Interviewed by:
Rebecca Pranga

"When people disagree politically, no one could say, 'Well, you didn’t serve in the service,' or '
You didn’t serve your country.' I did so I felt good about that."
~ Jerry Cerasale

Jerry Cerasale's Story:

Jerry Cerasale was drafted into the Army when he was twenty-two on August 10, 1970 during the Vietnam War. He spent eight weeks in basic training at Fort Dix, NJ before being assigned to Fort Meade, MD. He had previously worked in the registers office as a work study program back in college so he was made a clerk without any additional training. He was first assigned to a military police company and then was told to sign in to the battalion before making him a legal clerk. After serving, Jerry went to the University of Virginia Law School. He then went to work for the government and became rate litigating attorney for post service, went where the commission had set postage rates, went to be the attorney advisor, chairman of the federal trade commissioning, and eventually became deputy general counsel of the committee on post office civil service for the House of Representatives. Finally, he became head of government affairs for a trade association before coming back to Cape Cod.