Category: History

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.”

Service Throwback: Wally Michl

Comrade Wally Michl, then a U.S. Army soldier, is pictured second from the left here in a photo from North Korea in the fall of 1950. The truck was a 3/4 ton Weapons Carrier with C Battery, 8th Field Artillery Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. It hit a mine and Wally was right behind the vehicle when it happened. He notes that someone gave him this photo during a reunion many years after it was taken!


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

Quartermaster’s Update (October 2020)

By Harold Rodenberger


What a summer it’s been! Pestilence, fire, smoke, it seems almost Biblical. No swarms of locusts or floods yet, but the year’s not over. The fires and smoke have gone, but the pestilence remains, and will for who knows how long. Mask up, wash up and space out. Best practices for you and your fellow humans.


The highlight of the summer quarter was our fundraiser. As of this writing, the net gain to our Relief Fund is approximately $4,350. We are still receiving donations so I don’t know what the final figure will be. Whatever it is, it will be much appreciated by the needy recipients of our Relief Fund donations. Many thanks to all of you who contributed items for the auction; those who purchased items from the auction; Chef Kay and helpers; all those who helped put on and serve the spaghetti dinner; and the drivers who delivered to our members who were unable to attend.

This year, in nursing homes and hospitals across the country, the disabled veterans who normally assemble our VFW Buddy Poppies have been unable to do so. As a result, VFW Posts throughout America have been asked to help out by assembling Buddy Poppies. To encourage participation, we will earn $0.02 for our Relief Fund for each poppy assembled. If you would like to help out, please email me at [email protected] or call or text 206-972-2135 and I’ll get you started.


Our Post has mementos of past events that need to be preserved for future generations of members, ergo we need a person (Post Historian) who is interested in organizing, documenting and posting photographs and documents to the online History Room on our website. If you would like to help out in this way, please contact me, and let’s get important post history preserved.


This year disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, and primary caregivers for qualified veterans were added to the list of patrons at the military exchanges and commissaries. If you have a Veteran Health identification Card (VHIC), you can shop there. If you qualify but have no ID card, you can apply for one at https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/vhic.


At some time, we all did our patriotic duty by serving in a war zone, defending our country and its allies. Soon it will be time to do our patriotic duty again. In this year’s general election, we will be choosing our leaders from local city, county and state officials all the way up to members of congress and the president. The right to vote is embedded in our constitution and is a patriotic duty of all Americans. Exercise your rights and vote! You can check your voter registration info at voter.votewa.gov.