Area veterans give glimpse into lives

VILONIA A Korean War Veteran, Jim Havens, Faulkner County Service Officer, says he loves his job and "his veterans." He estimated 9,000 or so are living in Faulkner County.

"We have all branches and eras in Faulkner County," Havens said, with one exception. "There's only one World War I veteran left in the United States. But, we have a good bunch of World War II, Korea, Vietnam and on. In the last year, I'm seeing a lot of young veterans. Some of them are suffering with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). They are so terribly altered by what they've been through."

Whether they suffer with any type of stress disorder or not, most who have served in the military have memories--some good--some bad--and, some they have tucked away.

A few were willing to share a glimpse into their military lives.

Carlin Fulmer served six years in the military including in the Army, National Guard and Reserves. He was drafted in 1959. At one point, he served with an ordinance division guarding a large ammunition dump. He was serving in Germany in 1961 when the "Berlin Crisis" occurred and deployed to a border check in France. However, he said they were ordered back to the base prior to reaching their destination.

The travel by ship to Germany and back was memorable for Fulmer. He recalls waves as high as buildings, floating mines and being ordered to his quarters while crossing the English channel.

"They said if a torpedo hit the boat, it probably wouldn't kill us all--just the department that it hit," he said. "They told us all to go to our quarters."

Walter Murdock served in the U.S. Army and the Arkansas National Guard. He recalls the 9 day trip on a troop ship enroute to Germany in 1961. His job, he said, in the military was to provide signal support for the European Command. He was stationed both in Germany and Italy during his service.

"I don't have stories like those who actually fought in the war," he said. "I was mainly a desk jockey in administrative support. I give thanks though that I don't have those stories to tell."

Allen Jacobs served in the Army during World War II. He was stationed in Europe as a motor sergeant. Closing down a base after the war, he was charged with taking service records to Russia. He also recalls that one of his best friends drowned in a canal in a non-combat situation near where they were stationed.

"I had to write home to his folks," he said. "That was very hard."

He wanted to visit his family when he returned stateside, but he didn't.

Clinton Walker spent 20 years in the military, four years in the Navy, a stint in the Marines and 16 years in the Air Force. As a medic, he was stationed in Vietnam from 1968-69 and in Thailand from 1971-72.

When asked about his choice to become a medic, he surmised, "That's what they said I wanted to be."

A memorable moment in Vietnam had to do with leaving the country. The plane was loaded with soldiers and the stewardess came over the intercom.

"She said if everyone would lift their feet we would get in the air earlier," Walker offered. "We all lifted our feet. It didn't occur to us that she was joking. We just wanted to leave that place."

Troy Roberts spent 20 years in the Air Force. He enlisted in 1954 and endured 26 weeks of basic training. He was tested and qualified for several career fields but opted for radio interceptor operator. He spent 18 months in Japan. The European theater was short of radio operators so he extended his first enlistment and was sent to Germany where he spent a year.

"I didn't think I was going to reenlist and wanted to see as much of the world as I could on my first enlistment," he explained.

However, he made the decision to re-enlist and make the military a career. After a stint in Maryland, he was sent back to Germany as a radio analyst and spent three years there. In 1967, he was sent to Vietnam for a year serving as a radio analyst on a flying status. He returned to the United States and was sent back to Vietnam in 1971. He retired in 1974.

Summing his service up, he said, those in his career field were charged with protecting the ground troops.

"There's no way to estimate how many lives we saved," he offered. "That was an honor. I flew over 600 missions in Vietnam. I was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross and I'm proud of why I received it. I worked to save lives."