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Ken Loveless, U.S. Army, Viet Nam (Interviewed Feb. 15, 2008) Once you hear the story of College Station’s Ken Loveless you will say that it's a miracle that he's here to talk to us at all. Col. Loveless flew choppers in Vietnam, attack helicopters. And he can count at least five times in his career that he crashed, the first time he should not have survived. A helicopter pilot for Gen. Westmoreland and Gen. Abrams in Vietnam, his history of service is indeed an amazing one to hear.
Ken Loveless, U.S. Army, Viet Nam (Interviewed Feb. 15, 2008) Once you hear the story of College Station’s Ken Loveless you will say that it's a miracle that he's here to talk to us at all. Col. Loveless flew choppers in Vietnam, attack helicopters. And he can count at least five times in his career that he crashed, the first time he should not have survived. A helicopter pilot for Gen. Westmoreland and Gen. Abrams in Vietnam, his history of service is indeed an amazing one to hear.
Lannes Hope, U.S. Army, WW II (Interviewed Oct. 26, 2005) Col. Lannes Hope did not land on Omaha Beach on D-Day, but he watched he watched it happen from off-shore that day. The next day, June 7, 1944, (D+1), his unit brought the first tanks to Normandy. An eyewitness to what Hollywood called “The Longest Day” and an eyewitness to the horror of death the invasion left behind. A west Texas boy and a musician and a member of the Texas Tech band of the 1940’s.
Larry Stewart, U.S. Navy, Vietnam (A&M Class of ‘65) (Interviewed Sept. 8, 2009) Most local folks know Larry Stewart today for his public service as a member of the College Station City Council. But long before he ever even thought about entering local politics, he served 20 years in the U.S. Navy as a Pilot, most of those years flying the P-3 Patrol Plane. A 1965 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, the first six months of his service was flying missions out of the Philippines to Vietnam during the war. The remaining 19-plus years sent him most anywhere there was an 8,000-foot runway. He spent 2 1/2 years based on the carrier USS Lexington. “The Lex” as it’s well-known today to many a tourist to the Corpus Christi Bay area. It’s a fascinating military career.
Lawrence DeZavala, U.S. Air Force, WW II (Interviewed June 21, 2007) The path that Lawrence DeZavala took from his birthplace in Louisiana to his vineyards near New Baden, Tx included three years of service as a radio operator/gunner, flying some 21 combat missions with the Air Force’s 379th Bomber Group. Their mission aboard their B-24 was to take out rail yards and bridges in Austria and other positions near the war’s in. He counts himself lucky to have returned uninjured and counts himself even more fortunate to have lived the life he has. He and his wife Rachel own and operate DeZavala Vineyard where some of the tastiest blackberries, blueberries and raspberries can be picked.
Lee McClesky, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed April 24, 2008) Lee McClesky entered the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1956, came out in 1961 and immediately went to flight training school in Georgia. He was a flight instructor, teaching T-37 & T-38. He flew the A-26 Air Commando in Vietnam, assigned to truck killing missions on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in Laos. His most memorable flight came on 22 Feb 1967.
Leroy Balmain, Merchant Marines/Air Force, WW II/Korea (Interviewed March 17, 2011) Leroy Balmain was in boot camp at Catalena Island when the Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. As a Merchant Marine and later in the Air Force, he did not see combat duty but served his country first as a fireman aboard the SS Alfred C. True and then eventually as an Administrative Supervisor. He and his wife Marita were married in 1946 and his assignments took them from Alaska to Topeka to Alabama to Washington DC to Shreveport to the Philippines and finally back to the States and in 1972 to Bryan, where he served four years as an Air Force Recruiter. After he retired from the service, he spent 19 years as Executive Director for the Better Business Bureau here. So you see his entire adult life has been one of service.
LeRoy Schoenemann, Army Air Corps, WW II (Interviewed Oct.9, 2008) After Leroy Schoenemann graduated from Snook High School in 1941 his first stop, Guadalcanal, as a member of the 64th Troop Carrier Wing piloting C-47s just about everywhere and carrying just about everything. He eventually went from C-47s to B-47s and that was quite a leap. After World War II he was reactivated and spent most of the Korean War at a lonely outpost in Libya. Here is Lt. Col. Leroy Schoenemann.
Louis Hudson, U.S. Army, World War II (A&M Class of '44) (Interviewed Nov. 15, 2005) Texas A&M sophomore Louis Hudson was sitting in the campus theater when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Indeed the theater manager came out to tell the patrons about the attack that started the U.S. involvement in World War II. Louis Hudson was a paratrooper who got his training at Fort Benning, Georgia. His career included jumping over the lines during Normandy into St Mere Eglise and later as a paratrooper, part of the US mission Operations Market Garden. His is truly a remarkable story.
Mark White, U.S. Army, Iraq (A&M Class of 2003) (Interviewed December 4, 2008) Mark White was deployed in Iraq as a member of Alpha Company 111th Engineer Battalion. His job was security, as he helped arrange and provide security for visiting government officials, Presidents, and even Hollywood stars. The detail involved in these visits will surprise people. It was his job to make sure the visits went smoothly.
Mike Guidry, Navy Seabees, Iraq (Interviewed Aug. 6, 2006) Mike Guidry was a proud member of the 28th Seabees, He initially spent 6 months in Fallujah in Iraq, attached to the 2nd Marines Expeditionary Force. As a Seabee, he helped build things to help fight the war on terror. We did three shows with Mike Guidry, the second and third featuring his own videos he made to show the work of his unit in Iraq.
Mike Guidry, Navy Seabees, Iraq (Interviewed Aug. 6, 2006) Mike Guidry was a proud member of the 28th Seabees, He initially spent 6 months in Fallujah in Iraq, attached to the 2nd Marines Expeditionary Force. As a Seabee, he helped build things to help fight the war on terror. We did three shows with Mike Guidry, the second and third featuring his own videos he made to show the work of his unit in Iraq.
Mike Guidry, Navy Seabees, Iraq (Interviewed Aug. 6, 2006) Mike Guidry was a proud member of the 28th Seabees, He initially spent 6 months in Fallujah in Iraq, attached to the 2nd Marines Expeditionary Force. As a Seabee, he helped build things to help fight the war on terror. We did three shows with Mike Guidry, the second and third featuring his own videos he made to show the work of his unit in Iraq.
Mike Jarvis, U.S. Army, Iraq (A&M Class of 2006) (Interviewed Nov. 2, 2005) Mike Jarvis, with the Texas A&M Veterans Association, talks about what Texas A&M does for its students who have served and are returning for their education, or are about to start service. Jarvis served in Germany and Bosnia in the mid-90s as a combat engineer. He blew stuff up and built robots that did it. He started his service at the age of 17.
Mike Sherman, A&M Head Football Coach, Iraq Trip (Interviewed July 20, 2010) This is indeed a special Veterans of the Valley because instead of visiting with a Veteran, Aggie Head Football Coach Mike Sherman and I are going to talk about those who are serving our country right now. In May, Coach Sherman, with the tremendous help of the Aggie Network, had the opportunity to visit Iraq to see first hand the work of the brave men and women there; and to get a personal view of the day-to-day challenges they endure while proudly wearing American military uniforms. And as you can guess, he met with plenty of Aggies on his 6-day stay that took him from Kuwait to Camp Adder, to Camp Victory, to Camp Prosperity. As he wrote in his journal, he discovered the outstanding leadership we have in Iraq, the horrible quality of life the Iraqi people endured for so many years under Saddam Hussein, the passion that our military have for their job and their service, and the passion that they have for football.
Mike Southerland, U.S. Army, Vietnam (Interviewed Jan. 26, 2011) The Brazos Valley and particularly residents of Bryan know Mike Southerland for his service on the Bryan City Council since 2006. Many others though know of his 22 1/2 years of military service in the U.S. Army. One year of that, from Feb 1969 to Feb 1970, was spent as a chopper Pilot in Vietnam, flying some 900 hours of mainly what they called Ash and Trash missions between Chu-Li and 80 miles south of Da Nang. There are some stories to tell of reconnaissance, transport and occasional assault. After Viet Nam, Mike Southerland spent another 19 years in uniform, ending his military career stationed at Bryan’s 420th Engineering Brigade, under General Al Jones.
Noble Goza, U.S. Marines, WW II (Interviewed July 15, 2010) Noble Goza is a World War II Veteran for sure, although by the time he was drafted in 1945, little did he know that the war was about to end. His 4th Marines Division has been sent to Maui as replacement troops for the 4th Marines survivors returning from Iwo Jima. While training for what everyone figured would be a ground war with Japan, the bomb was dropped -- and soon after, the war was over. He spent another year in Hawaii and soon was discharged thinking he’d never ever see combat. He was quite wrong. Fast forward to 1950 when then Marine reserve Noble Goza was re-deployed, this time the fast track to Korea, were he was on an LST to the Cliffs at Inchon. Then later to North Korea where his 7th Marines Division was on its way to the Chosin Reservoir when he was wounded and his military service came to a quicker than expected end. His is a fascinating story of service in two wars.
Norman Beal, U.S. Marines, Korea (Interviewed Oct. 29, 2009) Some call it the forgotten war, but Norman Beal of rural Brazos County has not forgotten a thing about his 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines assault on the Korean coast in 1950. Nor has he forgotten the horror in the cold of that winter, scaling the cliffs at the beaches of Incheon, nor the card game that kept him in Korea to fight even longer. The Korean war cost 54,000 American lives and another 8000 were missing and Norman Beal counts himself very lucky to have survived to tell his story of service.
P.K. Carlton, U.S. Air Force, Pentagon on 9/11 (Interviewed Aug. 19, 2010) Lt. General P.K. Carlton Jr’s career of service in the United States Air Force is without doubt one of the most compelling and fascinating that we’ve ever had the honor to share on Veterans of the Valley and we will hear it over the next two editions of our show. The son of a World War II B-29 pilot who eventually commanded the Air Force’s Military Airlift, P.K. Carlton Jr. knew as early as age 8 that he wanted to be in the Air Force and wanted to fly. But a Depth Perception problem on his flight physical sent him on another path...medicine...surgery... and a career that placed him in a position to help create and implement changes that indeed have saved the lives of literally countless numbers of military personnel, indeed surgical methods and concepts that he and his teams have brought to exist, are saving lives right now in Afghanistan and Iraq. We sadly hear every day of the numbers who have died. You’re about to hear things you don’t know about the numbers who have lived. He is the former Surgeon General of the Air Force and since his retirement in the winter of 2002, General Carlton has been Director of Homeland Security for the Texas A&M Health Science Center.
Pat Patterson, U.S. Marines, Desert Storm (Interviewed March 29, 2006) Pat Patterson served as a Marine during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, but this show is about his work as a counselor for the Texas Veterans Commission. It’s his job to make veterans aware of the benefit available to them. He served 20 years in the Marine Corp. He was a warrant officer during Desert Storm. He crossed the border the day before the ground war started, giving support to the artillery, looking for gun positions.
Paul Stephens, Army Air Corps, WW II (Interviewed Sept. 20, 2006) Colonel Paul Stephens will never forget the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, the dawn of D-Day. Hours before sunrise and the beach invasion at Normandy, came the paratrooper drop behind the beaches between them the Americans and the British flew someone 1,000 transport planes and one of those was a C- 47 piloted by Colonel Stephens. Paul Stephen served his country as a flyer and for more than three years of his long service, witnessed the war in Europe from his cock pit. His is a fascinating story. Paul W. Stephens is A&M class of 1938.
Dr. Philip Alexander, Computer Artist (Interviewed July 19, 2007) College Station Physician Dr. Philip Alexander has a unique skill beyond health care. He’s an artist. Not with a palette and brush, but with a computer. And uses this unique talent to express his passion for the military and for veterans through his amazing art. This TV Show will exhibit many of his works.
R.F. “Sonny” Franze, U.S. Army, WW II (Interviewed June 22, 2005) “Sonny” Franze recalled well leaving his farm near Kurten and going into the Army -- learning to climb telephone poles and set communication wire and eventually taking that training across the North Atlantic to Europe front lines. He landed at Normandy on D+10 and that led to bravery that won him five Bronze Stars. He also saw the horror that his unit discovered at the concentration camp called Buchenwald.
Randy South, U.S. Marines, Gulf War (Interviewed April 20, 2005) January 16, 1991, is a day few of us should ever forget. We were glued to our televisions watching the invasion of Kuwait. It was the start of Operation Desert Storm and Randy South was there as a mortarman, with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines.
Ray Akins, U.S. Marines, WW II (Interviewed Oct. 8, 2009) Most every World War II Veteran counts themselves lucky to have survived to tell their story when so many did not. Ray Akins’ service came near the war’s end, but included 82 days fighting in the Pacific’s bloodiest battle... Okinawa. The battle that killed more than 12,000 Americans and left another 36,000 wounded. As a member of a special weapons unit in the 1st Marine Division, his was the third wave to storm the beach that April 1st, 1945. Okinawa was to be a main staging area for the ground assault on Japan that never happened because of the dropping of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Here are some of Ray Akins’ war Stories, but some of his stories of a legendary 38-year high school football coaching career, one that produced a quarterback named Marty Akins who went on to run Darrell Royal’s wishbone attack at Texas. And he’ll talk about Ray Akins, the proud Grandfather of another quarterback you may recognize... a fella named Drew Brees.
Ray Akins, U.S. Marines, WW II (Interviewed Oct. 8, 2009) Most every World War II Veteran counts themselves lucky to have survived to tell their story when so many did not. Ray Akins’ service came near the war’s end, but included 82 days fighting in the Pacific’s bloodiest battle... Okinawa. The battle that killed more than 12,000 Americans and left another 36,000 wounded. As a member of a special weapons unit in the 1st Marine Division, his was the third wave to storm the beach that April 1st, 1945. Okinawa was to be a main staging area for the ground assault on Japan that never happened because of the dropping of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Here are some of Ray Akins’ war Stories, but some of his stories of a legendary 38-year high school football coaching career, one that produced a quarterback named Marty Akins who went on to run Darrell Royal’s wishbone attack at Texas. And he’ll talk about Ray Akins, the proud Grandfather of another quarterback you may recognize... a fella named Drew Brees.
Ray Valigura, U.S. Army, WW II (Interviewed March 8,2006) As a machine gunner with the 86th Blackhawk division in Europe, Ray Valigura of Bryan bravely fought in World War II. After the end of the war he saw the horror of World War II up close. While his memories of the war include the camaraderie of the 86th, they just as sharply focused on the remains of the concentration camps and POW camp's his unit helped liberate. He'll tell you that as a youth he didn't much think about it but today his recollections flood back. Assigned to Gen. Patton's third Army in his march through Europe, the 86th Blackhawks was the first unit that returned home after the war in tact. Ray is a retired Texas A&M worker of nearly 30 years. He and his wife Jean lived in Bryan.
Raymond Schultz, U.S. Army, WW II (Interviewed July 13, 2005) There was a common thread among veterans that runs particularly through those we call the greatest generation, following their brave service to our country came a long career of labor, supporting their families, earning their retirement. For 25 years, Bryan's Raymond Schultz was a plumber at Texas A&M until his retirement in 1985. We salute those years of his youth, when as a member of the 547th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapon Battalion, he found himself on the final march through Europe, attached to and following behind Gen. George S Patton. Yes, whether it was in the movies or old newsreels, we all are familiar with Patton's 'blood and guts' speeches to his troops as he led the 3rd Army in that final push. Sgt. Raymond Schultz was there listening. It's just one of his memories of his nearly 4 years of service in the United States Army.
Rene Ramirez, Marines, Iraq (Interviewed Dec. 2, 2009) Rene Ramirez served as a 26-year Marine in Norway, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was a radio operator in communications with a tank battalion and the USS Guam. This show focused on his work with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Texas Veterans Commission. He helps operate the College Station Outpatient Clinic for Veterans.
Dr. Rex Davis, Navy, Air Force, Army, WW II (Interviewed Feb. 18, 2010) Dr. Rex Davis tells an incredible story of service that includes action in both World War II, where he was aboard an LCS during the invasion of Okinawa, and later his service as a medical doctor in Viet Nam. He served in the Navy, the Air Force and the Army. Between World War II and Nam he returned home to Gidding, Texas, finished high school, college and med school before starting his career as a doctor. An accomplished writer, Dr. Davis has penned many of his accounts of service in the form of fascinating short stories. We will read from some of those as we visit with Dr. Rex Davis.
Rich Thomas, U.S. Navy, Korea (Interviewed April 12,2006) Rich Thomas of College Station will talk about the Destroyer USS Leonard F. Mason as if it's a family member and why not? It was his home for four years during his service as a Navy sailor during the Korean War. He found the fast track to combat, just three months after joining the Navy at age 17, the Mason was on the receiving end of a Korean offensive, of the Eastern shore of the country at Wonton Harbor. It was a quick introduction to war. He knows he was luckier than many others to have survived the conflict.
Richard Richardson, U.S. Army, WW II (Interviewed Dec.10, 2009) Richard Richardson of Bryan tells an impressive story of his short time in Europe during World War II, near the end of that campaign in 1945. He talks about that and his training in Triple A (Anti Aircraft Artillery). He was stationed at Camp Wallace in Galveston County when Pearl Harbor was attacked, even shipped to California in case the Japanese attacked the mainland. He arrived in Europe too late to experience combat but served his country proudly. Even at age 95, Richard enjoyed a round of golf twice a week and regularly shot his age or lower.
Rick Oliveras, Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed March 1, 2005) Rick Oliveras was involved in intelligence during the Vietnam war. He specialized in photo intelligence interpretation. Rick Oliveras is a long time officer and supporter of the VFW post in Bryan Texas.
Robert Fliedner, U.S. Army, WW II (Interviewed Oct. 22, 2009) Robert Fliedner had pretty much decided that the Army didn't want him after his high school graduation in 1940. He had tried to enlist twice but poor eyesight disqualified him both times. But then after the US got involved in World War II, after Pearl Harbor, his eyesight must have improved because he was drafted. First assigned to limited service, then General service and then to duty in both the European and Pacific theaters of the war, Robert Fliedner built stuff -- camps for incoming inventory, sewer lines for those camps, tank farms to store gasoline, and he maintained gasoline pump stations that pumped fuel to the front lines. His overseas duty started in England, then landing in Normandy at Utah Beach, and it ended more than two years later at Bataan, in the Pacific.
Ron Lewis, U.S. Army, Vietnam (A&M Class of ‘64) (Interviewed June 30, 2005) Captain Ron Lewis served his country as a helicopter pilot, assigned to lift duty for Cav One in Vietnam. His ship flew low and fast over the jungles, setting down in landing zones that barely existed-- dropping soldiers and picking up soldiers, hopefully alive, but many times not.
Dr. Scott Reynolds, Army/Navy, Korea/Viet Nam (A&M Class of 1958) (Interviewed October 25, 2006) He is known as “Dr. Scotty” in books he has written about animal care. Dr. Scott Reynolds served in the Navy and then 14 years in the Army where he was an Army Veterinarian. He served in Guam and Korea. He has worked as an actor and done some 20 television commercials.
Spec Gammon, U.S. Army, World War II (Interviewed June 1, 2005) Army Infantry Tech Sergeant Spec Gammon was the long-time Sports Information Director at Texas A&M, but long before that, he fought as an Army Infantry soldier in World War II in Europe. He was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge. He speaks highly of the British soldiers he met and people who endured so much destruction during the war, and he recalls the weather during the Bulge. “I’ve never been so cold in my life”, he says.
Taylor Riedel, Army Air Corp, World War II (A&M Class of 1944) (Interviewed October 25, 2007) Taylor Riedel served in the US Army Air Corp and flew 35 missions in a B-17 Bomber. He grew up in Yorktown, Texas, He was called to active duty in 1943. In 1944, he started his service in England flying B-17 bombing runs mostly over Germany. On his 32nd mission, his plane was hit by 88 millimeter anti-aircraft fire. He was a Principal and Superintendent for the A&M Consolidated ISD for 19 years.
Gen. Ted Hopgood, Marines, Vietnam (Interviewed Sept. 4, 2008) General Ted Hopgood’s 31-year career in the Marine Corps was followed by six years as Commandant of Cadets at Texas A&M. He had three tours of Vietnam, the first one with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines Kilo Company on the ground, in combat. One of his earliest battles was the most intense. His recollections of his career are vivid, especially his time in the National Military Command Center during the start of Operation Desert Storm.
Gen. Ted Hopgood, Marines, Vietnam (Interviewed Sept. 4, 2008) General Ted Hopgood’s 31-year career in the Marine Corps was followed by six years as Commandant of Cadets at Texas A&M. He had three tours of Vietnam, the first one with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines Kilo Company on the ground, in combat. One of his earliest battles was the most intense. His recollections of his career are vivid, especially his time in the National Military Command Center during the start of Operation Desert Storm.
Terry Rosser, U.S. Army, Vietnam (A&M Class of ‘61) (Interviewed Aug.23, 2006) Terry Rosser not only served two tours of Vietnam but he also flew himself there. It was 74 hours and 10 stops along the way and that’s just one story he has to tell. Like most Purple Heart winners, he does not think it was that big a deal that he was wounded. What is a big deal to Terry Rosser is family and his Alma Mater Texas A&M, his faith and his friends.
Gen. Thomas Darling, Air Force, Vietnam (A&M Class of ‘54) (Interviewed Sept. 27, 2006) From the summer of 1987 to the summer of 1996, Major General Thomas G Darling served as Commandant of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. But his years of service to our country started long before that, 33 years before to be exact. As a member of the class of 1954 -- two months after graduation he was active-duty Air Force. He learned to fly and fly he did it, more than 7000 hours, 500 of those piloting the giant B-52 on some 46 combat missions in Vietnam.
Gen. Thomas Darling, Air Force, Vietnam (A&M Class of ‘54) (Interviewed Sept. 27, 2006) From the summer of 1987 to the summer of 1996, Major General Thomas G Darling served as Commandant of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. But his years of service to our country started long before that, 33 years before to be exact. As a member of the class of 1954 -- two months after graduation he was active-duty Air Force. He learned to fly and fly he did it, more than 7000 hours, 500 of those piloting the giant B-52 on some 46 combat missions in Vietnam.
Thomas Hatfield, Rudder Author (Interviewed March 4, 2011) It was natural that Thomas Hatfield would write the definitive biography of General Earl Rudder. Afterall, as a student he worked summers at the Texas Land Office when General Rudder was its commissioner and later served in an Army reserve unit that was under Rudder’s command. But that’s not why Thomas Hatfield wrote the book “Rudder: From Leader to Legend”. You see Thomas Hatfield is a life long educator and like General Rudder, was a college president and now is one of the foremost historians on World War II and military history. He is a senior research fellow at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas and is director of its Military History Institute.
Tom Browning, Army Military Police, WW II Interviewed Feb.1, 2006 As important as any military detail of World War II was the Military Police -- providing personal protection for those conducting the war, and from time to time dealing with those soldiers whose behavior might undermine the unity of a mission. Sergeant Tom Browning of Bryan was a member of one of the very first military police battalions of the US Army, as a member of the 503rd and 504th MPs, he was quickly promoted from PFC to Corporal, then to Sergeant then First Sergeant and as a result of his duty, was in December 1944, awarded the Bronze Star Medal for what his Captain called meritorious service in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States and France. Later, as a member of the 512th military police, Sergeant Browning was attached to General George Patton's 3rd Army.
Ty Newton, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed March 28, 2007) Ty Newton of College Station could have pursued a pro sports career if he hadn’t loved flying more than he loved baseball. He was pretty good at both but flying was in his blood. He was an instructor pilot both before and after his 4 1/2 years of service in Viet Nam, and even pulled duty as then Congressman Lyndon Johnson’s personal pilot in the late 50’s. Ty Newton flew C-130s during Viet Nam... at the time classified missions that included everything from re-supplying the Laotian Army to dropping flares for U.S. Fighters to better see their targets. It was a mission he could not talk about then, but can now.
Tyson Voelkel, U.S. Army, Iraq (A&M Class of ‘96) (Interviewed Oct. 10, 2005) Tyson Voelkel was a proud soldier of the 82nd Airborne, a graduate student at the George Bush School of Public Service, who also taught at West Point in 2007. It was a quick path from Texas A&M Corp of Cadet Commander to Iraq, Company A commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment. He was a paratrooper. His unit attached to the Army's 1st Armored Division, working for a time in the Al Rashid district of Baghdad. He was there for two tours.. Today Tyson Voelkel is the Executive Director of the Texas A&M foundation.
Vic Reid, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam (Interviewed April 13, 2005) June 18th, 1972 , as a member of the 16th Special Ops Squadron of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Royal Thai AFB in Thailand, Col. Vic Reid was flying his 44th Aerial Combat Mission over the A Shau Valley in South Viet Nam. That was also the first Father’s Day he would observe as a Dad. The celebration would have to wait and very nearly did not happen at all. It was the night his AC-130 Gunship’s wing was shot off. The next 18 hours, he’ll never forget.
W.S. Edmonds, U.S. Army, World War II (A&M Class of ‘38) (Interviewed June 8, 2005) World War II was won by men and women all pulling their weight, doing their job, whether was fighting on the front lines or serving in the chow lines. When Bryan’s W.S. Edmonds, A&M class of 1938, enlisted in 1942 (just two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor), he had field artillery in mind. He spent a lot of his time in the Army training ragtag replacements stateside for overseas duty. But when his branch’s orders were changed to postal duty in Louisiana, that was not how W.S. wanted to spend the war. If he was going to stay in the states, he wanted to be where the action was so he got himself transferred to Washington DC, the Pentagon, a part of the Army’s Courier Transport Service. It was mostly top secret and it had to get from one place to another, and W.S. Edmonds was one of the soldiers the Army depended on to get it there. He is a past commander of the American Legion and a member of the VFW.
Walter Cronin Jr., U.S. Army, Korea/Vietnam (Interviewed June 7, 2006) Walter Cronin was 16 years old when he graduated from high school but as you will find out, Colonel Cronin was on the fast track just about all his life, certainly during a distinguished military career that spanned 27 years, It was a career that sent him to service not only in the United States, but to Japan, Korea, Paris, London and Vietnam. He kept up with World War II as a schoolboy, joined the merchant Marines and then the Army in 1946. He was coming into military service just as the fighting was wrapping up in the Pacific. It's an intriguing story of service and we are proud to welcome Colonel Walter J Cronin Jr.
