Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) John Wilson

Army Reserve 1987-2003, Active Duty 2003-2015

Stationed in Camp Pendelton, CA; Wichita, KS; Little Rock, AR; Washington, DC

Overseas tours – Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait

Assignments: Company Commander, 478th Transportation Co. (PLS); Team Chief, 1394th Deployment Support Brigade; Operations Desert Shield & Storm; Support Operations Officer, 90th Sustainment Brigade; Assistant IG, Office of the Army Inspector General; Deployment Support Officer, Army G-4

September 3, 2025

Greatest Generation Parade - Grand Rapids, MI

Alan Whipple - Army Reserve 12-years, E6, Fort Leonard Wood MO, Fort Hood TX, Heidelberg Germany, Truck Driver

Tom Driscoll - Army 1960-1963, Rank E-4 SPC, Erlangen, Germany

Roger Beard - Army 1959-1965, Rank Sp-4, Fort Sill, OK

Sgt. Jerry Gritzmaker - Served USMC 1954-1962, Aviation schools at Millington, TN and Jacksonville, FL. Aviation Machinist at Quantico, VA. With Aircraft Engineering Squadron - 12, 1955-1958.

Edward R Kurylo - Army, Spec 5, 1967-1969, Fort Belvoir, Va.

Assigned to Combat Development Command – C.D.C. – 1968-1969

Worked in Data Processing Department as Keypunch/Verify Machine Operator, Computer Tape Library and Computer Scheduler. Wrote the computer program manual for internal office use.

Al Peterson - Army, Spec 4, 1968-1969, Pleiku, Vietnam - Truck driver 10-ton floating bridge building construction

Robert Rinzema - Army, SP4, Active - 6 months, Reserve - 1957-1964, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and Fort Chaffee, Arkansas

Carl Esakson - National Guard, Sergeant, 1953-1962, Grand Rapids, MI - Served 2 weeks every year at Grayling, MI. Stood guard during tornados. Called up 2 times for Korea. Never went.

Harry Emmert, Sr. - Navy & US Coast Guard Aux, E-4 & AQB-3 - Aviation Fire Control Tech Bomb Director systems, June 1961 - June 1965, Sanford, FL - 3 years, Meridian, MS - 6-months, Millington, TN - 6-months Training, USS Forrestal Carrier qualifications

Raymond Lull - Navy, HM3 Hospital Corps, 1960-1966, Anacostia Naval Air station, Great Lakes NAMRA #4 (Naval Medical Rose Arch Unit)

Dennis Biggins - Navy, E-4 Petty Officer 3rd Class, 5 years of Service, (2–6-month Extensions for Cuban Mission Crisis) Home Port - Norfolk, VA. Traveled to France, Italy, Spain, Sicily and Greece.

John R Woodman – U.S. Air Force - A1st – 1963-1967 – basic training at Lackland AFB – San Antonio Tx – airplane mechanics training at Amarillo AFB, Texas - Aircraft Mechanic on C-130s with the 608 OMS, N. Charleston AFB, SC – Medals received: Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Air Force Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

Car Club info: member since mid 1996 - chair for the summer picnic & organized & led 3 one day tours

Bonita M (Mather) Woodman – U.S. Air Force - A3rd c. - 1965-1967 –Basic training at Lackland AFB, TX – stationed as clerk typist in 608 OMS – N. Charleston AFB, SC.

Car Club info: was newsletter editor from 1997 to 2020 - helped with summer picnic and one day tours

Click Here to see 1000 more pictures of this mission.

To get directly to the ship tour, skip head to 3:55.

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