4 month gig after which my first duty assignment was at Ft. Rucker, AL near Dothan, AL where they have a statue of a boll weevil in the middle of town. Rucker was the Army’s primary helicopter training base and mostly the band played graduation ceremonies. Not that anyone could hear us with a bunch of helicopters flying overhead. The trumpeters also played a lot of funerals since the trainees didn’t always do so well learning to fly in formation at night. Rucker was my least favorite assignment given the weather, bugs, etc.

In January 1972 I was sent to Germany to join the band at the Berlin Brigade stationed in the area called Lichterfeld in Berlin. The assignment there was great, even though our band leader (WO3 Howard W. Vivian) was certifiable. He’d served in Vietnam and was afraid his troops were going to frag him. He spent the majority of his time hiding in his office. I got to see the Berlin Philharmonic several times and attended opera’s in both West and East Berlin. In Berlin we practiced once a month for a Russian invasion. The band’s job was to guard the general’s plane at Templehof so he could escape. Yeah, right.

Around January, 1973 I was transferred to the 8^thInfantry Division band in Bad Kreutznach. That was by far the best duty assignment. We played lots of gigs for the public (beer festivals, military band festivals, the Fasching (Mardi Gras) parade in Mainz). I got out in August 1973, spent a year at Western Illinois University getting a Business degree and have been in California ever since.

Jack Barber Jan 66 Navy

I was on the USS Bradley, DE-1041 from 71 to 74. We deployed in November 1972 and returned in June 1973. We did gunfire support up in I Corps area, did plane guarding with USS Ranger and Enterprise ( I think) on Yankee Station and also did Search and Rescue (SAR) with one of the DLGs off Haiphong. We were actually on the gunline when the ceasefire was declared . We also went over again in April 1974 to act as escort for the ongoing mine sweeping ops in the north gulf, but I got off in May and went to the east coast for my next (last) assignment with the Naval Audit Service. I was Disbursing Officer on the first cruise and was Supply Officer when we did the second.

Bob Glines Jan 66

I went into the Navy in 1967 to Squadron VP-31 anti-submarine hunters. I was stationed in Moffet field Ca.for about 1-1/2 yrs training then deployed to the Philippines, (Subic Bay) from there I went to Vietnam and we flew missions all over taking pictures for the bombers... I was now in VP-46,and was a 3rd class aviation machinist mate who worked on the jet engines,and was aft observer in this 4 engine plane with no glide path at all..... It could fly on 1 engine if it was inboard.... other than that nothing out of the ordinary, fell off the roof during a mortar attack,landed on a guy with a 45 in his hand,he broke the fall nicely.but he almost shot me....I spent the end of my Navy air days in Guam,counting my days to discharge by learning how to ride a uni-cycle,that damn near killed me..... Not real exciting but I made it back to home....all 170 Pd' s of me. Thanks Bob Glines.

Charles Horne

I was in the U. S. Air Force from August, 1966 thru May, 1970. I was stationed in Okinawa, Minot, ND, Nha Trang RVN and last base was DaNang, RVN. My excitement was personnel data systems and in/out processing. I got out of the Air Force as an E-5 (SSgt).

I will try to forward pics and more to you shortly, need to find some for you.

Charles Horne, MBACPM, PCAM, CTC, MCC

Craig Hullinger Jan 66 Marines

I served with the Marine Corps on active duty from 1966 to 1971. Duty stations included Parris Island, SC, 29 Palms, CA, Yuma, AZ, and Quantico, VA. I went to boot camp in 1967 and OCS in 1969. I spent 18 months in Vietnam first with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and then with 1st Marine Division. I served 28 more years in the Marine Reserves. I am now in the Retired Reserve. My much longer story at:

hullingermarine.blogspot.com

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Mike Richards graduated from MPHS in 1964. He was in Vietnam in 1970 as a chaplain’s assistant. He was on the MPHS swim team.

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David G. Stankow, MPHS Jan. '61
Lieutenant Colonel, RET, USA

Just discovered your page on the internet. Would like to be included on the Veteran List, even though I did my active duty in Upstate New York and Europe.

I was commissioned in the Army Ordnance Corps in June, 1965, and served at Seneca Army Depot, Romulus, New York; then in Greece, in and around Athens; then in Vicenza in Northern Italy.

Stayed in the Reserve through law school, then was reappointed to the Judge Advocate General's Corps. I was transferred to the Retired Reserve in 1993 as a Lieutenant Colonel, then retired fully in March 2003.

I cannot think of anyone else from '61 that I know about, except Donald Boardman, who served in the Army Signal Corps in Vietnam, and got out after his commitment as a Lieutenant. Don't have any more details.

Thanks for putting this together.

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Gary Underiner MPHS June 66

I was drafted in July, 1968. I spent my first year in the Army stateside, training and attending Non-Commissioned Officers Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. I deployed to Vietnam in July, 1969. I served with A Company, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade as a platoon sergeant for 7 months and later as a platoon leader of a heavy weapons platoon for my remaining five months in country. I returned home in July, 1970.

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Charles Van Liere