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AGE: 68
HOMETOWN: Creston, Iowa
FAMILY: I have a wife, two sons, nine grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and three step-great grandchildren.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE VFW? In Creston I am the quartermaster for the Creston post. For the state, I'm an assistant sergeant at arms and for the district, I'm the vice commander. I take care of all the monies with the home post. As far as with the state, I help people with the state commander and keeping order at the meetings.
WHAT BRANCH OF THE MILITARY DID YOU SERVE IN? I served in the U.S. Army.
HOW LONG DID YOU SERVE OUR COUNTRY? I served 19 months and 13 months of that was in Vietnam.
WHY DID YOU JOIN THE MILITARY? I was drafted in 1969.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING DRAFTED? Being a patriotic person, I didn't want to join but I was going to go if they took me. I wasn't a draft dodger or anything like that. I wanted to serve my country and I did.
WHAT DOES VETERANS DAY MEAN TO YOU? Veterans Day, to me, it's the biggest day of the year because of the friends I lost while I was over there and the comrades I come back to who are still here to take care of them. I want to say one thing – the support I get from this town and this county, I can't even put into words. The people I get thank yous from, it's just overwhelming. My family sticks behind me. That's the main thing I want to say is that I appreciate everybody in this town and county that's helped me out.
WHAT DID BEING IN THE MILITARY TEACH YOU? It taught me everything. Everything I do is because of the military training I had. If you're on time, you're 15 minutes late. That type of thing. Being loyal to my friends and my family, my veterans. That's the main thing.