Category: History

New Member Spotlight: Shennae Curtis

Comrade Shennae Curtis in her dress whites with friends shortly after she enlisted in the Navy.

This is a recurring column that highlights new VFW Post 3063 members. Comrade Shennae Curtis joined in October 2020 and volunteered to be the Post 3063 Historian.


What motivated you to join the VFW? After seeing so many of my compatriots struggle as they got out to find purpose and meaning in their lives I realized that what I really wanted was a community. One of the things that is hard to find in civilian life but was easy when I was in the military is finding a network of people all trying to achieve the same positive goal. While the time has passed for me to be on active duty, the VFW is a way to still support both my country and the people that protected it.


What is your military background? In the Navy I was a nuclear Electrician’s Mate. We worked long hours, in the depths of a ship, with little in the way of sunlight or communication to the outside. It was difficult, but by bonding together we managed to make the most of it. Some of the strongest bonds that I’ve made in my life were in the service, and I carry them to this day.


Civilian job, education, family, hobbies, or anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself? Now I’ve taken a much less stressful position as a Field Service Engineer for a lighting control company and spend my off hours pursuing my education or reading.


What do you hope to achieve being a member of the VFW? As Post historian I hope to catalog all the stories that Post 3063 holds. I would like to capture all the memories that we have and preserve them so that new members can see all that we’ve accomplished and all that we’ve experienced. If you would like your stories put to record, please reach out to me: [email protected].

Service Flashback: Robert Kettle

Comrade Robert Kettle, Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired) provided these images from his service overseas. From 1990 to 2012, his naval and joint service included serving at sea (Bosnia, GWOT, Iraq, Afghanistan), on land (Iraq, Russia), and on staff (Kosovo while with EUCOM as J2 XO). Bob says his purpose was, “To serve my nation in something that’s not just a job but an adventure that supports life, liberty and the pursuit of all those who threaten it!”


We’d love to see your photos too! Submit them to [email protected].


Service Flashback: Harold Rodenberger

Then Sgt. 1st Class Harold Rodenberger is pictured on May 3, 1967, at the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) II compound at 606 Tran Hung Dao, Cholon (a large mostly Chinese section of Saigon) where the MACV J1 and subordinate offices were located. He worked in the Operations Division, Office of the Adjutant General.


According to Harold:


Our boss said we would work longer than the troops in the field, so we worked 10 to 12-hour weekdays, eight hours on weekends but sometimes got a Sunday off. I proofread MACV Directives, wrote final copies of award citations for MACV personnel, proofed Blue Bell letters (no errors, corrections or strikeovers allowed in those pre-computer days) after the daytime secretaries had gone home. Helped keep the administrative functions running to support field operations.


I could hear better then than I can now, but with a deaf ear, I was ineligible for any of the combat arms so ended up in the administrative field. I found that I enjoyed writing and other administrative tasks so it turned out to be a good fit. I had returned from overseas in July 1965. The troop buildup was in full swing, so my number quickly came up and I headed off to Vietnam less than a year later.


In this photo I was happy to be nearing the end of my tour and returning to CONUS and my wife and young son. Was a little nervous about being assigned to the South Carolina National Guard Advisory Group because I was in an interracial marriage in the days when anti-miscegenation laws were still in force in SC as well as some other states, particularly in the south.

Service Flashback: Joseph Mesa

Comrade Joseph Mesa provided this photo collage of his Vietnam service. Joseph was a combat medic for the 173rd Airborne Brigade, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, from March 1966 to April 1967. He was involved in Operations Silver City, Yorktown, Cedar Falls and Junction City. For Operation Silver City, the 2nd Battalion was awarded a Presidential Citation. In Operation Junction city, the unit had its one combat jump while Joseph was assigned to it. Joseph noted, “I was thrust into combat operations just 9 months after graduating from High School. Still mentally dealing with the aftermath of my combat experience.”