Honoring our Veterans

RALPH F. ALFENITO M.D. was a United States Navy physician. Ralph’s education was attained at Columbia University, Boston University School of Medicine, St. Luke’s in New York City, and Columbia Presbyterian. He was a participant in the Navy Berry Plan, with the obligation of two years active service, which he spent at the Portsmouth, New […]

Ken Bergmann received his higher education at Georgetown Prep, Georgetown University, and Ben Franklin University. He was a 21-year old when he was drafted during the Korean War as a private in the Army Medical Corps. He served two years in the Jungle Warfare School in the Panama Canal Zone, participating in the training of […]

Received ROTC commission in ASAF from Georgetown University in June, 1955. Started active duty August 28, 1955, at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX. After a month started navigation school at Ellington AFB, Houston, TX October, 1955. Got wings a year later and went to Harlingen AFB, Harlingen, Texas to teach aerial navigation. Discharged on February […]

Craig Caldwell CAPT MC USN (ret) was commissioned in the United States Navy under the Ensign 1915 program prior to entering medical school. Following completion of internship he began active duty as a general medical officer at the the Naval Dispensary, Norfolk, VA, followed by assignments at the Naval Hospitals Great Lakes, IL, Philadelphia, PA […]

RICHARD (DICK) CODRINGTON Dick joined the Army soon after graduating from high school. He had planned on going to the Air Force Academy but it was determined that he was color blind. (What a bummer)! Rather than waiting to be drafted, Dick decided to have his number accelerated. Doing so helped define when he would […]

BEATRICE ELEANOR CONRAD- Bea Conrad is a native of Easton, Maryland, graduating from Easton High School and then from the former Easton Memorial School of Nursing in a three-year program. Her career in nursing encompasses George Washington University in Washington D.C., as well as 12 years in the Air Force Nurse Corps before, during and […]

I enlisted in the Navy in March 1963 and was honorably discharged in November 1966. I remember taking a physical for service with hundreds of other military inductees and enlisted personnel. We were in a large hanger type building and medical personnel were examining each individual and using chalk, marking areas of one’s anatomy wherein […]

Jim attended the University of Delaware and participated in its Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC). He graduated in 1959 and went to Benning, Georgia for Officer basic training for 8 weeks. Then, he was commissioned as a first Lieutenant, sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey, and assigned to the Infantry Corp. At Fort Dix, he […]

At the time of his service, John says the program in England was called for Hostilities Only. Men were required to serve a period of two years and two months, but they had a choice of services, Army, Navy, Air Force, etc. John had finished his formal schooling at the age of 14 and was […]

An Army recruiter advised Dave not to make any plans for the time after graduation from college, as he was very high on the draft list. On this point, the recruiter was right. A month after graduating, he received his draft notice and was on his way to Ft. Jackson, S.C. for basic training. After […]

Jerry enlisted as a reserve officer in the Army in 1961. He had been in an ROTC program while at Gonzaga University. His original goal was to be accepted into Paratroop school, but this plan did not work out when no officer positions were open. He was sent instead to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland […]

The Korean War began in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. The war stopped in 1953 with an armistice. John was a student during this period of time, but he knew that he would soon be drafted. Along with a classmate of his, they attempted to enlist in the Navy, but were sent away […]

Corporal Gillen served with his team of 20 soldiers on the border between East Germany and Russia in 1952 and 1953.  The mission was surveillance of Soviet military maneuvers.  Before coming to the border he had been trained in cryptography and had been chosen to spend six months learning the Russian language.  The work was […]

While attending the University of Maine, Barry Gillman joined the US Army ROTC. After graduation in 1962, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. Barry commenced active duty in April 1962 , and he and wife Carolyn moved to Ft. Benning, Georgia where he attended Basic Officers’ Infantry training. Upon completions of […]

“By the time I became draftable age, I was married and had a daughter,” said Don. “I was running a small welding parts and equipment business that had been in my family for three generations and I couldn’t afford to go away. So, I joined the Army Reserves.” Don served in the U.S. Army Reserves […]

In June 1956, 18 days following graduation from Franklin, Pa. High School, eighteen-year-old Bob Grill joined the U.S. Navy. He was sent to The Great Lakes Training Center in Illinois, for boot camp. “Before I went in, his two older brothers who had served in WW II told me to never volunteer for anything. On […]

John (Jack) Harrald was only 17 when he entered the Coast Guard Academy in 1960. He didn’t know at that time how his participation in the Coast Guard would affect his future life, both professionally and personally. In addition to the skills needed to maintain and operate a ship, Jack learned how to be a […]

Richard enlisted in the Army on two separate occasions. His first tour of duty occurred from 1971-1977 and the second from 1981- 1984. His first enlistment concerned him a little because the war in Vietnam was ongoing, but he knew he would be drafted and wanted to volunteer in order to get into a field […]

Bill Lawton was drafted into the U.S.Army in 1952. He was on active duty from 1952 – 1954. Prior to being drafted, he attended Brown University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree. Continuing his education, Bill studied at the University of Kansas and eventually at the University of Maine where he received his […]

Home for Joe was a small town in West Virginia with a population of less than 500. The town, Camden-On-Gauley, is near Morgantown. Coal mining and lumber were the primary economic drivers in the community. Joe was 21 years old and married when he graduated from West Virginia University, in 1951. Because he had been […]

Henry was in San Antonia, Texas when he enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1955. He took basic training at Cape May, New Jersey and had subsequent assignments at Portsmouth, Virginia, Groton, Connecticut, Berkeley, Virginia and spent a large part of his assignment out of the Pier 4 facility on Pratt Street in Baltimore. He […]

“Initially, I wanted to join the Navy after graduating from Cambridge (Md.) High School in 1955. I was hoping I could learn a trade and, at the same time, satisfy my mandate for military service,” Don said a group of boys had previously signed up for the Navy and Don wanted to go with them. […]

After four years of ROTC, Jack was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant upon graduation from Duke University in 1957. He was headed for pilot training and a three year active duty commitment, but a month after college graduation the Air Force advised Jack that his term of service would be a minimum of five years if […]

Ken wanted to insure himself that he would serve his military obligation in a service other than the Infantry and to do so in New Orleans. While still in high school he joined Navy Reserve unit near his hometown in New Orleans. He participated in the Guard for 2 years in high school and 4 […]

Bill attended Boot Camp at Bainbridge Maryland, and then was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Hornet where he served for the entire four years of his enlistment. The Hornet had a proud tradition in the United States Navy starting in Colonial times as a battleship alongside her sister ship, the Wasp. Since that time […]

Larry had attended Emory Riddle University in Daytona, Florida, in the 60’s. He became a licensed commercial pilot and earned a degree in Aeronautical Science. Volunteering for the Army, he was accepted for fixed-wing aircraft training knowing he would be sent to Vietnam. He went to Fort Polk in Louisiana for basic training. This was […]

Calvin joined the Army National Guard in 1960 as a reservist, which required 6 months active duty followed by six years as a “week-end warrior”, doing two weeks summer camp. Fortunately, Calvin received a meeting attendance deferment as he worked to complete his undergraduate degree. Calvin went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training and […]