John Donald Keller was born on January 18, 1935, in Denver, Colorado, to Evelyn Donna DeLuca and Lewis Henry Keller. John (affectionately named “Donnie” by his family) grew up with his parents and older sisters, Betty and Josephine, on Mariposa Street right across from the La Alma-Lincoln Park neighborhood near downtown Denver.
Read MoreCharles Neil Zorn was born on June 7, 1930, to Glenn and Grace Zorn in Muskegon, Michigan. Muskegon, a city located on the shores of Lake Michigan, was like many others during the 1930s, economically devastated by the Great Depression. Most notably, Michigan fared worse than the rest of the country in the Depression due to a heavy reliance on the auto industry for its labor market.
Read MoreTo be courageous during wartime requires a great deal of mental fortitude and self-trust. This is especially true when you find yourself fighting during the outbreak of a war halfway across the world. Within the first months of US involvement in the Korean War, Billy Lindley proved just how courageous young Marines can be.
Read MoreDuane Richard Sjaardema’s story begins in Buena Vista, but not the Colorado city; instead, he was born in the Buena Vista Township in Iowa. Sjaardema would be raised in Pella, Iowa, a moderately sized town just over forty miles outside of Des Moines. Starting young, his parents raised him religious, sending him to the Pella Christian High School, where each student was required to have a Bible class each semester.
Read MoreJohn A Rasey was born in Fostoria, Ohio, on March 17, 1929, to parents Corrine and Hilles Rasey. John lived his childhood under the looming presence of the Great Depression and World War Two.
Read MoreBetty O. Bowman was born on May 27, 1922 in New York. Her family settled in Staten Island, where she would grow up doing a plethora of activities such as swimming, bowling, tennis, and singing.
Read MoreOn the night before Christmas, a baby girl was born who would dedicate her life to protecting this country. John Cuthbert had immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1888 and eventually would meet his wife, Mary Carter. On December 24, 1914, they would welcome their first and only child, naming her after her mother. They lived their lives in Suffolk, Massachusetts; it is here that Mary would attend high school for all four years and work as a bookkeeper and cashier after graduation.
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Harold John Gebhart was born to Bernard and Frances Gebhart on January 1, 1920 in Holy Cross, Iowa. He was the youngest of his four brothers: Chico, Arthur, Ervin, and Zeno
Read MoreIt takes great strength and character to dedicate a portion of one’s life to serve in the American military. It takes even greater integrity and grit to serve in three global conflicts: World War Two, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Though Albert Abelson and his Jewish family faced many challenges while they lived in Lithuania, he became an American hero.
Read MoreFor many veterans, their service and association with the United States military is complete when their duties in a particular conflict are finished. But this was decidedly not the case for Mel Cooper.
Read MoreWhile twentieth-century conflicts like World War II and the Vietnam War remain embedded in the American cultural consciousness, the Korean War has often been described as “forgotten” for its relative lack of representation and acknowledgment despite costing the lives of 36,914 American servicemen and an estimated 2,661,509 Korean civilians.
Read MoreBradford Bowker started his service in the Navy on October 15, 1940. In his early military life, just around the time before World War II, Bowker was a lieutenant in the Philippines helping build / rebuild airstrips in unsafe distance from enemy fire and territory. Bowker later made the rank of rear-admiral for the Seabees.
Read MoreJoseph Katayama was born in 1926, in Salinas, Monterey County California to his father Moichi and his mother Sayo.
Read MoreAs Asian Americans reckon with a wave of anti-Asian hate in the wake of COVID-19, honoring the forgotten stories of Filipino veterans acts as a healing reminder of what it means to be Pinoy and American.
Read MoreArchie Robinson served with the Marine Corps for around 30 years. When Archie Robinson first enlisted, he was treated differently due to racism and racial discrimination.
Read MoreAlthough there are over 4 million Filipinx-Americans in the United States, their culture, languages, and traditions are rarely represented in predominantly white spaces and narratives. Second and third-generation Filipinos must lean on the legacy left by those like Felix B. Magalong Sr., who prove that Asians are accomplished enough to serve both their country at large and communities at home.
Read MoreThroughout his whole life, from growing up in an immigrant family, to surviving the Communist Chinese prison camps, to solving his financial issues, and to challenging social and political norms, Ernest Contrearas was a true American hero.
Read MoreAt the age of 20, Orville enlisted into the Navy as a sonar operator, due to his experience with electrical engineering. He worked on operating and developing sonar on battleships, cruisers, and destroyers in the Pacific theater during World War II. He island hopped throughout the Pacific, guiding the guns on the ships to hit enemy targets.
Read MoreErnest served the United States from around the world. Whether it was in a Japanese Prisoners of War Camp during World War II, serving at the northernmost operational Air Force Base in Greenland, or the huge refueling base in Libya, Ernest served in the U.S. Air Force with pride.
Read MoreWilliam faced constant discrimination and challenges in his life and was often told that he would not be able to make much of himself because of his skin color. William did not let this stop him from leading a happy and successful life however and from creating that very same life for his own family as a loving and devoted father.
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