PC Kenneth Balogh

United States Air Force

Sergeant (E-4)

Active Duty – August 1978 (age 18) – 4 years

• 58th Combat Support Group: Luke AFB, Glendale, AZ

My role was in support of the training and reassignment of many new F-15 pilots around the world as we phased out the F4 phantoms after Vietnam. 

As part of the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing under the Tactical Air Command at Luke AFB, Arizona, the unit trained pilots in the F-100 Super Sabre and A-7D Corsair II. In addition to American pilots, German pilots were trained in the F-104G Starfighter, and other Allied pilots received training in the F-5 Freedom Fighter.

In 1971, the wing became the primary training unit for the F-4 Phantom II. It received its first F-15 Eagle in November 1974, with President Gerald Ford leading the welcoming committee. On April 1, 1977, we graduated the last F-4 class and officially became the primary training location for the new F-15 Eagle.

After my service ended on August 10, 1979, the unit received its first F-16 Fighting Falcon on December 6, 1982. This is the aircraft still flown today by the USAF Thunderbirds.

PC Thomas Barton

United States Navy

Lieutenant

Active Duty & Reserves – August 1967 (age 22) - 9 years

• Shipboard: USS Strong DD-758  (Charleston, SC)
• Communication and Navigation Officer Deployments to South Pacific, North Atlantic and Caribbean
• No combat zone deployment

Served as primary pick-up ship if Apollo 11 mission had been aborted.
Served as Commanding Officer of DESRON 105 in Cleveland, a Destroyer Ready Reserve Unit from 1970 to 1976.

Military service matured me quickly and positioned me well for leadership roles in business throughout my working life.

Kermit Beckmann

United States Air Force

Staff Sergeant E5

March 1970 (age 20)

• 171st Air Refueling Wing Pa Air National Guard

The Air Force taught me discipline which made my business career very successful. I loved my service and would have stayed in, but I was doing too much traveling for my job.

Warren M. Black

United States Navy

Machinist Mate First Class

Active Duty & Reserves – March 1953 (age 19) - 8 years

• 1953
  • Great Lakes, Illinois: Boot Camp, Machinist Mate
  • Norfolk, Virginia: USS Marquette AKA95 - Amphibious Forces
  • Vieques, Puerto Rico: Amphibious Landing Exercises
• 1954  
  • Mediterranean 6th Fleet - Homeport Naples, Italy
  • Visited Algeria, Sardinia, France, Spain, Malta, Greece, Turkey
  • Return to Norfolk, Virginia
  • Transfer to USS Oak Hill LSD7
• 1955
  • Visited Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
  • Transitted the Panama Canal
  • Visited Acapulco, Mexico
  • New Home Port: San Diego, California
  • Deployed to Yokosuka, Japan: US 7th Fleet
  • Stopped in Hawaii
  • Visited Philippines, Okinawa, Hong Kong
  • Returned to San Diego
• 1956
  • Shipyard in Oakland, California (3 months)
  • Return to Yokosuka, Japan non-stop
  • Visited Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines
  • Took longest trip to Persian Gulf with brief stop in Borneo
• 1957
  • Return to Yokosuka, Japan with stops in Pakistan, Ceylon, India, Singapore and Hong Kong
  • Transferred to USS Cape Esperance CVA for return to USA
  • Discharged at San Francisco, California

• Sea Miles in 4 years approximately 112,000 miles

It was a sacred duty and a wonderful addition to my education. Managing 22 engine room personnel at age 22.

Ronald Busch

United States Army

Specialist 3rd Class

Active Duty – January 1955 (age 18)

• 82nd Airborne Division
  • Ft Benning  
  • FT Carson

Our Master Sergeant was very good.

Brad Copper

United States Coast Guard

E4

Active Duty – September 1970 (age 17) - 4 years

• USCG Cutter Bramble, Detroit Michigan
• ET School, Governors Island NY and LaPush Washington

 

Rick Fryan

United States Army

E-4 Specialist

Active Duty – August 1983 (age 18) - 3 years

• 154th Signal Battalion
  • Ft.Jackson SC 
  • Ft Gordon GA
  • Ft Hood TX
  • Ft Clayton Panama

The Military is a great place to start your career, even if it's only 3-4 years. A great experience for ALL Americans.

PC John Gallagher

United States Naval Air Reservist  (domestic service)

 

Active Guard Reserve – 1950-1954  (age 20)

• Anacostia Airfield (Washington DC)   During the Korean War, John served as a reservist radio/communication operator accompanying pilots during their training missions.  During this period, John flew every weekend for almost two years.
   
• Naval Blimps – while serving in Akron, Ohio, John participated in training missions along the east coast, including Lakehurst, New Jersey.   His training involved simulated bombing runs over the Chesapeake Bay, where large bags of flour were used to mark the accuracy by the plume of white powder. The missions were part of an effort to target submarines, like German U-boat submarines, which had sunk over 50 tankers less than fifty miles off Baltimore harbor during World War II.

Scott Goodhue

United States Air Force

First Lieutenant USAF Reserves

Active Duty & Reserves – September 1981 (age 22) - 10 years

• Williams AFB, Chandler AZ
• Mather AFB. Sacramento, CA

My duty to carry on the family tradition that started with my paternal Great-Grandfather who at age 15 in 1775 answered the call to arms at Lexington Concord with the Westford Foot Militia and has now ended with my service. If we want to maintain a free nation and repel tyrants we need young men and women to stand watch willing to give their life if necessary. Those youngsters are a special breed. 

Brian Lake

United States Air Force

Lieutenant Colonel

Active Duty & Reserves – June, 1982 (age 21) - 23 years

• Pope AFB, NC -  39thTactical Airlift Squadron 
• Youngstown ARB - 757th Airlift Squadron
• Mansfield ANGB - 164th Airlift Squadron
• Served worldwide. 2 tours Iraq, 2 tours Afghanistan

It was my honor and privilege to serve. I have been rewarded far more than I ever gave. Please think of the men and women serving now, and always remember the fallen.
 

PC J. Michael Logsdon

United States Army

Sergeant E-5

Active Duty & Reserves – August, 1968, (age 23) - 6 years

• 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd battalion/12th Cavalry
• Fort Knox, Fort Polk, deployment to Vietnam (January 1969 — April 1970)
• South Vietnam, bases:
  • Four Fire Support Bases
  • Two Field Landing Zones

Our training at Fort Polk, in the swamps of Louisiana, prepared us for front-line infantry duties. We deployed as infantry, but through many prayers, I was reassigned to handle forward personnel issues. I looked forward to the challenge of every helicopter mission but not so much our overnight firebase perimeter guard, especially the nightly incoming enemy mortars and unpredictable terrifying direct combat.

I am very proud to have served my country and appreciate the self-discipline and the ability to stay calm under pressure that military service has given me. Leadership skills and life-long friendships followed. It has been a privilege to mentor my adopted grandson Tim Campbell, an MHYC employee and now my military brother, as he achieves notable success in the U.S. Marine Corps. It’s every young person’s duty to serve his/her country.

Most importantly,

• I don’t take flush toilets for granted,
• I don’t take warm showers for granted,
• And I don’t take life for granted.

PC Dr. James Macy

United States Navy

Lieutenant

Active Duty – June 1972, (age 25) - 2 years

• U.S. Marine Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina

Parris Island was considered a "remote" duty station and as a consequence we worked on dependents and retired military as well as recruits. I saw more dental problems in those two years than I have seen in these last fifty years of practice. The experience was invaluable. Upon graduation from Dental School I still had much to learn. The military provided the answer. Two years of military service for all able-bodied individuals would do much to solve our problems today!

Skip Martin

United States Army National Guard

Specialist 5th Class

Active Guard Reserve – June, 1965, (age 23) - 6 years

• Cleveland, OH
• Philadelphia, PA

I proudly enlisted in the Army National Guard in June 1965, shortly after earning my college degree. Following basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, I completed Advanced Individual Training (AIT) as a medic at the renowned Fort Sam Houston in Texas.

My service took me to Philadelphia, PA, and Cleveland, OH, where I carried out critical medical responsibilities, including administering physical examinations, providing vaccinations, and supporting the overall health and readiness of our troops. In response to nationwide unrest, I was activated to assist in containing anti-war demonstrations at college campuses and other key locations, upholding order during a turbulent era in American history.

While stationed in Cleveland, I was further mobilized to assist in local hospitals, where I provided medical care to returning soldiers wounded in Vietnam, an experience that deepened my commitment to service and compassion under pressure.

I concluded my honorable service in June 1971, discharged with the rank of Specialist 5th Class.

Kyle Petersen

United States Marine Corps Reserve

E4

Active Duty – July 2008 - (age 19) - 4 years

• 3rd BN, 25th Marines - Marjah, Afghanistan

 One of my favorite quotes perfectly represents the way I feel and felt about my service. “To those who have fought for it, freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know."

Jose Rivera

United States Army

Lieutenant Colonel

Active Duty & Reserves – July, 2001 (age 18) - 20 years

• USMA West Point
• Fort Knox KY
• Fort Stewart GA
• Baghdad Iraq (Combat Deployment)
• MacDill AFB FL
• Riyadh Saudi Arabia

I am very blessed to have served alongside men and women who share a commitment to selfless service, love of country, and an unwavering commitment to duty.  One of my favorite maximums in the Army is “Mission First, Soldiers Always.”  It is a meaningful reminder of the Army’s leadership style that understands that Soldiers, not equipment or battle plans, are the singular factor that makes victory possible on the battlefield.  God Bless the Army and America. 

Robert Schaefer

United States Air Force

Airman 2nd Class

Active Duty & Reserves – June 1960 (age 21) – 6 years

• Akron Airport 2 years,
• Minneapolis Airport Air Guard 10 months,
• Youngstown Air Reserve 2 years,
• Balance of time inacitive reserve

 

Christopher Shick

United States Air Force

Senior Airman

Active Duty – August 1974 (age 23) – 6 years

• 9th Tactical Intelligence Squadron, Langley AFB

 

Richard Shook

United States Navy

Operations Specialist 1st Class (E-6)

Active Duty & Reserves – January 1979 (age 19) – 17 years

• Shore Stations:  San Diego, CA, Great Lakes, IL, Dam Neck, VA
• Shipboard: USS Blandy DD 943 (Norfolk, VA)
• Reserves: US Naval Control of Shipping Organization (Treasure Island, CA)

I am proud to have served my country with honor and dignity.  Beyond my technical & leadership training, I learned discipline, accountability, teamwork, and the true value of service. The experiences I gained, both challenging and rewarding, shaped me into a stronger, more resilient person. I carry with me not just the skills, but the lifelong bonds and a sense of purpose that continue to guide me long after my time in uniform.

Dr. Don Spaner

United States Coast Guard and United States Army

Colonel

Active Duty & Reserves – July 1978 - (age 18) - 41 years

• Afghanistan
• Iraq (two tours)
• Africa
• Japan

I was blessed to serve in areas that truly needed our help and they were grateful that we were there. My advice to a young person who is thinking of serving in a war zone. Find a battle buddy who has your back and you have theirs. Difficult war zones are tolerable when you are around troops that care for each other. Serve proudly, always do the right thing and lead by example. 
 

Charles M Stephenson

United States Navy

Lieutenant

Active Duty – July 1969 (age 22) - 4 years

• Home Port: Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, Norfolk Virginia - Amphibious Construction Battalion Two
• Deployments:
  • USS Newport LST 1179
  • USS Terrebonne Parish LST 1156

It was an honor to serve our country. The people that I met and served with were outstanding people from all over the country from every background imageable. Since one is isolated from one's family while deployed, I came to recognized that the spouses and families of service members "Also Serve". The Navy was like graduate school for me, in that the Navy teaches one extensive leadership skills at an early age, well ahead of what would experience in civilian life.