On this Veterans Day, I wanted to thank the two men closest to me who served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War era—My dad, Cpl Rodney D. Epp of Augusta and my father in law, Pvt Don Osment of Clearwater.

Both served in the early 1950s as draftees.  I’m not sure Don made it out of Kansas, serving most of his stint in the infantry at Ft. Riley.

My dad got out more (he grew up in Hamilton County, Nebraska, where a marker at the courthouse in Aurora bears his name with other Korean War era vets).  He was in the artillery, training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.  Much of his time was spent in Germany. 

While both grouse about their time, I also believe it was a great time in their young lives.  Don still goes to gatherings of his old unit.  My dad likes to regale me with stories of bootleggers in Ft. Sill and touring Europe.

In some ways I envy these Korean War era and World War II vets.  They were part of something very special—a nation united in a cause, men from all walks of life thrown together to become soldiers and friends.  Their shared military experience is a bond that most of us can’t and don’t appreciate in how it shaped them as men.

Don, Rodney, and all the other veterans, thank you for your service to our nation.

Photo: This is the type of unit and 105 mm artillery piece that my Dad was trained for at Ft. Sill during the Korean War era.  This photo was taken by the U.S. Army Signal Corps on July 15, 1950 near the Kum River in Korea.

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