. . Eugene Torisky of Stow, Ohio served in the navy as a radioman during the 1950s, sailing on two different destroyers, the USS Turner (DDR-834) and the USS Fessenden (DER-142). Gene grew up in Pittsburgh, attended Catholic seminary school, but then decided against a life in service to the church.
. . Gary Schisler of Moon Township, Pennsylvania served in the United States Air Force from 1969 to 1999. Lt. Col. Schisler flew C-130 air transports throughout his career while on active duty and as a reserve pilot from 1982-1999. Growing up in a military family (Gary’s dad was a
. . After kicking around for a couple of years after high school, Ron Potter decided to join the Army and get his military service over and done with. It was the dawn of the 60s, the height of the Cold War, and the Soviets were giving the US a hard
. . During the Cold War, Hal Plusa served as an intelligence officer in the Army. He received his commission from Duquesne University’s ROTC program. During the 1970s and 1980s, Hal served two tours of duty in Germany defending the Cold War’s hottest zones in Europe. The Veterans of Whitehall
. . During the Cold War, Joe Michaels served as Navy yeoman. Because of his special ability to write in shorthand, he was often assigned to work with high ranking officers. He joined the Navy at 17 and became known as a “kiddie cruiser”–a special class of young recruit guaranteed
. . Like many other young men who left Pittsburgh during the steel industry’s final throes of the 1980s, Jesse Mercure enlisted in the US Army and found a career and home there. He spent twenty years on active duty and another four as an active reservist before hanging up his uniform.
