Veteran Spotlight

Dennis Van Waardenburg has always been a go-getter. Graduating six months early from Crown Point High School, Van Waardenburg went straight into the Air Force. Stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Van Waardenburg was an airframe repair specialist...

Looking for a way to serve while getting training for a future career, Marilyn Whitfield enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school in 1978. She completed basic training at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. Then, she was “on the...

Born and raised in Chesterton, Indiana, John Zehner decided it was time to expand his horizons after high school. He joined the U.S. Army in 1966 and served for two years.  “I did my training at Fort Lewis Army Base in Washington state,” he...

When you ask Alicia (Trina) Wilson about service, she immediately tells you about her time with the U.S. Army and Operation Desert Storm. In reality, Wilson has been serving for as long as she can remember.  Wilson’s closeness with her family...

Brock Gonzales wanted to get experience outside of the confines of Northwest Indiana, so he decided to join the U.S. Air Force. “My mentality was, ‘Okay, my dad just retired from U.S. Steel in Gary, and my brothers are getting laid off in the...

Rodney Watson had wanted to join the military since he was a child, so when he decided to enlist at 17 years old, few were surprised. Basic training was a challenge for Watson. The training was tough, and the fear of being cut from the program was a...

At 21 years old, Nicole Uran decided she needed a change of pace – so she decided to quit her job as a cosmetologist and join the United States Air Force. “I really wanted educational benefits. I was a cosmetologist, but that really wasn't the...

At 18 years old, William Kewitz enlisted in the Marines as a way to figure out what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Years later, he feels his time in the military shaped him to become a better person and taught him skills he will take with...

While most of his peers were finishing up high school or working in the mills, Robert “Bob” Brabbs was enlisting in the military. Brabbs decided to enlist in the Navy at just 17 years old, and his decision led him to become a high-ranking officer...

Jeff Imhof joined the Army at 24 years old to fulfill a lifelong dream to serve in the military. The events of September 11, 2001, which occurred during Imhoff’s senior year of high school, made him especially eager to join. Though he attended...