You are on page 1of 7

The Saratoga Sun November 8, 2017, Page 11

The Saratoga Sun’s


Salute to our Veterans
2017
Page 12, November 8, 2017 The Saratoga Sun

Veterans Day events


and activities
By Keith McLendon Medicine Bow Encampment K-12
Schools and organizations Lions Club School
around the area are planning The Medicine Bow Lions Encampment School will
to observe Veterans Day in Club will be holding a Turkey be holding their Veterans

Thank You various ways. Here are the Shoot from 11 a.m. until the Day assembly at 3 p.m. on
observances we found: turkeys are gone on Satur- Thursday, Nov. 9. Local
day, Nov. 11 at the Medicine VFW members also plan to
American Legion Post Bow Community Hall. attend the assembly.
for serving our country and No. 54 Entrants can win a frozen
Hanna, Elk Mountain,
protecting our freedom The Saratoga American turkey supplied by Valley
Foods in Saratoga in one of Medicine Bow High
Legion will be holding a
Veterans Day dinner on three ways. School
James Campbell Saturday, Nov. 11 at their The first way is to be the Hanna Elementary
Bus. (307) 326-5737 403 Bridge Avenue location. top shooter in the target Medicine Bow
Cell. 307-321-8729 A social hour with a cash shooting event using a sup- Elementary
bar will kick off the event plied rifle and ammunition. Elk Mountain
and run from 5 to 6 p.m. The second path to a turkey Elementary
Toward the end of the social is to have a high roll in a dice HEM will be serving a
hour, the flag will be posted roll-off. Veterans Day breakfast
and the pledge of allegiance The third turkey will be from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on
will be performed. To begin given to the low roller in the Thursday, Nov. 9 in the
the dinner at 6 p.m., master dice roll-off. school’s multipurpose room.
of ceremonies Steve Wil- Cost is $2 per ticket. The HEM Band will be per-
coxson will make a small forming during the event.
Veterans Day speech. Din- Saratoga Middle/High After the breakfast, the
ner, from 6 to 8 p.m., will School school will be holding an
feature sirloin roast, baked SM/HS will be holding a assembly which will fea-
potatoes, green beans, sal- Veterans Day assembly at ture students work from
ad, rolls and more. 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. nearby elementary schools.
Everyone is invited to come 8. The school is planning Students from Hanna El-
pay respect to veterans and on having veterans and ac- ementary, Elk Mountain
join in the dinner. Cost for the tive duty military personnel Elementary and Medicine
dinner is $15 for individuals speak at the assembly. The Bow Elementary will be
or $25 per couple. school band will also be per- coming to the high school in
The post would appreciate forming patriotic songs and Hanna to find out the win-
an RSVP which you can the library will present a ners of several projects the
make by calling 326-9600. video highlighting our armed elementary students have
forces. been involved with.
Encampment VFW Kindergarten through
Members of Platte Valley Saratoga Elementary second graders were tasked
VFW 6125 will be selling School with a veteran themed
poppies around Veterans Day SES is planning a Veter- coloring project, third and
and this year is no exception. ans Day assembly at 9 a.m. fourth graders created pa-
Thank you to all who have Proceeds from poppy sales
are used to aid Platte Valley
Thursday, Nov. 9. Carbon
County Sheriff Jerry Colson
triotic posters while fifth
and sixth graders were
served or are serving in veterans in need. will be attending to speak. assigned patriotic essays.

our military for keeping


our country free.
Come in and check out our great deals UNITED STATES marines
on skis, snowboards, ski and snowboard
boots, winter clothing and snowshoes.
Also large selection of winter boots.

Trading Post The recruiter, family and


friends watch as O’Toole
Riverside, WY • Open 7 days does the pullups required
307-327-5720 to join the Marines.

Photos by Keith McLendon Sergeant Boone visits

From left, Shawn Thornton O’Toole, marine recruiter with Shawn’s father as the

Veterans:
Sergeant Carlos Boone, and Shawn Patrick O’Toole. prospective recruit signs.

We appreciate O’Toole follows tradition


all you do and
By Keith McLendon the younger O’Toole had Ma- for basic training until after
Shawn Thornton O’Toole rine recruiter Sergeant Carlos he graduates from Saratoga

have done for us!


has decided to follow in family Boone to his father’s house in Middle/High School this com-
tradition by joining the United Saratoga Oct 24 to sign papers. ing May—and even then would
States Marines. Boone guided the 17-year- have a month or two before
Shawn’s father, Shawn Pat- old O’Toole through the stack reporting for duty.
We offer a full line of groceries rick O’Toole, achieved the of paperwork needed to get When paperwork was fin-
rank of Petty Officer 2nd class into the service and chatted ished, Boone ran O’Toole
Fresh produce before leaving the service. with both the younger and old- through the minimum physical
Top quality meats Shawn’s grandfather and er O’Toole during the process. requirements for joining, ask-
grandmother were both Ma- During the paper signing, ing the signer to do 45 crunch-
OPEN EVERY DAY! rines. Shawn’s great uncles Sgt. Boone related that though es in a two minute timeframe
Bobby and Thomas were in O’Toole would need to go to the and an untimed 6 pull-ups.
1702 South Hwy 130
the Corps and his Uncle Tim is Military Entrance Processing The prospective Marine said
(307) 326-5336
currently a Lieutenant Colonel Station in Denver within the he plans to specialize in weld-
in the service. next few weeks, the new sign- ing while following in his fam-
So it was no surprise when ee would not have to show up ily’s footsteps.
The Saratoga Sun November 8, 2017, Page 13

Proud to have served


UNITED STATES ARMY our country.
Proud to serve our

A Sherr thing
community.

VFW Post #6125


Former green beret concerned with lack of vet Encampment
participation in advocacy, groups
By Mike Armstrong Thank you for
Michael Sherr was the
American Legion District 6
Commander for the state of
our freedom!
Wyoming, until very recent-
ly, retiring in 2017.
District 6 goes oversees all
posts in southeast Wyoming
from Rawlins to Pine Bluffs,
which includes the towns
and cities in between.
“Rawlins to the Nebraska
border,” Sherr said. “It is a
big territory to cover.”
Thanks to all our veterans
Sherr is still Commander and all who are serving now
for Hittner Engstrom-Dun-
can Post No. 122 in Rawlins.
As the Commander of Post
No. 122, his duties include
supervising post operations,
member recruitment, fund
raising, military funeral hon- Full Service Family Salon — 326-8066
ors, and other jobs that crop
up not necessarily in the job
description.
Sherr said a major problem
with American Legion (Le-
gion) and Veteran of Foreign
Saratoga Auto Parts
Wars (VFW) posts in Carbon
County is that new member-
ship is falling off to a critical
Thanks you
point.
“A big problem for Rawlins,
Photo by Mike Armstrong

American Legion Post No. 122 Commander, Mike Sherr. for your
is we can get nine or ten new
members in a year, but quite This had positive benefits by watch Trucking and did that service.
a lot of them are oil kids and making Sherr knowledgeable until 2010.
within six months or so, they in many facets of the Army, In August 2010, Sherr was
get transferred out,” Sherr but it meant constant touring made co-commander of the
said. “We have over 1700 with no leave time. Rawlins American Legion The Sun online: saratogasun.com
veterans in Carbon County, This was all stateside. post. In Oct. of the same
but between, Encampment, Then he was assigned to the year. Sherr lost a leg. Even-
Saratoga, Hanna, Medicine Gabriel attachment. tually, the other leg had to
Bow and Rawlins we only “This is a unit that travels be amputated also.
have 307 vets registered in around to church and civic “The doctor saw thousands
the VFW and Legion. That groups where you tell what of hairline fractures in my
leaves over 1400 not affiliat- the Green Berets do,” said feet from the jumping I had
ed with either.” Sherr. “We went around to a done over the years,” Sherr We appreciate
Sherr said he has 76 mem- lot of towns and be spit and said. “They told me they your service to
bers at his post that pay polish. It was a compliment could do three or four sur- our country!
dues, but only about a dozen to be chosen, but I would geries but eventually I would
that are core players in help- have rather spent a hundred end up in a wheelchair, so I
ing him run the operational days out in the field.” said no and had it removed.”
duties of the post. After the Gabriel attach- In Dec. of 2010, Sherr be-
“It is sometimes like pull- ment, Sherr went to Thai- came the solo commander of
ing teeth when contacting land for a tour. He went the Rawlins Legion.

Thank you
some members about help- there to train the Thai border In 2011 he was offered
ing, but then there are the police in helping stop drug the position of District 6
core I can give a days notice flow. He found the coun- Commander even though he

Veterans!
about a funeral we have to be try interesting, especially had only been a commander
present and they are there where he was stationed. of the Rawlins post for six
with no questions,” Sherr Sherr said the locals there months. He held this posi-
said. embraced Americans. He can tion from 2011 until 2017.
Sherr’s wife, Vancine, is also remember hearing tigers A huge concern Sherr has
president of Medicine Bow’s making noise at night and it with the lack of vets joining (307) 326-5257
Auxiliary, so the family is was where he saw his first the Legion and VFW is these 200 N. 1st St., Saratoga
strong with it’s commitment elephant not in a zoo. organizations are charted by
to the veterans. Another tour he found in- Congress and are voices to
A Rawlins native, Sherr teresting was in Germany. the government about vet’s
joined the National Guard There he found himself in a rights.
when he was in high school. small town in Germany in “New guys need to step in
After he graduated, he went 1987 where he stationed at now so they can learn stuff
from the National Guard, a German post that guard- to defend veterans benefits,
to United States Army Air- ed a nuclear site. He was because if it stays the way it
borne School where he was there to teach the American is now, there won’t be anyone
asked to join the Special soldiers defending the site to this,” Sherr said. “The Le-
Forces (Green Berets). how to face combat in case gion is very family oriented
“They say you are a three of an attack. While this tour organization and we have a
time loser if you volunteer he learned about building network that is established
for the army, jump school
and special forces. I guess I
nuclear weapons.
After 12 years in the mili-
in helping vets and their
families. But you need new
VETERANS DAY
am a three time loser.” Sherr tary, Sherr left. vets to join to keep all this DINNER POST 54
laughed. In 1994 he worked for the going.”
Sherr said his command- Sheriff’s department in Ft. “Our outlook is that we saturday NOV. 11, 2017
er didn’t assign him to one Lewis, Washington. In 1996 do anything for veterans
duty, but rather had him as he was in Idaho working for that we possibly can,” Sherr Social Hour 5pm to 6pm with Cash Bar
a “slot guy”, a person who a labor union. said. “Vets are a part of my Dinner 6pm to 8pm
went to a school when a In 1999, Sherr came back to family.” $15 per person or $25 per couple
position opened up and the Wyoming to help his mother. Please RSVP to Post Home at 326-9600
In 2004, he founded Black-
commander had to fill it.
By Nov. 4
PUBLIC WELCOME
Page 14, November 8, 2017 The Saratoga Sun

Take time to honor


those who have served - UNITED STATES NAVY
Thank a veteran

The Outhouse
Gift Shop
201 E Bridge Ave., Saratoga
307-326-3884
Photo by Mike Armstrong

Retired Naval
Quartermaster Chief
Shane Blakeman.
Blakeman is
currently the
Medicine Bow
Assistant Director
of Public Works and
is also a council
member for that
town.

Submarines to satellites
Blakeman’s 21 -year Naval career goes from subs
to recruiting to space warfare

The Saratoga
By Mike Armstrong 1990’s. ers, Destroyers Group Five.
Shane Blakeman can le- “We had a three submarine There he served with a one
gitimately tell people he is rendezvous in the arctic,” star admiral for two years.

Sun proudly a hometown boy from Med-


icine Bow.
“Born in Laramie, but from
Blakeman said. “We go up
through the ice and all got out,
one sub from the West Coast,
Next, Blakeman found a po-
sition as the scheduler for the
U.S. 3rd Fleet. He did this for

salutes all that point on, raised and


graduated high school from
here and while I joined the
one from the East Coast and
a British sub.”
Being under ice was the
18 months.
His last assignment in the
Navy was in Space Age War-

of America’s military when I was between


my junior and senior year,”
Blakeman said.
usual for the U.S.S. Sea Devil.
Blakeman said one time the
boat was under pack ice for
fare (Spa War) that he did for
two years.
After 21 years in the mili-

veterans He knew he wanted to go


into the armed forces from
his early years and decided
87 days.
His next assignment after
the U.S.S. Sea Devil was to
tary, Blakeman left the Navy.
He retired from the Navy
in 2006 as a Quartermaster
the Navy was for him. go to Pensacola, Florida to Chief.

The Chase is on!


He started out his 21-year Recruitment school. After He came back to Medicine
career in the Navy on a sub- completing his training there Bow where worked for Carbon
marine. To serve on a sub- he was sent for recruiting County District No. 2 for eight
marine is volunteer, but a duty in Portland, Oregon and years and then came to work
strenuous six week program then Provo, Utah. In Provo he for the town Medicine Bow
Chase is approximate- testing physical and mental served three years. four years ago.
ly a 4-5 month old abilities must be passed first. “It was what we called 36 “The draw for coming back
Hound mix. Chase is “Not everyone who takes one-month tours, because to Medicine Bow was the
good with everyone the test makes it,” Blakeman in recruiting duty you are community,” Blackman said.
he meets! He is great said. “There is about a 40 per- based on your evaluations “It was the place that gave me
cent dropout rate. Not every- on what you did that month the life I had and I wanted to
with other dogs and one can handle tight spaces.” and the next month you start give it to my family.”
appears to be mostly Blakeman started out as a all over,” Blakeman said. “So Blakeman joined the Veter-
potty trained. He has machinist. every month you finish, every ans for Foreign Wars (VFW)
not yet been tested He was attached to the month you started over. Fin- in Rock River. He said the
with cats. nuclear fast attack subma- ish, start, and I did that for VFW has strong support for
rine, U.S.S. Sea Devil. The 36 months.” the communities and other
average crew for this sub is The area he covered went vets and that is why he joined.
Ad sponsored by Flying Diamond Ranch 170 assigned and it goes out down to the Arizona bor- He is concerned on the
To help sponsor pet ads, call 326-8311 to sea with 115. der and the candidates he dwindling numbers of new
There was a diesel Sea looked for were intelligent, members in the American
Rawlins Rochelle Animal Shelter Devil sub before the nuclear with a strong technology Legion and the VFW.
2711 E Murray, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301 • (307) 328-4534 U.S.S. Sea Devil. background. Blakeman said “The new generation of
Monday-Friday 3pm-5:30pm Appointments at other hours available.
“The Sea Devil name was recruits have to be qualified members has to make sure
a tradition,” Blakeman said. because the Navy’s job is to people are in the active duty
“The diesel Sea Devil is the control the seaways and that roles are getting a fair shake,
one that saved George H.W. requires scientific and techni- Blakeman said. “We are the
Bush during World War II.” cal knowledge. voice that keeps the senators,
The nuclear U.S.S. Sea When he was finished with congressmen and governors
Devil was based in Charles- recruiting he was made Quar- aware of how we should treat
ton, South Carolina and termaster First Class. our veterans and our active
Bateman served on the boat From Provo, he went to San duty service.”
for six years. During this Diego and was assigned to Blakeman said the reason
time, he was honored by the U.S.S. George Phillip, a he joined the military was
being picked to be the Navi- frigate. Because it was in dry to serve his country and the
gation Quartermaster on the dock, he went on loan to the people. That is why he wants
crew that decommissioned U.S.S. Juno for a six-month to make sure vets and active
that Sea Devil. deployment. duty are treated well and the
The decommissioned nu- He came back to the U.S.S. organizations that represent
clear U.S.S. Sea Devil is now George Phillip, but due to vets stay vocal.
moored at the Submarine a back injury, he spent 14 “You know the freedom of
Force Library and Museum months rehabilitating. this country is sometimes
in New Groton, Connecticut. “They got me back on my taken for granted and that is
There are stories he can’t feet,” Blakeman said, “From hard to take, but we always
talk about because they are there I went to the missile seem to have those other peo-
classified, but Blakeman cruiser U.S.S. Cowpens for ple that fight for this freedom
does say he can talk about three years.” in our country,” Blakeman
one experience he can share. His next assignment was said. “This needs to continue
It happened in the early with the Commander of Cruis- always.”
The Saratoga Sun November 8, 2017, Page 15

UNITED
STATES ARMY THANK YOU
VETERANS!

Shively Hardware North • N. Hwy 130 • Saratoga, WY 82331 • (307) 326-8880 • (800) 300-8389
Photo courtesy of Richard Thompson
Shively Hardware Downtown • 119 E. Bridge St. • (307) 326-8383
Richard Thompson during his time in Vietnam.

Just do it The Sun online: saratogasun.com


Thompson felt need to serve country

HOTEL
By Fred Broschart
For many from across the
Valley, serving their nation
in a time of war was not

WOLF
something they were asked
to do; it was something that
they just did. Such was the
case with Richard Thompson,
66, commonly known around
Saratoga as “Dickey T.”
A life-long Saratoga resi-
dent, Thompson volunteered
Sincere thanks and
for the Army in 1969 during
the final stages of the Vietnam
War. At a time when the draft
Photo by Fred Broschart
gratitude to our veterans!
was going on, the war was
101 East Bridge Avenue, Saratoga, WY 82331
326-5525
Richard “Dickey T”
unpopular and many were
Thompson today.
dodging the draft, Thompson
felt serving his nation was
u for yo
Thank yoess from
ur
busin ell Family
www.wolfhotel.com
pb
something he should do. “I felt like I had to stay there The Cam
“You just did it, I don’t and help people out.”
know,” he said when asked Thompson said that he
his motivations for enlisting. found Vietnam a beautiful
Thompson says he quit high country, and despite the fact
school to enlist, went off to it was ravaged by years of war,
basic training then his occu- he enjoyed the scenery and
pational school in the Army found the people to be inter-
before being sent to Vietnam. esting and friendly. He doesn’t
Thompson served three hold any grudge against the
tours—29 months—in Viet- people of Vietnam, he said,
nam, arriving in late 1969. saying the war was just as
Originally, he served in Cu much out of their hands as it
Chi, an area near Saigon, or was out of the hands of U.S.
Ho Chi Minh City. The area soldiers.
was famous during the war “It’s a beautiful place, tropi-
for being home to a network cal and beautiful beaches and
of tunnels used by the Viet everything,” he said.
Cong to conduct guerilla war- He wants to go back and
fare. The year previous to visit Vietnam, he said, and is
Thompson’s arrival, 1968, the hoping to do so soon. He’s glad
tunnels were used by the Viet to see the people of Vietnam
Cong during the Tet offensive and the U.S. reconciling and
when the city of Hue was de- putting the past behind them.
molished, and the U.S. Marine After his final tour in Viet-
Base at Khe Sahn was lain nam, Thompson returned
under siege. stateside to Fort Riley, Kan-
Later, Thompson served in sas, where he finished out his
Da Nang, further north from four-year hitch as an MP at
Cu Chi and the Saigon area, the base north of Kansas City.
and much closer to the city of His wide variety of experienc-
Hue. In Da Nang, Thompson es in the Army, from front-line
served as a Military Police- combat to being in the rear
man, or MP.
Thompson said he was
proud to serve, even if he
echelon as an MP in Da Nang
gave him a good perspective,
he said. He was able to serve
Saluting Those Who Served
his country and his fellow sol-
Past, present & future
wasn’t enthusiastic about
being in the Army. For him, diers, but also came away with
pride in serving was derived experiences of an exotic land.
from helping his fellow sol- “The good times were really
diers. For those in the combat
zone, he said, there is a re-
sponsibility to other soldiers
fun,” he said. “The bad times
were really terrible.”
Thompson says he’s proud Hewitt & Associates REAL
Hewitt & Associates
ESTATE
A
A
ction
ction
Real Estate LLC
REAL ESTATE
Real Estate LLC
Hewitt & Associates

ActA
that comes first and foremost. to have served in the Army, Hewitt & Associates REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE
“I would have stayed there and was proud to have vol-
(Vietnam) until I was out of unteered. But he stresses he
the Army, but they didn’t let was never really alone, even Aspen
Hewitt & Gold Realty
Associates REALAspen
ESTATE Aspen GoldFrontier
Realty Real
me,” Thompson said. “It was in Vietnam, since many peo- Aspen& Associates
Gold Realty
Hewitt & Associates
Hewitt
Gold
Cornerstone
REAL ESTATE
Realty
Realty, LLC
all about the camaraderie; you ple from around the Valley REAL ESTATE
Cornerstone Realty, LLC
Realty
Frontier
Cornerstone Realty, LLC
felt like you had to be there to served. Many people he knew Realty
take care of people, hell, you joined up and served in Viet-
knew what you were doing
and the new guys coming in
nam he said.
“I’m proud of every one of
Aspen
AspenGold Realty
Gold Realty
don’t. them, too,” he said. Aspen Gold Realty Cornerstone
Cornerstone Realty, LLC Fron
Realty, LLC
Rea
Cornerstone Realty, LLC
Page 16, November 8, 2017 The Saratoga Sun

UNITED STATES NAVY

Photos by Mike Armstrong

Rex Rudd’s holds his 1968 and 1969 Vietnam and


service yearbooks.

This photo, taken from Rex Rudd’s Vietnam


1968 yearbook, shows a view of the U.S.S. New
Jersey as it pulls alongside the U.S.S. St. Paul to
begin highlining operations.

Rudd goes from subs to guns


By Mike Armstrong the line and personnel are became commander of Wil- did not think he had the time he will be in Medicine Bow to
Rex Rudd enrolled in Army relayed between ships. This liam Horn Post No. 64 in to be in both the Legion and celebrate.
ROTC at South Dakota State was done in the Tonkin Gulf Medicine Bow. the VFW. He says actually It would be difficult to
University in Brookings. or as Rudd said, “The Tonkin The Rudds have two chil- both organizations help each imagine Rudd not being in
Rudd said he let his grades Gulf Yacht Club.” dren, Barry and Bridget. His other during the Memorial Medicine Bow celebrating
slip and the draft board came When the ship was state- son graduated from the Air and Veteran Day services. this monumental occasion.
knocking, so he enlisted in side, it was based in San Di- Force Academy in 2001 and Rudd said the situation Rudd says there are 48
the Navy before the Army ego. Rudd said the U.S.S. St. is still in the Air Force. now in north Carbon County members in the American
got him. Paul was re-gunned in Subic His daughter graduated is not good for membership. Legion and 29 in the VFW.
Rudd said his brother being Bay in the Philippines on his from the University of Pitts- He said since the vets from Unfortunately many of the
an Army medic in Vietnam second deployment in 1969. burg and went to live in Ja- World War II and Korean members are living out of
played in Rudd’s request to “An EC121 plane was shot pan. Rudd said at one time War have passed away, not state.
go to submarine school in down with 18 American lives she was the American Legion, many vets are joining to fill Rudd does what he can
New Groton, Conn. lost off North Korea while department of Wyoming, those spots. to help vets in need. He is
Serving on a submarine is we were in Subic and we Auxiliary President during “It does hurt,” said Rudd. known to take a veteran to
entirely voluntary and Rudd left immediately for North 1995-96. He said the Auxiliary Cheyenne to the VA when
did so. He was assigned to the Korea’s coast,” said Rudd. Rudd says he has only groups really help tremen- needed.
S.S. Bugara for four months. “We spent more than a more missed four Memorial Ser- dously. Rudd doesn’t like to talk
It was a diesel submarine and or so, because tensions were vices in 45 years. He has been Rudd is not sure of his fu- about what he actually does
headed to the west Pacific. He pretty high.” leading them at Medicine ture in Medicine Bow because for vets because he thinks
found the sub to be discon- The U.S.S. St. Paul even- Bow, Carbon Cemetery and his daughter has some health it is just what he should do
certing and decided to leave tually returned back base Hanna. issues and he wants to be being a part of the Legion.
submarine service. where Rudd extended his He is the person who does near her in California where “After all, I am just fol-
Once back stateside, he service. He then found him- the Avenue of Flags in both she resides. lowing the four pillars of
was assigned to the U.S.S. self assigned to Widbey Is- Hanna and Medicine Bow ev- He said the American Le- the American Legion,” Rudd
St. Paul, a heavy cruiser. In land Air Force/Naval Base in ery year. Rudd joined the Vet- gion’s 100 year anniversary said. “They are Defense, Vet-
1968, he began two seven Washington state. erans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is coming up and although erans, Children and Youths
month tours. He was discharged in 1971, in 1995 although for some he might be in California in plus Patriotism. It is that
“We went from March to after serving four years, eight time he resisted because he the year to come, Rudd said simple.”
September off the coast of months and one day.
North and South Vietnam,” He went back to South
said Rudd. “Technically there Dakota and then took heavy
were two heavy cruisers in equipment school training in
those waters at all times.” Oregon. Once he completed
This was during the height his education, on his way
U.S. naval involvement in the back home, he stopped in
Vietnam War. Rapid City, where he saw an
Rudd said this was the employment ad for a scraper
third combat deployment to in Shirley Basin.
the west Pacific operations. “What the hell is that, I
The U.S.S. St. Paul fired a asked myself,” Rudd said.
total of 64,055 rounds on Once he found out, he was
Rudd’s first deployment. This off to Wyoming. His first day
made the U.S.S. St. Paul the in Medicine Bow, an Amer-
ship that fired more rounds ican Legion member asked
than any other warship in the Rudd if he was a vet. He told
Vietnam conflict. him he was and the Legion
“One the biggest highlights member got him to join in
in my naval service was on Medicine Bow that day.
Sept. 30, 1968, at the end of That was in the spring of
the ship’s tour, the battleship 1972. In 1973 he started to
U.S.S. New Jersey highlined work for Arch Coal and was
an admiral between the two with the company for 38
ships.” years. 1973 was also the year
Highlining is when a rope he met his wife Kathy at the
is rigged between two ships Medicine Bow laundromat. This photo from Rudd’s 1968 Vietnam yearbook shows the ship’s bell as an admiral
with a bosun’s chair put on It was not long before Rudd is highlined between ships.
The Saratoga Sun November 8, 2017, Page 17

UNITED STATES ARMY

Photos courtesy Carl Pigg

Left, Pigg in his Class A dress uniform.

Above, Pigg poses next to a Piper Cub float plane in


Alaska along with a visiting friend.

Right, Pigg fresh off the bus to Seattle.

Far Right, Pigg poses in front of his barracks in Texas.

Pigg gets drafted ... twice


90 year old Saratoga resident recalls two tours in the Army
By Fred Broschart brother wanted to go to body years earlier at the end of
“I just went and did what and fender school, so he went World War II on his way to
they told me to do,” Carl to St. Louis and did that. My Seattle.
Pigg, 90, said. “That’s about other brother worked in a Pigg had two sisters living
it, really.” Pigg, a long-time sawmill part time then decid- in Saratoga, he said, and
resident of Saratoga, said ed he wanted to drive a school after having enough of the
the best advice anyone could bus. He got away from that repressive heat and humid-
have given him when he was and worked in St. Louis.” ity for which Missouri is
young and drafted into the He worked at the family infamous, he decided to head
Army would be to just do sawmill for some time until west.
what you need to do. his country called for him to “I told everybody I’m going
“You don’t ask them where serve once again. This time, where it’s cool,” he said.
you’re going, they tell you he was drafted to serve in In Saratoga, he met and
where you’re going,” he said the Army during the Korean married his wife, Mary, who
with a chuckle. War. was also from Missouri but
Pigg was drafted into the “They said, ‘you go,’ so the who had been living in Sara-
U.S. Army at the end of second of January I was in toga since third grade. He
World War II. By the time the army again,” he said. took work driving a truck. “I
he was inducted, the Axis After being inducted into hauled logs for over 50 years,”
powers had surrendered and the U.S. Army for the second Pigg said. “I’d do it again, but
hostilities had ceased. The time in his life, he was sent to my wife won’t let me.”
U.S. Army was changing its Alaska where he was part of Pigg also said he would
footing from a combat force to an anti-aircraft battery pro- serve in the Army again if his
that of an army of occupation. tecting Elmendorf Air Force country needed him. “If they
Pigg entered the Army in Base in Anchorage, Alaska. wanted me to go—and I know
1946, a few months after the During the Korean War, they wouldn’t—I’d go now,”
Japanese signed an uncon- there was concern that some- he said. For Pigg, the thing
ditional surrender on Sept. one, maybe the Russians or of which he is most proud is
2, 1945. “The thing that they the Chinese, might be able that he did his duty when his
did if they could at all, they’d to attack the air base, which country asked—both times it
leave one man home,” Pigg was an important transpor- asked.
said. “I had two brothers in tation hub for soldiers and “It was my time to go, and I
the Army Air Force and I was equipment being flown into was proud to go and I went,”
still at home. Carl Pigg in his second stint in the Army. This time theater on the Korean Pen- he said. “And they came
“As soon as my older broth- stationed in Alaska. insula or Japan. along and asked and I went
er got out, I went.” Pigg was there for a while again. I don’t say that there
He left his home in Missou- as part of the anti-aircraft is anything important about
ri near the Ozarks, and set souri to Seattle,” he said. “We a while, he was discharged unit before he again was what I did, but I did what
off for Fort Bliss, in Texas, went right by here (Saratoga) from the army and was back discharged from the Army, they told me.
where he did basic training on the way.” home in Missouri working at allowing him to return home “The way I look at it, but
and became part of a half- Pigg did not have the op- his family’s sawmill. to Missouri. He would not be this is where we live, this is
track unit. From there, his portunity to travel to any of “They had it so you could there very long, though, since what we’ve got to take care
unit was dispatched to Seat- the occupied countries during go on to school or take up he decided to he was going to of. If we don’t take care of it,
tle, Washington. “I was on a his first time in the Army at a trade or something,” Pigg move out west, to Saratoga, nobody else will.”
bus for three days from Mis- the end of World War II. After said. “After I got out, my the town his bus passed by

GEt your active-duty military friend or relative a

Free subscription To the Saratoga Sun!


Just fill out the form below and send it to: The Saratoga Sun, PO Box 489, Saratoga, WY 82331
or drop it by at or office at 116 East Bridge Avenue in Saratoga.
We’ll do our part to keep your service personnel informed of what’s going on in their hometown!
I (below) would like to send my military friend a gift subscription! Send a FREE active-duty military subscription to the personnel below:

Name Name

Address Address

City State Zip


City State Zip

You might also like