Veterans Reflect on Service

World War I

At 106, Cpl. Frank Woodruff Buckles is one of only three surviving U.S. WW I veterans. He was persistent when trying to enlist into the military after the U.S. entered the war in 1917. At 16 years old, he was turned away by the Marine Corps due to his age. He then tried the Navy recruiters, but they rejected him due to his flat feet. The Army finally accepted him after he convinced them he was 21. He served from 1914-1920 in the 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment. He drove motorcycles, cars, and ambulances in England and France. Then during the occupation, he guarded German prisoners. He was born in Harrison County, Mo., and now lives in Charles Town, W.Va.

World War II

Sgt. Les Jackson, 86, enlisted with friends right after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. He served as an aerial gunner on a B-17 in the Army Air Corps. His plane was shot down near Munich, Germany, on their first mission in April 1944. The crew was captured, and he spent 13 months as a POW in Stalag 17b. He is from Washington, D.C., and now lives in Fairfax, Va.

Vietnam

Daniel Patrick Cortez, 57, enlisted in Marine Corps 1969 when he was 18 years old. He earned a Purple Heart after being injured on L.Z. Baldy in Vietnam. His trip home from Vietnam was like going "from hell to heaven," Cortez said. He is originally from San Antonio, Texas, but now lives in Stafford, Va. He helps wounded veterans find jobs through the Purple Heart Service Foundation.

Operation Desert Storm

Sgt. Craig Carpenter served as an Army medic in Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Somalia. He enlisted in the Army in 1984 when he was 19 and three days later was on his way to basic training. He is originally from New London, Conn., and now lives in Frederick, Md. Since leaving the Army, he has developed Multiple Sclerosis. Carpenter currently volunteers at the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center in the outpatient lab.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Cpl. Kendra Kimble enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps somewhat later in life -- at age 29. She is still active duty and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a supply administrator. She is originally from Zanesville, Ohio, and now lives in Quantico, Va.

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