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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.
