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Bob Bruner, U.S. Army, Desert Storm (Interviewed Nov. 6, 2008) Four months may not seem like a long time to most of us, but for Bob Bruner of the 1st Squadron 4th Cavalry, US Army, the four months starting on New Year's Day of 1991 was a period in time he'll never forget. Bob Bruner drove a Hum-vee in Operation Desert Storm’s ground war and saw the war up close from start to finish. Yes his was his unit that took the airfield at Safwan, Iraq where the ceasefire was negotiated.
Bob Gallery, U.S. Army, WW II, (Interviewed July 21, 2010) Bob Gallery was just 17 years old in 1944 and didn’t know that he was about to take the fast track from his home in Saginaw, Michigan to a Foxhole on the front lines of the War in Europe. But that’s pretty much exactly what happened when he was drafted into the Army near war’s end. A 38-year resident of Bryan, Bob Gallery’s 99th Infantry saw conflict eyeball-to-eyeball as he puts it, and counts himself fortunate to have come home uninjured.. indeed to have come home at all, as so many who served did not.
Bob Middleton, U.S. Army, Korea (A&M Class of ‘51) (Interviewed Sept. 14, 2005) 2nd Lt. Bob Middleton is proud of his service in what’s sometimes called the “Forgotten War”. He was one of some 1900 Aggie who fought in the Korean War. 63 Aggies lost their lives. Bob took the fast track from A&M to the front lines at Heartbreak Ridge. That's where they did battle, mostly in the pitch dark of night, often in the snow. Bob Middleton left Korea with many memories of survival and with the Army’s Silver Star medal.
Bob Pardo, U. S. Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed April 27, 2005) Bob Pardo of College Station was an F4 Phantom pilot during the Vietnam war. He obviously has many stories to tell of his service. But the one story that stands above all is the story known as "Pardo's Push". Enough said. You can Google it or listen to him tell the story here. It is an incredible one.
Bob Spoede, U.S. Army, Vietnam (A&M Class of 1948) (Interviewed February 2, 2007) Bob Spoede is an author and a former A&M professor, and a Vietnam veteran. He was older than most, 38, when he first arrived in country. He served 18 months in the Marines and also served four years in Germany. He was inspired to serve after his brother died in a plane crash while serving as a Marine in 1943.
Bob Wilkinson, U.S. Air Force, Korea/Viet Nam (Interviewed Aug. 30, 2006) Colonel Bob Wilkinson caught the end of the Korean War and then three tours of Vietnam, flying both fixed wing and choppers as a United States Marine. But some of his most memorable stories come from the 32 weeks he served as a helicopter pilot for President and Mrs. Dwight Eisenhower, shuttling them mostly from the White House to the retreat named after their grandson, Camp David. His is a fascinating 28 year career of military service. Welcome Bobby Wilkinson.
Brent Mullins, Museum of the American GI, Collector (Interviewed Dec. 7, 2005) Brent Mullins is a collector and his collection of war and military memorabilia is vast. So vast in fact that it now fills a museum in South College Station called the “Museum of the American GI”. In addition to the show with Brent, is a second radio feature on Brent’s generous gift to friend and veteran Ed Eyre, a veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Brent took Ed back to Iwo Jima as a thank you for his service and for the volunteer work Ed did in restoring many of Brent’s vehicles and other war machines.
Brian Parker, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed Aug. 23, 2006) As a crew member of the AC-47, Brian Parker says he could not buy a drink anywhere while on active duty in Vietnam. You see AC-47s went about the business of saving lives and it was a pleasure for those survivors to pick up the tab. When ground troops were surrounded by the enemy, it was the AC-47 gunship that came to the rescue, lighting up the area with flares or bullets. Brian Parker was a navigator in Vietnam for 18 months, just part of his 20 years of military service.
C.O. Smith, U.S. Coast Guard, Korea (Interviewed March 5, 2009) C.O. Smith, Texas A&M Class of 1950, is proud of the role that the United States Coast Guard played in World War II. On board the Coast Guard Cutter Bramble, C.O. Smith spent 4 years at sea, almost making it to Europe before mechanical problems sent them to Puerto Rico to dry dock and then through the Panama Canal and to the Pacific and Alaska, where his crew supplied Navy Seabees who were building the Loran Stations.
Cal Boykin, U.S. Army, World War II (A&M Class of ‘46) (Interviewed June 7, 2007) Cal Boykin was a proud member of the 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion in World War II’s European Theater. He can best tell its story because he was an historian of his unit, as well as a gunner, aboard his M8 Armoured car, on recon duty mostly, patrolling the French roads behind Normandy, through Belgium and Holland and on to Germany. Cal Boykin’s story could not be told in just one Veterans of the Valley episode -- it took two.
Cal Boykin, U.S. Army, World War II (A&M Class of ‘46) (Interviewed June 7, 2007) Cal Boykin was a proud member of the 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion in World War II’s European Theater. He can best tell its story because he was an historian of his unit, as well as a gunner, aboard his M8 Armoured car, on recon duty mostly, patrolling the French roads behind Normandy, through Belgium and Holland and on to Germany. Cal Boykin’s story could not be told in just one Veterans of the Valley episode -- it took two.
Carl Huss, Army Air Corps, WW II (Interviewed June 4, 2009) Carl Huss joined the Army Air Corp before US involvement in World War II started with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was just looking to learn a trade, and indeed he did. As a radioman stationed first for nearly 3 years in Alaska, then in the Philippines near war’s end. He became pretty well versed in American- Russian relations during the War and that’s just a part of his fascinating story of service.
Charles Opersteny, Air Force, Korea (Interviewed Dec. 15, 2005) Charles Opersteny is one of the driving forces of the American Legion Post 159 in Bryan Texas. That is his passions in his post military career. He served at the old Bryan Air Force Base during the years of the Korean War.
Charles Smith, U.S. Army, Vietnam (Interviewed July 16, 2009) Charles Smith grew up in Bryan and graduated from E.A. Kemp in 1960. He served 20 years in the U.S. Army and 22 years with the Postal Service. In the Army between 1960 and 1981, He served one tour in Vietnam as a Recon Squad Leader but his duty was cut short by a bout with Malaria. He also served four tours in Germany and one in South Korea.
Chuck Sippial, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed March 25, 2010) Chuck Sippial has been a significant part of Texas A&M’s administrative family for some 15 years, as Vice President for Administration and more recently in charge of facilities, where he now works for the A&M System. The story you may not know is that of Colonel Chuck Sippial, United States Air Force officer for 22 years. It was a fascinating career that included a nine-month tour at Pleiku Air Base during the Vietnam War -- also two tours in Europe, first at Madrid, Spain and then later at Ramstein AFB in Germany. He served several stateside tours where his expertise and education as a Civil Engineer paved a path to both his military and civilian careers.
Claude Mounce, U.S. Navy, Cuban Missile Crisis (Interviewed April 5, 2006) October 18 to the 29th of 1962 was the Cuban missile crisis. Claude Mounce saw it up close and personal, but he'll tell you that at the time he had no idea it was such a big deal. As a pilot off a carrier that was part of the blockade, it was his job to fly the photographer to where the Russian ships were approaching. Photos were taken and sent back to Washington, where Pres. John Kennedy and his military advisers were convinced that the Soviets were planning to stockpile warhead missiles to bases in Cuba. It became one of the most critical political standoffs in our history.
Curtis Burns, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam (A&M Class of ‘52) (Interviewed Nov. 10, 2006) Major Curt Burns was an airman with plenty of passion and little fear. He grew up in a home about where G. Rollie White Coliseum once stood. He piloted five different jet fighters during his service in Europe and Vietnam. He spent 20 years as an Air Force pilot and logged more than 5,000 hours in the air. In retirement, he was the coach of A&M’s National Champion Pistol team.
Dale Jackson, U.S. Army, WW II (Interviewed Feb. 12, 2009) Soon after Dale Jackson entered the Army at Age 18, he was shipped off to Omaha, Nebraska for Ordnance Repair School, learning how to fix military equipment and vehicles. Just 15 months after he entered the service, on 6 June 1944, he would find himself at another Omaha -- Omaha Beach, part of the 3rd Wave at Normandy on D-Day. He recalls that historical event with amazing clarity because he was there, because he was wounded there, because he served there. He says he was there when General Eisenhower addressed the paratroopers the day before the invasion and indeed identifies himself in one of the War’s most famous photographs.
