Doug Lovelace’s experience and career in the military is a unique one.
Lovelace was drafted for the Vietnam War in 1968, and he said that, at the time, he planned to serve two years and then pursue a civilian life. He said he stayed far longer than that because his initial experience in the Army was a positive one where he identified with the value system heavily and he was continually offered new opportunities.
Instead of going to Vietnam as a soldier, Lovelace attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as second lieutenant. Before going to Vietnam, the Army offered for him to go to flight school. With each new opportunity, there was a service commitment with it, Lovelace said.
When he came back from Vietnam, he went to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, and the Army sent him to the Advanced Operations Course, where Lovelace said he was selected for major.
“Before I know it, I look back and I’ve been with the Army for 50 years,” said Lovelace, now a practicing lawyer in the Carlisle area.
After his service as a part of tactical units in attack helicopters and leading operations, Lovelace attended the National War College in Washington, D.C. From there, he became a military strategist at the Pentagon.
Initially, Lovelace said he was a little nervous about being assigned to the Pentagon.
“I thought at that level that’s where all the nation’s geniuses work, and I didn’t know how well I was going to do, but then I learned very quickly that they were just average people just like me, even at the highest levels in the National Security Council,” he said.
Lovelace was grateful for the opportunity to experience and see how decision-making took place at the highest levels of the military, he said.
Lovelace said his time in the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division and Third Infantry Division proved invaluable at the Pentagon. It is important for those forming strategy to understand the experience of the average soldier and what they have to do to implement that strategy, he said.
His education at the National War College of National Defense University also prepared him for his strategy work and later teaching at the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle.
Lovelace said he was honored to teach at the War College, and that he learned as much from the students as they learned from him.
Lovelace attended Widener Law School after retiring from active duty, which he said had always been a career goal of his since he was in his 20s, but the opportunity had never presented itself. He decided to attend law school while working as a research professor and took classes at night and during the weekends.
Instead of practicing law upon graduation, Lovelace said the Army offered for him to become Director of the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College. He served in that role for 19 years before retiring.
Some of Lovelace’s most vivid memories were from flying in Vietnam where he said he gained a more realistic perspective on life.
The self-discipline from the military helped him throughout the rest of his career, Lovelace said. The biggest life lessons he learned from his service was that life is all about relationships and that there is no challenge one cannot overcome, Lovelace said.
“My experience is kind of a different one from what others would have, but it was very rewarding for me personally, and I hope that I was able to serve my nation in some capacity that would make things a little bit better for everyone,” he said.
What was the toughest challenge that you faced?
“In one sense all of it was very challenging, but in another sense everything was manageable and achievable, but probably the most challenging time was I spent time in Vietnam.”
What did you like best about being in the military?
“I was in the aviation branch and so I loved flying. And I was in the attack helicopter business so that makes it even a little bit more enjoyable to be in the attack business with (I’m not sure what word he said here! Listening to the recording now and I’m having some trouble) and Apaches. And that’s probably the most enjoyable. But I would also say as a part of the army civilian working in strategic research, that was extremely enjoyable and rewarding.”
What was your proudest achievement?
“Being instrumental in influencing national military strategy and national security policy through research or analysis.”
Is there something you would like the public to know about being in the military?
“I would say that military service is rewarding for a number of reasons, of course, you know it is personally rewarding to know that you’re serving the country. But it’s also very rewarding to be challenged, sometimes very, very difficult situations. And then, learning for yourself that you’re able to overcome those difficult situations and be a better person after having gone through those experiences and the military service provides you ample opportunity for that.”
What would you say to someone who is looking to join up?
“I would say that a person needs to be prepared to personally sacrifice if they’re going to serve. However, there’s great opportunities and great benefits to serving.”
Eileen Pomeroy, The Sentinel
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.24.2020 16:53 |
| Story ID: | 378648 |
| Location: | CARLISLE BARRACKS, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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