In celebration of Veterans Day, Tribune reporter Cayla Grace Murphy sat down with veterans at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2214 for rapid-fire interviews. The Tribune will be publishing an interview every week in November.
Ronald ‘Ron’ Creech
United States Army, Reserve 1978-1988, active duty 1988-1992
Deployments: Korea, Panama
CGM: What do you remember most about the day you enlisted?
RC: Well, my father was a Marine, and my grandfather was Navy. And so it’s a family tradition. I was a junior in high school and a friend of mine (who) graduated a few years before had come by trying to get my brother to join. My mother wouldn’t let him join, but she let me go. So I went with him, had lunch with the National Guard that day, and signed the paperwork.
CGM: Can you describe a funny moment from boot camp?
RC: I remember our assistant drill sergeant always told us jokes, and he told us a joke about his brother in Vietnam. His brother flew helicopters, and came across this Viet Cong. Started cussing at him, shot at him, nothing, no reaction. Flipped him off, and then he got shot down!
CGM: What are some things you remember most about your deployment?
RC: Oh, a lot of things. We had a lot of fun, but there was bad times, too. Probably one of the things I remember most is losing seven men in Korea when their Humvee was fragged. I was 28 years old, and I was an old man in the military; all the other kids called me grandpa!
CGM: Do you have any advice for people transitioning back to civilian life?
RC: They have those classes, but do your due diligence about what you want to do when you get back.
CGM: Do you have anyone you want to recognize or remember from your time in service?
RC: Well, there’s a lot of them. But one of the guys was a little Vietnamese kid who was my roommate, Khan Nuyan. He was 18, but for an 18-year-old, he was very mature. He was born in Vietnam, was about 3 when his mother put him on a boat in Thailand to go to the United States. He was raised by his sister in California. He was a good friend when I was there. Besides my family at home, he was my rock.
CGM: Anything else you’d like to add for our readers? RC: It was an honor to serve; if I was able I’d do it again. I would say to the ones thinking of joining, be sure you understand what you’re doing. When you join, it’s a commitment. And it’s a commitment for life. Your service may end, but that oath is for life. To fight against all enemies against the state, foreign or domestic, that’s for life.
Copyright 2023 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
