Vasko, Victor

I met Victor and Betty Vasko at a very loud Christmas party, so I was only able to get bits and pieces of his service.  He is 84, now.  He was an active Marine for over thirty years.  And, of course, he's still a Marine.  He wore his hat with pride.

He stated with pride that he is more than half "Indian."  "Indian" was the word he chose.  His name has too many consonants for me to pronounce but it translates to "two tomahawks."  His denim jacket lets one know loud and clear how proud he is of his heritage.  I think, when I asked, that he said his tribe was Cherokee, but it was so noisy that I cannot be sure.

Enlisting at seventeen, he served at the very end of  World War II, and then Korea, and Viet Nam.  He was an enlisted man, rising to Sergeant with all the bands and stripes before being promoted in Viet Nam to lieutenant.

As many other Korean vets, his recollection of Korea was how cold it was.

 

I asked him about the small pin in the shape of Massachusetts on his cap.  He is from Louisiana, and, therefore, not a special connection to a northern state.  He spent a short period of time as an active Marine on the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides).  The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned Naval ship.  All personnel "stationed" on the Constitution are active Naval personnel or active Marines.  They wear the official uniforms of the days of yore.  Sailors' blouses, for instance, are the traditional red and white stripes.  The duty on this ship is very special and highly priced.  As a Marine on board, he wore the traditional Marine uniform of the day and did a traditional job...that is, guarding the water and beer barrels.  The Constitution occasionally "goes to sea."  When returned to port it is reversed from the position of docking before its journey.  In other words, it goes bow to aft and aft to bow.  This reversal helps to protect it, so that it wears evenly.

I will be seeing more or him and will be able to add more information, and I will try to get his pic.

12/12/2013.

DUCKWORTH, ELMER (Army)

The Old meets the New--the Sgt. on  his cell phone

Staff Sergeant Elmer Duckworth

I recently met Sergeant Duckworth at Ocali Days.  This is an annual festival that is held during the first week in November at Silver River State Park and Museum.  The Park houses a Cracker Village, Class Rooms, a Library, Museum (natural and human historical items).  Ocali days includes many exhibitors for various time period sand not-for profit organizations.  It includes many volunteers, members of various groups with historic stories to tell...Conquistadors, Natives, Civil War--artillery, infantry--North and South.  This year the museum wanted to include WWII.  But, most of those guys are in their eighties and nineties.  Sgt. Duckworth, however, has a neat collection of WWII items and artifacts which he volunteered to bring.

 

Some of the artifacts include a jeep with a trailer.  On the trailer is a mannequin "shooting" a high powered gun.  The gun was made by the Sergeant.  He used parts and pieces of things around the house, including his wife's large Tupper-ware Salt and Pepper shakers...now painted black.  The real artifacts include a red-cross helmet, ammo, canteens, knives and guns.

 

I talked to him at length.  Like many combat veterans, he was hesitant to talk about his war experiences.  I did discover that he was an Army medic.  Unlike WWII Navy Corpsmen, who were unarmed, he carried a hand gun.

 

He enlisted at age 17 in 1951 and stayed in the army until 1955.  The recruiter called his mother to verify his age.

 

The one thing that he would talk about was the weather.  The cold was the coldest cold he ever experienced (I hear this from lots of Korean War Vets).  And, in the summer, sweltering hot.

 

 

 

Can you spot the Tupper-ware S&P??

They were after all painted black

 

 

 

I hope to see him again and maybe glean a few more details.