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a new chapter a new beginning

I was a abandon forgotton child of child services all my life ....dangerous and very abusive homes they were. I immancipated my self from child services age 17 proved my cases against them....one incident in my life at age 7 placed in my heart the goal to become a police officer. I Never went thru high school..but got my GED and started college age 17 . there I chose to join the navy to start a new chapter..write over my past. I've always been a fighter now this time my choice for my ultimate goal of police work. Boot camp was nothing to get through.. And I chose Spain... Severing myself from those who I left behind to live my life undefined. I accomished my goal and became an officer for mexico police in Maine. First woman for that department and won the employee if the year the first year of work. Paving the positive way for other woman to join that PD and they have since. It all started with my decision to join the service us navy and I thank you..

Bernadette Dickinson
Albuquerque, NM

World War II Ft Niagara

I was just one week past my ninth birthday when the day of infamy occurred...December 7, 1942. My father was already in the army and due to be discharged, but because America was now at war, he was kept in the service and sent to Australia where he would spend the whole of WWII as a medic. He and my mother were divorced and she was going with a fellow by the name of Andy who was drafted and sent to Ft. Niagara, NY, where he would spend the whole of WWII as head baker. He actually had been sent overseas, but was returned when they found out his two brothers had just been killed on D-Day.
Mom worked as secretary to the lieutenant in charge of the PX, and I was given a pass to enter the fort anytime I chose to do so. I loved eating at the PX...the hamburgers were thick and delicious, as were the milkshakes that were made with real ice cream. Andy, Mom and I would go to the movie on base for ten cents. There were German POW's kept at the fort and some of them worked in the same office as my mother. They would greet me with their thick German accents every time I arrived to meet my mom for dinner and a show. One of them even made a bowl for my mother. Many of them liked the US so much (even as a prisoner) that they fought to come back after the war. Bet that wasn't true of American soldiers that were held in German or Japanese camps as POWs. The fort is gone now and a public park has taken its place, but the Officers Club is still there to bring back memories.

Marge Volk McMillen
East Amherst, NY

United States Navy 1965-1975

I got drafted by the Army in 1965 and being 6'5" tall I said "I would be one helluva target in the infantry". So I joined the Navy and if I went to Vietnam I'd be on a ship. RIGHT!! I spent 10 years in the Navy and I was never on a ship!
I got stationed with the Marines in Phu Bai about 3 miles from Hue. Didn't have to shoot anybody but got a lot of rockets and mortars shot at us. That's my story and i'm sticking to it.

Ken Hildreth
Kingman, AZ

Unique Story, How an Army Combat Veteran & Veteran Author Deals with Stress by Writing 2 Books to Help Veterans in College

To start 2015 off for student Veterans, Kenneth was able to publish his 2nd book, titled The Post 9/11 Student Veteran: A Resource Guide For Student Veterans. This time Kenneth wanted to create a guide for ALL student Veterans and also Veterans. He did this by including methods, practical applications, and solutions in the college environment. He also includes over 300 separate resources for Veterans in his new Resource Guide book, along with what worked for him to be successful during college while utilizing the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) Program. Kenneth published The Post 9/11 Student Veteran on January 28, 2015.

Bracewell is currently in his final semester of earning a Masters degree in Justice Administration. In June of this year he intends to publish his Masters Research Project with the Library of Congress. His Research Project is solely focused on Veterans who experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and suffer and experience Suicide. This is something very serious and real for Bracewell and he wants to make sure that more awareness is made publicly, locally, and nationally for Veterans. That is why he chose to write a thorough Masters Research Project for his fellow comrades, the nation, communities of all states, and all American people to have the opportunity to read in libraries throughout the country. Bracewell mentioned that Veterans should find something that interests them highly, at least one or two different things that can keep them occupied, happy, and joyful everyday of their life.

Kenneth A. Bracewell is the Veteran author of A Veteran's Road To College Success and The Post 9/11 Student Veteran.

You are welcome to join Kenneth on his Facebook Author Pages: (1) A Veteran's Road To College Success and (2) The Post 9/11 Student Veteran.

Kenneth A. Bracewell
Anchorage, AK

Turkey Bowl

Nov15th2006, sitting on a screen line,I got in the truck with my LT (CPT Dennison, RIP). We chatted about what we were going to do once back home. PSG came accross the net reminding LT(Red1) of time line. R1 called accross the net,"Red elements report REDCON Status FRANK". After LD, we moved down a route along a canal Lt called for a halt(0945NOV.15 2006). He requested to conduct a dismounted movement to check out a hootch. Lt called for me to lead the movement. As we crossed the canal, movement by foot, I put the SQD in a wedge. As we had two fire- teams, my element moved right of a corn field, as Red1 continued to travel forward clearing the corn field. My fire team made it to the hootch first & I had one of my dismounts secure the back edge of a burm by mud hut. As I called to R1 to report LOA, my security ID a squirter. I got visual of squirter & sent report. I had PID&positioned to engage w/warning shot when Lt said, in humor,"no don't shoot Grim-Reaper". As I looked at the corn field I ID a motor cycle well cammoed in the stalks, Then another, Then as I staired I saw movement. I could make out a enemy dismount who was set in a fixed machine gunner position. I called to R1, "stop your movement, your walking into a ambush"! I put my bead on the combative;but, I did not have a clear SDZ. As I ran clear of the burm the dismount opened fire on the SQD & my self. I fired on the insurgent killing him. I cleared the enemy body. As I called for status, I realized Lt had been shot. I conducted CPR budyaid on CPT Denison for 15min until Woodroff(senior med), Rudy&Mallarri relieved me. I was told I kept R1 alive. He died on the bird to Germany. I was put in for Aw/V upgraded by MG Rodriguez, I received nothing but"your doing your job". My 1sg got a Siver star w/V for my actions. TF300!

Anonymous
Ft Dix, NJ

A Corpsman's Legacy

In 1996, Stephanie Hanson Caisse discovered her birth father - Corpsman Gary Young - had been killed in the Vietnam War, two months before she was born, never knowing he was about to have a child. Adopted at birth, she grew up never knowing who her birth parents were. However, at the age of twenty-six, she was forced to find her birth family when she was diagnosed with a congenital illness. The story she uncovered is amazing, and has changed her life, as well as the lives of many others.

Her first book, titled "A Corpsman's Legacy," chronicles her journey to find out about her father and how he died. It brought her in contact with thousands of Marines and their families, and recounts the tremendous kindness and courage of our nation's veterans as they talk openly about a time that shaped their lives forever. And, woven throughout the many stories, is the power of one man's legacy to heal the wounds of war. Christy Sauro, author of "The Twins Platoon" states it is “one of the best books I’ve ever read…I could hardly put the book down.”

"A Corpsman's Legacy Continues," was just recently published and is already gaining acclaim. As she uncovers even more information about her father and his crewmembers, she continues to help Vietnam veterans open up and realize that through all the heartache, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Her journey also follows HMM-364 to Iraq, as a new generation of Marines goes to war, including a stunning twist of fate that ties the Vietnam and Iraq wars together like never before. Corpsman John Little from Vietnam says of both books that “…the author has the ability to pull you and your emotions into the story…a wonderful bridge between the past and present.”

Stephanie’s journey is more than just an account of her father’s life; her story is about the healing that is still taking place from one of the most turbulent times in our country’s past. It's a must-read for all veterans and their families.

Stephanie Hanson Caisse
Madison, MS

Fire at sea.

October 26th 1966, we were all awakened with a call of "general quarters,all hands maned your battle stations"
We were in Tonkin Gulf ready to launch an air attack on North Vietnam, when a magnesium flare fire erupted in an flare locker in hangar bay one. We fort fires with fog foam, because we did not have any purple K which was needed to put out magnesium fires. We fought all the secondary fires till the magnesium burned itself out. We dumper bombs over the sides of the ship. the fire went on all day. At times we thought we had it under control and than it flashed back up totally unaffected. Final total 44 shipmates lost there lives. I think about that day and the great men we lost as if it were yesterday. Will never forget! The ship was the USS Oriskany CVA 34. I was a third class machinist mate and worked on the ships generators. Hello to all my shipmates across the country. Welcome home to all Vietnam Veterans, and to all that served our country.Thank You.

Philip Getz
Peekskill, NY

Pride in my son-in-law

My son-in-law has served the U.S. Marine's for 24 yrs. He and my daughter (who served the U.S. Navy) have been deployed overseas most this time. Brought up 3 beautiful children and given them a treasure chest of culture, understanding of others, and an education that is priceless. They are in Japan at this point and will be retiring in June of this year. I am so proud of this family and my Grandson just enlisted this past month. Thank you for your years of service and wishing you the very best of the best as this chapter of your life closes and new adventures begin.

Anonymous
Corinth, ME

Daddy

We lived in a small bungalow home in Springfield, Illinois. There was my mother and my younger brother, and myself. One day when I woke up, my father was not there. I cried and cried and cried when my mother told me that Daddy went off to war! What was a war? All I knew was that I wanted my Daddy. We soon learned about the hardships of War for the civilian population. We had coupons for tires for our old car, coupons for sugar along with many other things. We saved our bacon Greese, which was collected once every few weeks. If we ran out of coupons, we had to go without!

My mother did laundry for Johnny Watts, our local Pharmacists. He would come by our small home to collect his clean, ironed and folded clothes! Another thing my mother did was to plant a garden in our back yard. I remember working in the garden with my mother. But, every time an airplane flew overhead, I was sure we were going to be bombed right then and there! It was a terrifying time for a small girl who missed her Daddy.

Then there were the air-raid sirens. Every time they sounded, my mother would pull the shades down over the windows, turn out the lights inside of the house, and tell us to get down on the floor by a large piece of furniture. The sirens would sound again maybe 20 minutes later. This was to signal us that the "practice" air raid was over with. Light would then go back on all over the neighborhood! We were safe!

The next thing I remember was that my mother told us the war was over! We walked up and down the street, banging on metal pots and pans with spoons! Shortly after that, my Daddy came home. He brought all of us children a small white Bible. He was a Seabee in the U.S. Navy, stationed in the Phillapeans and in Guam! But, now I was happy.

Dorothy L. DeCardy
Tucson, AZ

World War 2 as a young child...

I am inching up to the big 80 and all the news I hear today rears it's ugly head that I experienced in W.W.2...
Things I remember as a child... Mother on the rare occasion finding a pair of silk nylon stockings...and she put them away to save for that special occasion... I don't remember many special occasions at that time. EXCEPT when the war ended!!! Boy, did we celebrate!!! I remember Food Stamps, and a special meat market to find a good cut of meat (sometimes).... Sadly I remember our friends and neighbors Star Flag decals in their windows, indicating their Service Man was killed... also remember well Douglas Aircraft where women worked such as Rosie the Riveter did. They were PROUD women and were such an asset to the Americans during the War.... I remember well my father being an Air Raid Warden and would be sure all the neighbors in our neighborhood had ALL of their LIGHTS OUT and blinds closed. This was all very scary to a child my age. I remember squeezing a plastic bag with a small red thing in the middle that would produce what we knew as butter...also remember my father who was a white collar worked raising chickens in our back yard so we always had fresh eggs and chicken dinners...gasoline rationing was another obstacle but we shared rides or errands with another person rather than waste gas. Oh how I wish the world showed the patriatisim Of those day gone by.

I have had the PRIVILEGE of hosting the Wounded Warriors here where I live in S.C. for the past two years and nothing but RESPECT, RESPECT, RESPECT for these Warriors. I so much want for our world to take a new direction and our leaders to EARN that RESPECT as our Warrior's HAVE...

Darla Coyle
SALEM, SC