Veterans at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9473 in Reynoldsburg, Ohio come together in camaraderie to enjoy each other’s presence and memories during their time in the military, Nov. 2, 2019. Lest we forget, there have been men and women serving in America’s Armed Forces far earlier than today’s military. Some of these veterans have fought and have lived to see the good, the bad and the ugly of what the military life has to offer. But for others, it has given them the experience of a lifetime.
Gary Ball, an engineer and intel sailor in the Navy in August of 1968, and an Ohio National Guardsman in December 1973, knows all about sacrifices. With 36 years of military service. “It was well worth it and I’ll do it again in a heartbeat,” said Ball. “It’s a little tough on family life and sometimes you miss a lot of stuff with your kids, and your wife doesn’t want you to leave, but it’s a worthy career field to be in.”
Retired as a Petty Officer First Class in the Navy, Ball hasn’t forgotten where the military has taken him as far as becoming a better, more wiser person he is today. Ball, after the military, says that he has such a better, much wider view of the world today and starts to look at things differently now, instead of critically. However, the best part of his time in service was the people he met.
“The best part of my job in service, were the people,” Ball said. “I’ve lost some friends in Vietnam, seen some things I wish I wouldn’t have ever seen, but have also met incredible people I could never have imagined ever meeting without being in the military.”
In Ball’s view, he urges kids, young men and women to join the military for something new to experience. He encourages them to do things people only dream of doing and to learn stuff people don’t really learn a lot about in the military. Who knows, maybe you’ll see a tank one day or a ship the next day, says Ball. Nonetheless, Ball loves the people he has served with and the people he now gathers with in the VFW. The men and women at the VFW make Ball feel like part of a warrior’s clubhouse and a brotherhood that is expanding. “I was burned out from my job in the military,” said Ball “But being around these guys here, makes it a home that never lets me forget my time in service with the people I have served alongside.”
| Date Taken: | 11.02.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2019 15:15 |
| Story ID: | 350287 |
| Location: | WHITEHALL, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Veterans at VFW 9473 speaks about life in service, by SGT Clevon Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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