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Official blog TWS Website TWS Website U Search for: MENU Great Military Stories Profiles in Courage Battlefield Chronicles Military Myths and Legends Famous Military Units Veterans Service Reflections U.S. Army U.S. Army Air Force U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Navy U.S. Air Force U.S. Coast Guard Stories By Era Revolutionary War World War I Korean War Cold War Civil War World War II Vietnam War Gulf War Global War on Terror Military Medley Useful Military Information Other Military Articles Military Book Reviews Celebrities Who Served VA Military Memories Competition VA Guidance Articles Incredible Military Stories Service Reflections of CAPT David Francis, U.S. Navy (1961-1994) Navy Reflections , Vietnam War PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents CAPT David Francis’s legacy of his military service from 1961 to 1994. If you are a Veteran, consider preserving a record of your own military service, including your memories and photographs, on Togetherweserved.com (TWS), the leading archive of living military history. The following Service Reflections is an easy-to-complete self-interview, located on your TWS Military Service Page, which enables you to... read more Service Reflections of YN1y Gary Haythorn, U.S. Coast Guard (1966-1970) Coast Guard Reflections , Vietnam War I was 18, having just finished a semester of junior college, and just had no clue where I wanted to go in life. My girlfriend broke up with me, so I thought I would join the Marines. But my cousin, who was already a USMC Captain, aviator, and Vietnam veteran, talked to me. He said, If you join the Marine Corps, I’ll kick your a@#.” Then he laughed and said, Look, you’d be a fine Marine, but join the Coast Guard or Air Force. They treat their people better.” Having grown up in Florida, being around water and boats all my life, I went to the CG recruiting office in Orlando, FL, where SS1 Gravett signed me up. PS That girl that broke up with me married me four years later. We’ve been married for over 40 years now. Blessed. read more Service Reflections of SSG Wasim Khan, U.S. Army (1998-2010) Army Reflections , Global War on Terror As a kid, I always liked the military. As a young kid, I wanted to join the Navy. When I got to high school, we had Army JROTC, and my interest changed to Army or Marines. My dad, who was in the Army, convinced me that the Army was the way to go because it was bigger and promoted faster. He was a tanker and tried to steer me to armor. I wanted to be an airborne ranger, and my dad said whatever you do, ensure you get what you want in your contract. When I went to the recruiter, I scored very high on the ASVAB. The career counselor told me that he didn’t have airborne infantry available. He said the only thing with airborne was the 31C Radio Operator, probably because of the high GT. I believed him and felt good about getting guaranteed airborne. It first took me to the 82nd, and as soon as I got there, I started applying for a Ranger assignment because I got put in the Engineer Battalion, and it wasn’t what I wanted. After a year and a half, I got my wish and orders for Ranger Indoctrination and the 2nd Ranger Battalion. read more Service Reflections of CMSGT Bruce Hanke, U.S. Air Force (1967-2004) Air Force Reflections , Vietnam War Since my parents went through the Great Depression and only finished the 8th grade, there was never an incentive for me to go to college. I grew up a country boy with interests in Hot Rodding and playing fastpitch softball. I continued both during my service career. After High School, I assumed that I would get a job at the Kelly Springfield Tire Co, where my father was a bead room supervisor. The company would not hire me because I had not fulfilled my military draft obligation. read more Service Reflections of MSGT Terry Bacon, U.S. Marine Corps (1977-1998) Cold War , Marine Reflections PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS The following Reflections represents MSGT Terry Bacon’s legacy of his military service from 1977 to 1998. If you are a Veteran, consider preserving a record of your own military service, including your memories and photographs, on Togetherweserved.com (TWS), the leading archive of living military history. The following Service Reflections is an easy-to-complete self-interview, located on your TWS Military Service Page, which enables you to... read more Service Reflections of CPL Chandra Duncan, U.S. Marine Corps (1981-1986) Cold War , Marine Reflections As a child, I always wanted to be a Marine and spent many hours watching movies and playing war” with friends in the backyard wearing surplus WWII, Korea, and Vietnam apparel and gear given to me by my uncle” Jr. The late 90s, while I was in high school, was a relative time of peace, and the few people I did see joining the military were doing it for college money, which, while making sense to me, also kind of soured the idea for me. In my senior year in 2000, the Army National Guard ran a recruiting event in the quad area at lunch, and a friend and I added our names to a list to get more information; my mother always told me that the military would brainwash me and that I was flat-footed and wouldn’t be accepted anyway (I’m not flat-footed) and when that Army Sgt called the house I heard my mother quickly give him a piece of her mind and then abruptly hang up on him, and that was the end of that, I wasn’t fully committed to the idea myself and had apprehensions and concerns about whether I’d be up to military life and honestly was unsure that I even had what it takes to make it through boot camp. After high school, I worked for my family, got engaged, and took out a loan for my first home. Then September 11th happened. I was angry, and silly as it may sound, I was filled with guilt as I saw on the news the brave men and women my age who answered the call to service both before and during this unprecedented time in our country. Still, I had obligations here at home and continued on my current course at the time. Years passed, and I grew older and feared that my youth would quickly pass me by. Then, the economic recession of 2008 hit. read more HM3 Johnathan Loper, U.S. Navy (2010-2016) Global War on Terror , VA Military Memories Competition What was the biggest personal challenge that you encountered during your military service? How did you approach and overcome this?: As a Navy Ceremonial Guard Casket Bearer, we did 6 funerals daily, 5 days a week in Arlington National Cemetery. However, one funeral in particular was very tough. Everything seemed normal. The car pulled up to the chapel; I removed the urn from the back seat and carried it past the seated family to the front of the chapel. I placed the urn on the small table and made my way out and down to the basement, where we usually waited for the family to speak and pay their final respects upstairs. read more OSCS Larry Tucker, U.S. Navy (1956-1977) VA Military Memories Competition , Vietnam War What was the biggest personal challenge that you encountered during your military service? How did you approach and overcome this?: Early in my career, I received a recommendation for the Naval Aviation Cadet program, a golden ticket to becoming a pilot. The skies beckoned, and I eagerly pursued my dream. However, fate had other plans. Dental issues stood between me and the cockpit, and I found myself grounded. The Navy pilot wings eluded me, but destiny had a different flight path in mind. read more BM2 Richard Kirshen, U.S. Navy (1967-1971) VA Military Memories Competition , Vietnam War What was the biggest personal challenge that you encountered during your military service? How did you approach and overcome this?: Not all experiences during the Vietnam War were unpleasant. There were a few pleasant” events when I was in Vietnam during those strange days…days that ended on a high note. One might get the idea, from the glut of stories and movies that...