Lifetime of Service

 
 
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Service in the United States Military is a lifetime commitment for many veterans. These brave veterans have dedicated their lives to not only their military careers, but also their educational careers, families, organizations, charities and some have even given the ultimate sacrifice. A lifetime of service should not only be seen as serving the military, but it should be viewed in all contexts. Service does not stop at separation; these veterans spent their lives dedicated to the individuals and communities around them. These veterans fought for their country regardless of the outcome of their service. They believed in their country and worked toward making a difference, frequently without caring about glory or without a thought about their personal well-being. The military has allowed many veterans to advance their careers by giving them professional training and the confidence to pursue their dreams.

 

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From East Asian Seas to Denver’s City Streets
From East Asian Seas to Denver’s City Streets

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.

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Aiding the Air while Serving at Sea

Howard William McKinley Jr was born on September 25, 1917, to his father, Howard McKinley, and his mother, Muriel McKinley. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona, where his father worked as a fireman on a nearby railroad.[1]

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Sing Low, Fly High
Sing Low, Fly High

It was June 2, 1927, when Albert and Laura Skari, two farmers from Arnegard Township, North Dakota, welcomed their twins into the world. One of these children was Vernon Edwin Skari. Vernon and his twin sister Verna were the youngest of Albert and Laura’s ten children, all of whom were raised on the family farm and ranch in North Dakota.[1]


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The Guardian of Gyeonggi
The Guardian of Gyeonggi

Charles 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.

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From Air Force to Navy
From Air Force to Navy

Foster Duane Wendell was born on January 18, 1941, to Howard and Harriet Morley Wendell. Foster was one of four children and was the second son.

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From Battlefield to Healing Hands
From Battlefield to Healing Hands

Dick Daisuke Momii was born on January 29, 1924, on a farm in Brighton, Colorado, the son of George Shumpei Nawata and Takeno Momii. His parents immigrated to the United States, his father first living in Hawaii and Wyoming before settling in Colorado.

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Bravery Throughout
Bravery Throughout

Bravery can be hard to come by. For Ronald Eugene Dusch, however, bravery was almost second-nature. Born January 11, 1938, to Emma Van Horn and Charles Dusch,

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Wings and Roots
Wings and Roots

In the dusty expanse of southeastern New Mexico, where the wind carries the scent of mesquite and open skies stretch endlessly, Buster Tom Chidester was born on February 4, 1923, in the small town of Tatum.

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101 Years of Valor: The Colonel Who Flew into History
101 Years of Valor: The Colonel Who Flew into History

Francis Robert "Frank" Royal Sr. was born on June 17, 1915, in the quiet town of Manzanola, Colorado—a place small in size but large in the shaping of a man who would grow to become one of America’s most decorated and enduring fighter pilots.

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A Throughline of Faith
A Throughline of Faith

Duane 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.

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Call Sign Misty 73
Call Sign Misty 73

Major Seiler is pictured during his service with the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base in Vietnam.

In Erie, Pennsylvania, on May 24, 1931, Clyde Kia Seiler was born into a world still reeling from the Great Depression.

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Across Oceans and Canyons: The Engineering Legacy of Angelo Siccardi
Across Oceans and Canyons: The Engineering Legacy of Angelo Siccardi

Angelo “Joe” Siccardi was born on October 30, 1926, in Paterson, New Jersey, to Anthony and Rose Siccardi. His father, Anthony, was an Italian immigrant, born in Italy according to the 1940 United States Census.

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A Titan in Cold War Aeronautics
A Titan in Cold War Aeronautics

John 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.

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Continuing The Conde Name
Continuing The Conde Name

Conde Benoist Pallen, born in 1933, was given big shoes to fill early in his life. He was named after his grandfather, also named Conde Benoist Pallen, who was a prolific Catholic writer in America with multiple published books and articles.

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Sowing Good, Reaping Good
Sowing Good, Reaping Good

The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 changed everything. The devastating, surprise attack by Japan marked the end of the isolationist ideals of many citizens of the United States and ushered in a period of domestic unity across America during the Second World War.

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A Renaissance Man with Global Gallantry
A Renaissance Man with Global Gallantry

Gerald Broida was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on February 21, 1918, to Lucy and Theodore Broida.[1] Soon after Gerald was born, Lucy and Theodore moved to Denver, where Gerald grew up with his brother Herbert, attending elementary school and graduating from North High School in 1936.

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Hero Without a Cape
Hero Without a Cape

“He was a fun-loving individual,” “a hero with a big heart,” “he always thought of others over himself…he was very special,” “he was just a light.” These remembrances are but a small testimony of the feelings individuals had for the beloved, selfless, and righteous United States Air Force Staff Sergeant Jesse Evan Childress.

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Dedicated to Denver Industry

Leo F. Arundale was born on January 31, 1892, in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was the oldest of three children and had a younger brother Thomas and a younger sister Elizabeth. Leo was born to William Arundale and Mary A. Riley.Unfortunately, Mary passed away by 1910, when Leo was just 18 and working as a farmhand in Grand Junction.Shortly after 1910, Leo moved from Grand Junction to Denver.

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A Jack of All Trades

When the United States entered World War II, thousands of men put their lives on hold and instead risked them to serve their country. Sherwin George Desens was one of these men, and his decision to enlist began a decades-long career of service that took him from the skies above Normandy down to a prison camp in his grandfather’s homeland.

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From Farm to Battlefield

When the United States entered World War II, thousands of men put their lives on hold and instead risked them to serve their country. Sherwin George Desens was one of these men, and his decision to enlist began a decades-long career of service that took him from the skies above Normandy down to a prison camp in his grandfather’s homeland.

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Col. Sherwin George Desens
Col. Sherwin George Desens

When the United States entered World War II, thousands of men put their lives on hold and instead risked them to serve their country. Sherwin George Desens was one of these men, and his decision to enlist began a decades-long career of service that took him from the skies above Normandy down to a prison camp in his grandfather’s homeland.

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Three Decades of Faithful Service
Three Decades of Faithful Service

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

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A Lithuanian Immigrant Became an American Hero
A Lithuanian Immigrant Became an American Hero

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.

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Julianna Beckert