Current Residence: Savannah, Ga.
Family: Wife, Nannette Lambert; children Matthew A. Kurtz and Kristin L. Kurtz.
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Career after the military: Water Treatment Plant and AFSCME/AFL-CIO Local No. 1608 union president; retired in 1985.
Hobbies: Auto repair and wood working
Branch of Service: United States Marine Corp
Were you drafted or enlisted? Enlisted
Years of service: 1968 to honorable discharge on Feb. 27, 1974
Bases/Deployments: Marine Corps Base Camp in Pendleton, Calif.; 1st Marine Division FMF in Vietnam; Okinawa Marine Base, 2nd Battalion 26th; 10th Marines Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Washington D.C. 10th Marines (riot control with protesters against the war).
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What did you do in the service? 2531 Radio Operator, forward air OV-10A & F-4 air fire support, also naval fire support, mortar, artillery
What did you gain in the military? 1. Respect; 2. Honor, integrity, following orders; 3. Everything you knew about death and killing changed my life.
What do you remember most from your service? The sound of any helicopter, 34, 46 and jolly green, or cobra support. Air support coming to our aid to pick up the dead and me after contact. My first Christmas in country and turning 21 in Vietnam. Leaving so many behind when I came home on that big bird that we had all watched day after day so many times before leaving in the sky for home. These are the things I remember the most today at 68 years old, going on 50 years later, with Agent Orange damage and still living the good life.
Hometown Veterans is a weekly feature profiling Clark and Champaign County veterans compiled with the assistance of local Vietnam veteran Randy Ark. To nominate a veteran, e-mail samantha.sommer@coxinc.com or randyark48@gmail.com or call 937-328-0363. Any veteran of any military branch, years of service and age is eligible to be profiled.
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