Journal of a Veteran

In August of 2001 I PCSed to Fort Hood after spending a year in Kuwait.  Of course, the next month, we were attacked on 9-11.  I was in the G4 shop of the First Cavalry Division and suspiciously was chosen to be the Support Operations Officer of the 15th Foward Support Battalion in the 2nd [...]

Private Harry Johnston
    Private Harry Johnston was my grandfather; my father’s father.  At age 15, he ran away from his orphanage in Iowa to join the Army.  He changed our family name from Johnson to Johnston so they could not track him , lied about his age, and entered the Army prior WWI.  At the [...]

John Wesley Cooksey
    Wes Cooksey was my wife’s grandfather.  Our first son is named after him and unfortunately, I never got to meet him because he died of a stroke before my wife and I ever met.  However, I am very familiar with his military service since he was an excellent “documenter” with his extremely [...]

Arthur Caldwell Cason Jr.
1918-2005
Captain Arthur Caldwell Cason, Jr. died at his home in Bradenton, FL in 2005 after a long, valiant battle with cancer. He was 87. Casey, as he was known to his friends, was born March 20, 1918 and raised in Norfolk, Virginia.   He signed up to become a naval aviator and was [...]

Jack Bradley
Jack Bradley was my wife’s great uncle.  He flew a P-51B “Mustang” with the 354th Fighter Group of the 9th Air Force.  They were called the Pioneer Mustang Group because they were the first to receive the P-51.  His squadron was the 353rd Fighter Squadron.  The Group flew its first combat mission in ETO [...]

Otto Hiegel was one of the first people I met in Lambsborn, Germany.  He does not speak very much English, but I can speak pretty good conversational German.  Over the course of time, we have become friends and he has shared his stories of WWII with me.   Otto was born in 1925.  Lambsborn is located on [...]

In Desert Storm, after the airwar had started and before the ground assault, we were hit by a trememdous sand storm know as a Shamal.  Our group had 6 GP Medium tents, each staked to the sand with special, 4 ft rebarr tent stakes.  We were all nestled in out sleeping bags when it hit.  [...]

Larry was my uncle, my father’s half brother.  In WWII, he flew in the European Theater in a B-17F with the 384th Bomber Group (Heavy), 546th Bomber Squadron.  He was a bombardier and the name of his bomber was “Jolly Roger.”  I met him several times, but he passed away a few years ago.  His [...]