In honor of Veteran’s Day, some members of the Charger staff interviewed relatives about their time in the military. Thank you to all who served our country.
Emma Alderman | editor in chief
My grandfather Leslie Alderman served in the Army for two years after he was drafted in 1963. He was stationed at a Nike-Hercules Missile site in central Germany and worked in the communication sector using his training as a radio officer. During his time overseas my grandfather was able to travel to lots of cool places throughout Europe. “It was so very easy to travel in Germany and surrounding countries, by train. I could get a leave for two, three or four days or more and see so much of the country. I went to East Berlin, Austria, Amsterdam, Rome, and many more points of interest,” he said.
Mayah Mumpower | news editor
My uncle Mike Munson served in the Air Force and was stationed in Montana and Germany. He has been deployed to Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and other countries. “For me, serving initially was a way for me to show appreciation to those who served before, but at the core of it all, it was a sense of duty to protect those I’ve loved and cared for and to ensure their freedoms remained intact.”
Lauren Schutter | sports editor
My uncle Eric Hill served in the army in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan twice. He originally worked as an infantryman (military combat on foot) until he changed his job to work on helicopters. Currently, he is a Blackhawk helicopter mechanic and holds the rank of Staff Sergeant. About serving his country, Hill said “It’s an honor for me to represent my country. I wear my uniform with pride and I serve with honor and integrity. When people see me, I want them to see a soldier who exemplifies what it means to be an American.”
Eli Mcdaniel | social media editor
My grandpa Wendell McDaniel served in the Marine Corps during Vietnam in 1969. He spent time in California doing training and schooling. “At the end of ‘69, I was in Vietnam. I thought we had won the war when I left or we were very close to it. I was pretty dismayed by the way things were going here in the USA. This sort of made me feel like I did something wrong by serving my country. What I learned was that public opinion is not always right but you should always do what you feel is right.”
Illustration by Isabelle Guinn.
The Charger 
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