A TRADITION OF SERVICE

I was raised my my grandparents in East Los Angeles. My grandad John F. Lynn was a World War I army veteran. He was a "Field Clerk," a military rank that preceeded the modern rank of Warrant Officer.

My mother was a Staff Sergeant during World War II, stationed at Bari, Italy with the 15th Air Force. She was a "WAAC" (Womens' Army Auxiliary Army Corps); soon after, that changed to "WAC" (Womens' Army Corps). She served as a telephone and telegraph operator, and was in the first contingent of military women to overseas to a war zone.

I enlisted as a private in the "brown shoe" US Air Force in 1951, was commissioned and earned my wings in 1953, had a break in service to attend college between 1956 and 1962, and retired from the military in 1976 as a major.

My granddaughter Tiffany Aab is a US Navy veteran. She had sea duty on a carrier, and was also stationed in Guam.

Today, my grandson Josh Niewiadomski graduated from US Army Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. His mom and dad were there for the ceremonies, but Marlene and I couldn't attend because the legislature is in session. We're very proud of him. I'll update the blog with photos, as soon as I get them!

Truly, our family has a tradition of military service.