A Journey of Resilience: Dr. Arzell Ball's WWII Experience
"Throughout my life, people often ask how I lost my leg, and I explain it happened during World War II while serving in the Infantry. Growing up in the Missouri Ozarks during the Great Depression, my family struggled, eventually moving to Oregon for work. At 17, influenced by the nation's mobilization, I enlisted in the Army, hoping to join the Air Corps but ended up in the Combat Infantry, turning 18 in a Belgian foxhole during the Battle of the Bulge. In March 1945, while crossing the Rhine River at Remagen, Germany, I was severely injured by artillery fire, losing my right foot and breaking my left leg. After months of recovery, I pursued a college education with the G.I. Bill, leading to a career in education administration. My war experience instilled maturity and purpose, leading to meeting my wife Thelma, raising our children, and enjoying our grandchildren and great-granddaughter. Each veteran has a unique story, and I am grateful for the path my service set me on."
Arctic Patrols: Tim Davis's Journey on the USS James Madison
"In the mid-1960s, I embarked on my Navy career aboard the Polaris submarine USS James Madison. Stationed at the naval base in Rota, Spain, we undertook 60-day patrols submerged in the icy expanse of the Arctic Ocean. The submarine, armed with 16 nuclear missiles, served as a formidable deterrent against the Soviet Union, our nation's primary adversary at the time. These patrols were a crucial part of our defense strategy, and the USS James Madison was a precursor to today’s advanced Trident submarines, which carry even more powerful missiles. Reflecting on those days, I’m reminded of how much has changed—captured in the photographs of my younger self aboard the submarine and my current appearance. Time indeed flies, transforming both technology and the people who serve."
Love Overseas: Ray & Judy Cromer's Journey Through Military Life
"Long-distance relationships thrived through letters filled with love and hope, bridging continents and sustaining soldiers and their loved ones. Judy and I have been together since birth in 1939, marrying after college. I joined the Army in 1961 as a 2nd Lieutenant, starting in Southern California. After flight school, I was sent to Korea without my family. The often-overlooked role of the spouse in maintaining the home during deployments is immense, as they commit without compensation. I missed the birth of our two children, but Judy, though small, is a rock. After Korea, I was home for nine months before being deployed to Vietnam for a year, making it 24 months away out of 33. Frequent moves were challenging but handled with humor. Once, while I was in Vietnam, Judy, sick with the flu and caring for our two sick kids, exclaimed, "Damn you, Ray Cromer, there you are having a good time in Vietnam, and I am stuck here with two sick kids!" I was fortunate to have a strong, self-reliant spouse, a key to military life."