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I
unceremoniously graduated from Maine Township High School East, Alma Mater
of Harrison Ford (My sister s class) on the 10th of October, having worked
for Clinton E. Frank Advertising Agency in Chicago since February.
On
the 28th of October, I turned 18. On the 30th of
December, I enlisted in the US Army.
I
attended Basic Training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, then to my Advanced
Individual Training, in my case, eight weeks at Clerk Typist School at Fort
Leonard Wood, Missouri.
In
May 1968, I was then sent to Germany.
After 4 months of boring duty, I volunteered to go to Viet Nam,
arriving the anniversary of the 1968 Tet Offensive, on January 30th,
1969. Bad timing is all I'll say
about my first night in-country.
With
various other foreign and stateside (always Fort Ord, CA) assignments, I
left the Regular Army in 1975 with 7 years service and 5 years
time-in-grade as a Sergeant E-5.
I
joined the US Army Reserve on the 30th of April 1975, the day the last
helicopter took off from the Saigon Embassy roof.
Within
6 months, I was hired as a GS-5 civilian to run the Company that supported
the Training Division, located in Sausalito, directly below the base of the
Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
I
was promoted to Staff Sergeant, E6 in May 1975, a month after my Reserve
enlistment, then Sergeant First Class, E7 in August 1976 with a total of 7
years Regular Army service and 2 Reserve. In December 1977, after appearing
before a board of four Regular Army Adjutant General branch officers, I
received a direct appointment to W01 on December 12, 1977, re-entered
Active Duty on July 1st, 1979 and went on to retire on March
31st, 1994 almost at the age of 44, with 26 years combined Reserve and Active Duty service (USC Title Code pertaining only to
Reserve officers and warrant officer - 20 years active max).
An
error on Item 14. of my discharge document https://www.bobretzer.com/214.jpg -
I DID go to Clerk Typist School in 1968 😉
On
March 31st, 2024, I celebrated my 30th year of
retirement!
I
am truly blessed.
My Military
Career
How I got
11 promotions without any military education
In loving
memory - Mollie Retzer, a Lovely Bearded Collie - 1995-2012, 17 years
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