For Leroy Petry, clutching a live grenade and attempting to return it was second nature, regardless of the outcome. The Army Ranger wasn’t thinking about himself, but just protecting the Soldiers by his side, he said.
When Frank Cohn, a 95-year-old retired Army colonel, first enlisted in 1943, he had already fled Nazi Germany after being targeted by the Gestapo.
Looking back on the events that followed -- from his arrival to America seeking refuge from the Nazis to the twist of fate that led to an Army career fighting those oppressors, the colonel said he had no regrets.
It’s been 19 years since Sept. 11, 2001, when four hijacked passenger jets were turned into makeshift missiles above American soil. But the tragic day is still fresh in the minds of some of the Army’s top leaders who survived the attack at the Pentagon.
At a glance, this year’s drill sergeant of the year seems tailor-made for the part, down to the classic squared-jaw, stony-eyed glare capable of striking fear into young recruits.
At a glance, this year’s drill sergeant of the year seems tailor-made for the part, down to the classic squared-jaw, stony-eyed glare capable of striking fear into young recruits.