"long service" guys

[dan_the_hun84]

I was thinking about this the other day, were there any documented men who served from WW1-VN era?...I know it seems like a stretch, but say a man was born in 1899, and retired in the mid 60s?, maybe serving in reserve or NG status towards the end of thier time? Also, were there any guys who were WW2 vets that served into the 90s?

[Flashlarue]

I had a supply sergeant, E-8, in 1978 whose service stripes came up to within 2 inches ofhis rank on his Class A uniform. He had 7 rows of ribbons on his rack but I never paid any attention to how many years of service he had. He said he was a "brown boot" soldier from when blacks had a separate side of the military post.

[Flashlarue]

I also had a WW2 MOH soldier in my USAR unit in 1982. He wore E-5 Sargeant stripes but had been a Capt. In WW2 (field promotion). It required congressional approval from him to stay in and even then it was not for pay statis. He served in Vietnam as an advisor when the French were still there. He only wore the ribbons he earned in the reserves on his uniform.

[Allan H.]

This guy wasn't army, but Admiral Hyman Rickover served on active duty for 63 years. He was born in 1900 and entered the Naval Academy in 1918. Thus, Rickover was eligible for the WWI Victory medal. He was promoted to full admiral in 1973 and was forced to retire in 1982. While Rickover served forever, he did not see service in Korea or Vietnam.

 

From my personal experience in the army, I knew a warrant officer who had served for over fifty years. I was told that he had to have presidential permission to remain in service. I also recall while at the JRTC when it was at Camp Gruber, OK that there was a senior NCO who had served in World War II. Assuming no break in service, he would have had over fifty years of service.

 

There was a photo in one of the WWII National Geographic magazines of a senior NCO who had so many hash marks and overseas bars that he had to wear his SSI on his right shoulder and the tip of his chevron was at the top of his left sleeve. I seem to recall that the guy had served for close to fifty years at the time.

 

Finally, back in the mid 80's, I worked for a brief time at Manion's Auction. We had an Ike jacket come through the auction that had three WWI service chevrons and six WWII o/seas bars sewn on the left cuff in front of ten or eleven hash marks. The seller who sent it in was one of the more prolific pickers who did motel buys all up and down the east coast. I have no doubt to this day that it was a 100% original uniform coat.

 

Allan

[hink441]

Master Chief Rudy Boesch served with continuous service from 1945 to 1990.

[dan_the_hun84]

My only experience in the regard was when I was in the Air Force, around the 2001-02 time frame I knew a E-8 SMSgt who was in VN, he had enlisted in '68 or '69 if I remember right.

[jguy1986]

Here's an article from All Hands in 1959, about Chief Boilerman Frank Oliva. He joined up in 1914 and had completed 45 years of service by the time of the article, 43 of them at sea. As the top photo, his crow is just about as good as a SSI patch, with all those service stripes taking up the rest of his sleeve.

 

-- Jon

 

[Garandomatic]

I have the WWII uniform of a man that was involved in combat cargo in the CBI. I got it from his son, and while the uniform was somewhat stripped, it all matches up and I am restoring it off and on. He enlisted in 1942, and was later in the New Hampshire Air Guard until retiring in 1986. Had two DFCs and quite a few OLCs on his Air Medal. Geoff Gentilini was a bit surprised to not be able to pull his file because, if I understood him correctly, serving until 1986 makes his records recent enough that they won't release them or something like that.

 

Just found his obituary. Looks like he went regular Air Force for a while, then Air Guard.

 

http://currentobituary.com/ShowObit.aspx?id=97085&member_id=11

[SFMike]

In my time, 66-70, there were a number of WW 2 guys still serving in SF.

 

Amongst them were a few Luftwaffe and Whermacht vets.

 

Also quite a lot of E European former freedom fighters.

 

These guys were recruited under the Lodge act.

All were very experienced highly respected officers and senior NCOs.

The guys in SF were mostly "original manifest" meaning the 1st to be in SF.

A few survive including a Latvian Luftwaffe guy I served with in VN.

[uniformcollector]

I've never heard of a WWI-Vietnam vet, but I assume it's possible. If they joined in 1918 and retired in 1956, that would only be 38 years of service.

 

General William Vessey served from 1941-1985 in the Army. I believe he was the last WWII four-star General in service.

 

Chief Torpedoman's Mate Harry Morris served from 1903-1958 (55 years). He was the longest serving enlisted veteran. Below is a photo of a uniform of his I have in my collection. Notice the 13 service stripes that he earned.

[dan_the_hun84]

1903-1958.......wow, THAT'S a career!

[lettow]

General Charles King did not have continuous service but his military career began as an orderly in the Iron Brigade in the Civil War and continued through WWI. In between he served in the Indian Wars, Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection. He received campaign awards for all five and was credited with 70 years of military service.

 

http://www.erbzine.com/mag12/1268.html

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Everyone,

 

I believe old "Fuss and Feathers" holds the record for service longevity at 53 years during the 19th Century

 

General Winfield Scott

[scottiques]

General William Vessey served from 1941-1985 in the Army. I believe he was the last WWII four-star General in service.

 

 

Vessey was a WW2 vet, but didn't become a GO until the Viet Nam era.

 

Scott

[scottiques]

BG John Costa joined the Army Air Corps in 1943, right out of HS. He was commissioned in 1944 and served in WW2. Post war, he resigned his commission in order to go to the United States Military Academy.

 

His last assignment was as the Head of the Foreign Language Department at West Point. He retired from that position in 1989-- the LAST WW2 Veteran on active duty in the Army.

 

Scott

[Baron3-6]

I knew a SFC who was a 101st veteran of Hamburger Hill who deployed to Afghanistan as an Infantry Platoon Sgt. in the IN NG in 2005. Someone on active duty gave "the old man" crap about why he had a 101st combat patch with airborne wings but no air assault wings.....this NCO got a string of cussing like no other about it being Airborne first.

 

In 2007 while a Cadet, a reserve unit came to train us...100th Division I think. One SFC handing out ammo was wearing a MACV combat patch....he was handing out blanks for the close combat course telling cadets "watch out for charlie!!"

 

In 2011 while deployed to Afghanistan, I ran into a full Colonel Catholic Chaplain in a chow line wearing a 1st cav combat patch with an Airborne tab. As I started to ask him about it I got a look like "Oh man...here we go again"...but then he realized I knew it was authorized form Vietnam. He had served in '71 as an 18 year old infantryman.

[Stuart GI]

Here is another old-timer, S/Sgt Harry Rudolph, born 1879, served during the Philippine Insurrection to WWII. He had 44 to 47+ years at the time of the attached photo, depending on when he started, before or during the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902). Plus a few more months, if he made it to V-J Day as he was determined to do.

 

Mike

[1SG_1st_Cav]

This is the ribbon rack for 1SG ® Thomas J. Vernor. He joined the US Navy In November 1941 at the age of 15 1/2 years old. He earned his 1st Purple Heart one month and 2 days after his 16th birthday flying as a Gunner on a TBD off of the USS Yorktown [CV-5] during the Battle of the Coral Sea. After his discharge from the Navy in December 1945 he went back to Dumas, AR. The only thing he knew how to do was blow stuff up. So he joined the US Army, eventually served in the Korean War with the 2nd Infantry Division. Then he spent 47 months serving in Vietnam [mostly with the 1st Air Cavalry Division]. He retired in 1972 with 31 years of military service. He then worked for the CIA for 19 years, mostly in South America. He was my friend and he served our nation proudly for 50 years. Danny

[1SG_1st_Cav]

Here is a picture of Top Vernor in his dress blue uniform. This is the same uniform he was buried in at Arlington National Cemetery in 2007. There were nearly 50 Hard Chargers plus families and guests that attended his funeral.

Rest in Peace you 'ol war horse! Danny

[patches]

An unknown 5th Inf Div vet, according to the caption (it's scanned from an Osprey Men at Arms) the photo was taken in the ETO in October 1944, and this M'Sgt is going home after 30 years. He also has Officers cuff bands, which is to indicate previous commissioned service.

[Garandomatic]

Navy Chief Stephen Koteles was 69 in '67 when Bob Hope brought him up on stage for his Christmas special. Check it out at about 29:00 or so in.

 

 

4 war vet, apparently.

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119739986

[patches]

Navy Chief Stephen Koteles was 69 in '67 when Bob Hope brought him up on stage for his Christmas special. Check it out at about 29:00 or so in.

 

 

4 war vet, apparently.

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119739986

Good one Grando, I remember that guy, got the whole DVD series of Bob's 64-72 shows

[Garandomatic]

THat's pretty cool! Are they still available??

[patches]

THat's pretty cool! Are they still available??

sure

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Hope-Vietnam-Years-1964-1972/dp/B00030ANYU/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1433272123&sr=1-1&keywords=bob+hope+vietnam

[12A54]

At Ft, Meade, MD in 1977 (MTU #1), I saw a senior NCO in the mess hall wearing a glider badge and a 17th Airborne combat patch.

 

In Korea in 1983 (2nd Infantry Division), my First Sergeant had been Elvis Presley's Section Sergeant in the 1950s.

 

For the win, though: In 1984, our Division Chaplain (1st Infantry Division) was a WWII D-Day veteran and had been with the Engineer Special Brigade then. The combat patch he wore was the ESB with a Ranger Tab above it.