Philip Koehl was born in 1953 in Oak Park, Illinois. Koehl grew up with his family in the Northwest side of Chicago. Koehl’s father was a truck driver, his stepfather a carpenter, and his mother owned a pet store which Koehl eventually got a job at.…

Steve Kenyon was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1960 where he graduated high school and attended Grand Rapids Community College. Kenyon then went onto Michigan State University before attending law school. He also went into the natural gas…

William Johnson was born in Union, Mississippi, on September 14th, 1936. He enlisted in the Army in 1955. He was processed in Fort Wayne, Michigan, issued his equipment in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and attended basic training in Fort Carson, Colorado. He…

Chester Johnson was born in South Haven, Michigan, in 1949. He attended high school in Benton Harbor and graduated in 1967. Chester was drafted into the Army in January 1969. He completed basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He did his…

Jimmy Jamieson was born in Newport News, Virginia in 1946. He graduated high school in 1965 and began college classes. He was drafted in the Army in February of 1966 but was allowed to finish the semester before being sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky in…

Elmer Jackson was born in 1925 in southwestern Michigan. Jackson was in high school when he heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor over the radio. Jackson was later drafted into the Army in August of 1944 and was sent to Camp Wood, Texas, for three…

Frank Hills was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1943. Hills attended schooling in Connecticut through high school before graduating in 1961 and leaving for Iowa on a football scholarship, where he played as a defensive back on the college football…

Barry Hillmer was born in Flushing, Queens, New York City, on May 3rd, 1946. He graduated high school in 1964 before beginning the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Lafayette College. After graduating and completing the ROTC program in…

John Hedrick was born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1930. In 1951, he applied and was accepted into the Navy’s Naval Officer Procurement program, which would lead to him becoming an officer. He received basic training in San Diego, California, then reported…

Robert Heath Sr. was born on September 18, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois. While living in Germany as a ‘Military Brat,’ Heath enjoyed life in Hamburg while his father worked for the Army as a supply route manager. After high school, he attended the…

Roger Healy was born in Allegan, Michigan in 1949. He attended high school in Gobles, Michigan and graduated in 1967. Roger was drafted into the Army on July 15th, 1969. He completed his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He did his advanced…

Breyound Haywood was born on February 28, 1973 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Haywood graduated high school in 1991 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1992. In January of 1993, he was flown to Marine Boot Camp for three months in San Diego, California.…

Bob Hartman was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1919. He graduated high school in 1937 and joined the Michigan Army National Guard in 1938, assigned to the 126th Infantry Regiment, Service Company. His company’s task was to transport troops and provide…

Philip Grant was born on November 18th, 1986, and grew up in rural Reading, Pennsylvania. He attended basic training for the Army National Guard between his junior and senior year of high school, completed his advanced training afterward, and was…

Donald Goodman was born on January 12, 1932, in Chicago Heights, Illinois. Goodman graduated high school in 1949 and went on to attend the University of Illinois Chicago, which at the time had a campus at Navy Pier, for three years. In 1950, he…

Alfred George was born in Muskegon Heights, Michigan, on August 9, 1925 and moved to Grand Rapids in 1954. After graduating high school, George briefly attended Michigan State University before being drafted into the Navy. George was then sent to…

John Gellert was born on October 20, 1988, in Würzburg, Germany, into a military family which constantly moved around. Gellert graduated high school in Virginia in 2006 and attended some college before deciding he wanted a more challenging career. He…

Raymond Gautreau was born on January 12, 1948 in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, and graduated high school in New Hampshire in 1965. Since his family lacked empathy, Gautreau decided to join the Marine Corps after high school despite news about the war…

Larry Fieser was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1950. He joined thr Army while studying engineering at Merrimack Community College. After basic training, he trained to become an Army medic and was assigned to accompany an infantry unit. He was then…

Vern Erskine was born in Allenville, Michigan in 1921. He attended and graduated high school in St. Ignace, Michigan. He was drafted to the Army in the fall of 1942 and was required to report for duty at Camp Grant, Illinois. Vern completed his basic…

Stanley Erickson was born in Harris, Minnesota in 1919 and after high school worked his way through college as a painter in Chicago. Erickson was drafted into active duty in 1943 and went to Boca Raton, Florida for basic training and then went to a…

Roger Ellis was born on May 18, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in San Jose, California, where he graduated from a prep high school. Ellis then attended college for a bachelor’s degree in English and Dramatic Literature. He also participated…

Gary Diephouse was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on February 8, 1943. He enlisted in the Air Force on September 20, 1964. He received his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, then went to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, for Air…

Harvey Davelaar was born in Wyoming Township, Michigan, on December 23, 1923. After graduating high school in June 1941, he worked in a war factory until he enlisted in the Navy in summer 1942. He reported for basic training at Great Lakes Naval…