HONORING OUR VFG VETERANS
U.S. ARMY

Felix Morales
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
TIME PERIOD: 1969-1970
FINAL RANK: Sergeant E-5
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam
OPERATION: Cliff Dweller

Robert R. Brown
BRANCH OF SERVICE: Army Infantry
TIME PERIOD: 1968-1971
FINAL RANK: 1st Lieutenant
CAMPAIGN: Airmobile Operations, 1970-1971 & Operation Lam Son 719 in Laos with American and ARVN troops

Herman Christensen
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
TIME PERIOD: 1966-1969
FINAL RANK: Staff Sergeant, E-6
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam
DETAILS: He enlisted and completed training and was deployed to Vietnam where he spent his time while working in the HHC, Headquarters of 12th Combat Aviation Group. He served under three different Colonel's and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant, E-6. He was there during the Tet Offensive while the Vietcong attacked from a compound named Widow's Village. He received the Bronze Star Medal and Good Conduct Medal for service.

Veronica Buddell
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
TIME PERIOD: 1991-1999
FINAL RANK: Sergeant (E5)

Adolph Garcia
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
TIME PERIOD: 1964-1967
FINAL RANK: E5

(in memory of) Thomas L. Allison
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
UNIT: First Infantry Division (the Big Red One)
TIME PERIOD: 1952-1954
FINAL RANK: Corporal
LOCATION: Wildlicker, Germany

Terrance Strouse
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
TIME PERIOD: 3 years, one month, 7 days
FINAL RANK: E5
DETAILS: Helicopter mechanic in the 159th Assault helicopter battalion of the 101 Airborn Division. Headquarters (Camp Eagle) located just South of the Former Imperial City of Hue near Phu Bai. Served in Vietnam from November 1968 through December 1969. I acted in support of all major campaigns in the I Corp area from Da Nang north to the North Vietnamese border

Gilmore Jones
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
TIME PERIOD: In those days you were drafted for a total of 8 years, 2 years active service and 6 years reserve which could be served either inactive or active. Drafted in 1953, entered service January 1954, separated January 1956, Specialist 3rd Class E-3
FINAL RANK: Honorable Discharge January 1962 Sargent 1st Class E-5
DETAILS: No Campaigns, but classified as Korean Veteran being as anyone in the service within two years after the armistice was sign in July 1953 were classified as such. Photo at Jump School Fort Bragg NC.

(in memory of) Harlow Hosford
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army, 2nd Divison, 23rd Regiment
FINAL RANK: 1st Lieutenant
DETAILS: TI&E Officer

Dale Hosler
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
TIME PERIOD: 1947-1953
FINAL RANK: Sergeant First Class
CAMPAIGN: Korea

Donald L. Neal
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
TIME PERIOD: 1952-1955
FINAL RANK: Corporal
CAMPAIGN: I spent the three years staying clear of campaigns with flying bullets in Virginia, Illinois, Washington and Japan.

Larry Suhl
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Army
TIME PERIOD: 1967-1970
FINAL RANK: Spec 4
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam
U.S. NAVY

Bud Robinson
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
TIME PERIOD: February 1952 to December 1953
FINAL RANK: Yoeman 2nd Class
DETAILS: Stationed at Staff Headquarters, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii entire tour of duty

(in memory of) Paul Behringer
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy (Seabees Special Forces)
TIME PERIOD: 1970-1974
FINAL RANK: Petty Officer Second Class

Paul Ratto
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy, Brown Water Navy - Mekong Delta
TIME PERIOD: Four Tours – Vietnam 1967, 1968, 1969 & 1970
FINAL RANK: E-5 Quartermaster
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam

(in memory of) Robert Melgard
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
SHIP: He served on a sub-chaser patrolling the waters in the Coral Seas.
TIME PERIOD: 1943-1945
FINAL RANK: Radarman 2nd Class (RDM2C)
DETAILS: (a fun story his daughter shared) Dad said as the war was winding down in the Pacific, they started sending troops home on the President Monroe, a luxury liner that the Navy took over as a troop ship. While on the ship homeward bound, Japan surrendered, and they celebrated, but their skipper said they would be celebrating for 2 days, as they crossed the International Dateline during that day, so they got to repeat the day and celebrate again! He also said one of the men swam in the ships pool as much as possible, so he could say he swam home!

John Morris
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
SHIP: Destroyer
TIME PERIOD: January 1959 - September 1962
DETAILS: The first half of my service was on the Destroyer Samuel N Moore DD747. On this ship I went to Alaska, Japan, China (Hong Kong), Guam, Hawaii, and the Philippines. The second half I was on a harbor tug boat YTB 401 stationed in Adak, Alaska. We took full advantage of the great fishing, crab and shrimp. The picture is on the tug boat in Adak.

Ernest L. Rodrigues
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
SHIP: USS Enterprise V1 Division (help launch & recover planes on flight deck)
TIME PERIOD: 1968-1970
FINAL RANK: Aviation Boatswain Mate
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam

(in memory of) Glenn Skinner
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
TIME PERIOD: 1955-1961
FINAL RANK: FT2 - Fire Control Technician 2
CAMPAIGNS: Served aboard the Aircraft Carrier, USS Hornet, during the Cold War with deployments in the Pacific Rim and East Asia, including China and Japan.

Gary Melvin
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
TIME PERIOD: 1958-1963
FINAL RANK: Petty Officer - 3rd Class Yoeman
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam, Quemoy Matsu

Ken Smith
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
TIME PERIOD: 3 years and nine months of active duty
FINAL RANK: Aviation Storekeeper 3rd class (E-4)
DETAILS: I was stationed on Guam for 18 months followed by duty at Lemoore during which I served on the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga. In 1975 I joined the California Air National Guard and retired in July of 2005 with the rank of Chief Master Sergeant (E-9).

Gerald E. Naura
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
TIME PERIOD: 1958-1962
FINAL RANK: Quartermaster Second Class (E-5)

Don Glass
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
TIME PERIOD: April 1967 - July 1970
FINAL RANK: Second Class Petty Officer
DETAILS: I was with Naval Construction Battalion #8 serviced out of Port Hueneme, California and deployed overseas to south Vietnam as a security division which was in the time of the fall of Hue (the capital of South Vietnam). Then I became a construction Electrician and worked on camp and area power through Vietnam. I served 22 months in South Vietnam before getting out in 1970.

Robert Timothy Butler
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Navy
TIME PERIOD: 6 years
FINAL RANK: E4
DETAILS: Tim served on the USS Caiman (submarine) and on a destroyer during the Vietnam war.
U.S. MARINE CORPS

George Gardner
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Marine Corps
TIME PERIOD: 1964-1984
FINAL RANK: First Sergeant
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam
DETAILS: Traffic control systems technician – Installed the first 00ILS (Instrument Landing System) in Yuma, Arizona

Robert Walker
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Marine Corps
TIME PERIOD: 3 years
FINAL RANK: Corporal
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam
DETAILS: Top left photo is of Robert and his cousin Linda in his Dress Blues uniform. Top right photo is of Robert in Advanced training before Vietnam.

Donald L. Dueker
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Marine Corps
TIME PERIOD: 1959-1963
DETAILS: Marine Air Repair Squadron - 37, 3rd Marine Airwing El Toro CA

John Scott Sr.
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Marine Corps
TIME PERIOD: 1943-1946
FINAL RANK: Corporal
CAMPAIGN: WWII
DETAILS: Able Battery, 1st Battalion. 10th Marine Artillery Regiment, 2nd Marine Div. WWII Pacific Theatre Saipan ~ Tinian and Okinawa ~ Japan
U.S. AIR FORCE

(in memory of) Merle Peterson
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Air Force
TIME PERIOD: 1941-1945
FINAL RANK: Staff Sergeant
CAMPAIGN: WWII
DETAILS: Ball Turret Gunner

Larry Timmons
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Air Force
TIME PERIOD: 1964-1968
FINAL RANK: Sergeant
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam

Bruce McAbee
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Air Force
TIME PERIOD: 4 years
FINAL RANK: Sergeant
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam War - serving 1 year at Udon Thai Air Force base in Thailand

Craig Hickerson
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Air Force
TIME PERIOD: 4 years
CAMPAIGN: Vietnam
DETAILS: Dog handler

Tencil Scott
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Air Force
TIME PERIOD: 1968-1972
FINAL RANK: E5 - Staff Sergeant
DETAILS: My last 13 months, I was NCOIC, Accounting & Finance, 51st Air Base Wing, Osan Air Base, Korea. While there, I was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for meritorious service.

John Hayes
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Air Force
TIME PERIOD: September 14th 1967 - September 15th 1971
FINAL RANK: Sergeant
SPECIALITY: Medical Supply Specialist
SECONDARY SPECIALIST: Medical Helper Medic
STATIONS:
1) Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Tx
2) Sheppard AFB, Witchta Falls, Tx
3) Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska
4) Forbes AFB, Topeka, Ks
U.S. COAST GUARD

Larry R. Mullen
BRANCH OF SERVICE: U.S. Coast Guard
TIME PERIOD: 1961-1965
FINAL RANK: E5 2nd Class Engineman
DETAILS: Search & Rescue, Port Security, Aids to Navigation.
BASED IN: Alameda, California | Tongue Point, Astoria, Oregon | Colombia River Light Ship | USCG Balsam out of Ketchikan, Alaska (earthquake 1964) Storis Icebreaker out of Kodiak, Alaska
