At GreatNews.Life, we believe that those willing to sacrifice everything to protect our community deserve to have their stories told. Since 2022, we’ve been making that happen with our monthly Veteran Spotlight series. Read on to hear from some of the men and women in your community that have served for you!
Brock Gonzales wanted to get experience outside of the confines of Northwest Indiana, so he decided to join the U.S. Air Force. “My mentality was, ‘Okay, my dad just retired from U.S. Steel in Gary, and my brothers are getting laid off in the steel mills …
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Rodney Watson had wanted to join the military since he was a child, so when he decided to enlist at 17 years old, few were surprised. Basic training was a challenge for Watson. The training was tough, and the fear of being cut from the program was a constant …
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At 21 years old, Nicole Uran decided she needed a change of pace – so she decided to quit her job as a cosmetologist and join the United States Air Force. “I really wanted educational benefits. I was a cosmetologist, but that really wasn’t the …
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At 18 years old, William Kewitz enlisted in the Marines as a way to figure out what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Years later, he feels his time in the military shaped him to become a better person and taught him skills he will take with him for …
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While most of his peers were finishing up high school or working in the mills, Robert “Bob” Brabbs was enlisting in the military. Brabbs decided to enlist in the Navy at just 17 years old, and his decision led him to become a high-ranking officer in only …
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Jeff Imhof joined the Army at 24 years old to fulfill a lifelong dream to serve in the military. The events of September 11, 2001, which occurred during Imhoff’s senior year of high school, made him especially eager to join. Though he attended college after …
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As a Dutch native, Paulina Huffman never pictured herself as a member of the United States military. Though her interest in serving began while she was in high school, she assumed her citizenship status would bar her ability to join. A conversation during …
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Jim Atkinson grew up in a small town near Valparaiso and graduated from Boone Grove High School. He has a wife of 52 years, six children, and eight grandchildren. “I grew up on a small farm just south of Valparaiso where I milked three or four cows daily …
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