In Service to America, Profile 18: Spec. 4 Robert Kerouac did his duty – then returned to Bob’s Pizza Shop

read more…: In Service to America, Profile 18: Spec. 4 Robert Kerouac did his duty – then returned to Bob’s Pizza Shop

They were married in February 1968 and honeymooned on a three-day weekend in New York City. Their premonitions about the Army were correct. Returning to Nashua, Kerouac found his draft notice. He had only a few days to report to Fort Dix for basic training. He closed his pizza shop although his father was able to pay the rent on the building until he returned. It was a great location with good visibility and high traffic count that he didn’t want to lose. With the lock on the door, Kerouac was off to basic training.

In Service to America, Profile 17: Sgt. William Hagerty and lessons learned in the ‘fog of war’

read more…: In Service to America, Profile 17: Sgt. William Hagerty and lessons learned in the ‘fog of war’

The weather in Vietnam always gets talked about in any discussion of the war. “Monsoon season in Vietnam is unbelievable,” says Hagerty. “…it rains constantly. You’re wet all the time. I had jungle-rot on both feet because I couldn’t keep them dry. Some of the guys there had cameras, but between the rain and humidity, the cameras got wrecked.”

In Service to America, Profile 16: Major Roger Chaput, U.S. Marine Corps

read more…: In Service to America, Profile 16: Major Roger Chaput, U.S. Marine Corps

Oftentimes today, when a civilian runs across an active or retired member of the military, they will stop, shake the person’s hand, and say “Thank you for your service.” That’s usually returned by a warm smile and a “You’re welcome.” When someone thanked Major Roger Chaput for his military service, he simply replied, “It was my duty… I did it for the love of my country.”

In Service to America, Profile 15: Corporal Peter Bergeron USMC, from Crown Hill to Vietnam and back

read more…: In Service to America, Profile 15: Corporal Peter Bergeron USMC, from Crown Hill to Vietnam and back

In August, Bergeron returned to the U.S. to a military hospital in Portsmouth. He hitch-hiked back to Nashua sporting his uniform and supported by a cane. Having a U.S. military uniform, and being hobbled by a cane didn’t get him much respect. He explained how trying that journey was: “At that time, members of the military weren’t held in very high regard. I didn’t get a lot of rides… but I had a lot of stuff thrown at me.”

In Service to America: Profile 14 – Technical Sergeant Robert Glover

read more…: In Service to America: Profile 14 – Technical Sergeant Robert Glover

Technical Sergeant Robert Glover served 16 years in the US Air Force. Like many service members, he never saw combat, despite serving during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. But his contribution was invaluable to keep Air Force aircraft flying, supporting those who were in the thick of combat. It’s been said that for every service member firing on the enemy, it takes nine people behind him to provide support – Robert Glover is proud to have provided that support.

In Service to America, Profile 13: Airman 3rd Class Ed Greenberg became a cop, protected a president, passed up on FBI gig

read more…: In Service to America, Profile 13: Airman 3rd Class Ed Greenberg became a cop, protected a president, passed up on FBI gig

“I graduated from Revere (MA) high school in 1962 and knew I wanted to go into the Air Force. I enlisted on a Thursday. The following Thursday I was at Lackland AFB in San Antonio for basic training” said Ed Greenberg about the start of his four-year stint in the Air Force.

In Service to America, Profile 12: Alan Thomaier, Navy shipfitter, baseball player, Nashua Police Officer, all-around civic-minded person

read more…: In Service to America, Profile 12: Alan Thomaier, Navy shipfitter, baseball player, Nashua Police Officer, all-around civic-minded person

Alan Thomaier is not a Nashua native. But after his stint in the US Navy, he made Nashua his “adopted” home town. He was born in Jersey City, NJ, on May 26, 1920. When WWII broke out, Thomaier wanted to enlist in the Navy – but he had some back problems which prevented him from doing so.

In Service to America: Profile 11, Sergeant Richard A. ‘Ricka’ Lavoie

read more…: In Service to America: Profile 11, Sergeant Richard A. ‘Ricka’ Lavoie

Richard A. “Ricka” Lavoie grew up as many boys did in Nashua during the 1950s and early 1960s. He was part of Boy Scout Troop 272, played CYO basketball – and held raucous drinking parties, big enough to draw police. Lavoie graduated from Nashua High School in 1964. His Tusitala yearbook read in part, “Rick-a is strong, good looking, blond, often found at Roland’s or bombing around in his ’57 Chevy…” After high school graduation, Lavoie bought his dream car, a Corvette. 

In Service to America, Profile 10: Specialist 4th Class Andre Pelletier, U.S. Army

read more…: In Service to America, Profile 10: Specialist 4th Class Andre Pelletier, U.S. Army

Andre Pelletier graduated from Nashua High School in 1971 and soon after was drafted into the US Army, then sent to Vietnam. Like many Vietnam vets, Pelletier didn’t like to talk about his time there. It was a tough period for him, for the US military, and for America.