Betty 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 More
On 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.
Read More
Harry Nelson Jr. had just celebrated his fifteenth birthday when he got the best present of all, a little sister. Pauline Vonda Nelson was born on March 3, 1934, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Harry Sr. and Dorothy Nelson.
Read More
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 More
It 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 More
For 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 More
While 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 More
While in the Navy, Lon Egbert took the role of a lithographer and handled all the printing needs abroad two ships during his service from 1968-1972 on the USS Mount McKinley and the USS Blue Ridge. As a lithographer, Lon was trained to use a variety of machinery from offset presses to cameras that documented the ship’s journey.
Read More
As 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 More
Archie 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 More
Jim was deployed to Vietnam as a Radioman with Coast Guard Squadron One. As a Radioman, Jim would be relaying messages from all sorts of media to nearby aircraft, ships, and bases along the shore.
Read More
Ernest 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 More
William 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.
Read More
The stories of Vietnam War veterans are typically ignored in history, but this is not the case for Larry Branaugh. As the first service member from Thornton, Colorado to sacrifice his life in Vietnam, Larry has received significant recognition for his service, but beyond that, is remembered for his sense of duty and courage.
Read More
Sam Robinson was a “true Air Force Chief” who served for 28 years in the U.S. military. He was a friend to many and “had a laugh that when you heard it you knew he was in the building. He was a dedicated worker, no matter the challenge.”
Read More
Milton Louis Craig was born to serve his country as he was the son of a Buffalo Soldier.
Read More
Joe loved America and dedicated his entire life to serving and protecting his country. He served in the military for multiple decades and served the Denver community for 18 years afterwards with the Sheriff’s Department. Friends remember him for his smile and his pride to be an American.
Read More
When Ronald Lett enlisted in the United States Army at the age of seventeen, the country had just wrapped on the Korean War. When he enlisted, the young soldier had no way of knowing that the longest war in United States history was just around the corner.
Read More
Max would, in the course of only a single year in Vietnam, receive two Combat Infantryman Badges, one Purple Heart, a National Defense Service Medal, a Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze star, a Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and finally his widow Janis was awarded a Medal of Honor is his stead.
Read More
Adams was a helicopter pilot, charged with the transportation of men and supplies across the entirety of the country. He deployed during the Counteroffensive Phase Three campaign in 1968 as a Major in the Transportation Corps, specifically in the 227th Aviation Battalion.
Read More