Page 71 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine

was over 28 years ago. My husband is now retired, but friends went to Korea but did not get to come home. I
our oldest son is a brand-new Second Lieutenant, so the was supposed to be an officer and a gentleman. I hope I
family tradition continues. was both.
Best and worst meals? I hate MREs (Meals Ready to
Eat), and I try very hard to not eat them. Fortunately, it Boot camp experience?
has been many years since I HAD to eat one. Usually you I really did not go to boot camp. I did go to Fort Sill
get hot meals at breakfast and dinner and an MRE for between my junior and senior years of college. They
lunch, so I just eat a good breakfast and some healthy were training me to be an artillery officer. When I was
snacks. commissioned, the General said we were the best
trained artillery officers in the world. That was the last
How does your military experience affect your time I ever saw a piece of artillery.
life today? I am still in, so it affects my life a lot.
Sometimes I miss getting a weekend off, and sometimes First Assignment?
I wish I had a vacation instead of training. However, I My first, and only, job for the next 21 months was as a
think being a soldier makes me a better person, and I Permanent Party in a basic training company. We would
like to think I have something to offer to the Army, too. get 200 – 250 new recruits and have them for eight
But the best part of being in the Army is that I have met weeks. They did a lot of physical training, marching, and
some of the greatest people in the world. I work in a basic military training. It was long and hard training, but
medical brigade, and my fellow officers and soldiers are we were trying to make them into soldiers.
top-notch. These people are true patriots. A lot of my
comrades are physicians, dentists, nurses, veterinarians, Favorite post?
and so on. They could earn so much more by working I only had two posts. I was at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and
their civilian job on the weekend. They often lose a great Fort Leonard Hood in Missouri. Most of my class from
deal of income when they get deployed. But they do it Fort Sill went to Germany. I am guessing Uncle Sam
month after month, year after year because they answer thought they were doing me a favor by transferring me
to a higher calling. How could I not love being associated to Fort Leonard Hood, because it was only about 100
with people like that? I still look forward to my drill miles from my home in Fulton, MO.
weekend every month, even after 30 years.

Herb Craghead – LMOW
Volunteer since 1999

Branch and rank?
While in college, I
was a corporal in the
Army Reserve. After
college, I received an
ROTC commission as
a Second Lieutenant.
During active duty I
was promoted from
Second Lieutenant to
First Lieutenant and
was discharged as a
Captain.

Why did you join?
I graduated from high school in 1951. The Korean
War was full blown at that time. I knew that I would
have to serve. If I stayed in ROTC, I would go in as a
commissioned officer versus a corporal. Going in as an
officer, I made $280/month versus going in as a private
and making $78/month. Several of my high school

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