Dad was in the Navy just after WWII.

I chose the Army in defiance of my Dad, plus the last year of the Draft my number was 1. My dad and I didn’t talk about his Navy time until after I got out of the Army in 1983. He worked two jobs and for most of my childhood, I saw him only at dinner and before he went to work in the morning. We did talk about him going to Korea and how he was in the same port I had been to once on an Army Exercise. He passed away in 2001 after unplugging himself while I was asleep in the chair next to him. He was in the same hospital bed that my Grandpa died in a year earlier…

The group picture is of myself on the left, Steve Brewster center and Vern Aleshire on the right. We were all stationed in Germany in this picture. They had the night off. The last picture is of my cousin, Pete Hamelink who is on the left and also served in the Navy and me right on leave during Christmas of 1981.

I was a Track Vehicle Mechanic and took basic at Ft Knox Wheel School at Ft Dix Track School at Ft Knox. First Duty Station was Howitzer Battery Second Squadron 3rd ACR Ft Bliss Texas 75-77. Then I went to The 512th Maint. Co in Mannheim Germany 77-80 and then back to Ft Bliss for a year and off To Hawaii to The 125th Military Intelligence Battalion.

The most memorable of my time in service was when I was an honor graduate from Wheel Vehicle Mechanics and being promoted to Sgt. after only 27 months. I made lots of friends and stay in touch with many of them.

This is my stepdaughter, Andi who is on Active Duty and presently in Aberdeen along with her husband Matthew Arnold. Andi just got her Sgt Stripes last week. I think that those who serve deserve better pay and benefits after they get out. A guaranteed home loan without credit approval should be one thing for sure. I still haven’t used my benefit because of a credit Score.

There wasn’t a guarantee I was going to come back!
~ Steve Mitchell, U.S. Army Veteran 74-83

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”
― Lois Lowry

STORY LINK: medium.com/…/my-dad-and-i-didn-t-talk-about-his-nav…

We are very thankful to Steve for sharing his story with Comes A Soldier’s Whisper’s Veteran tribute page and invite you to share your service photos and a memory of your service experience.

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