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What could a young man do between his junior and senior years in high school? In Russ’s case, he talked his parents into signing permission for him to join the National Guard. They were not horribly thrilled, but joining the military was all he ever wanted to do, so they agreed. Russ told the recruiter he had two wishes: to be a combat engineer and to be in a tank like his grandfather who was his hero. Russ went to Fort Dix, New Jersey, in 1991 for basic training and then to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for Advanced Individual Training. He also did a stint with the 163rd Combat Engineer Company out of Missoula. During a two-week assignment in Aurora, Colorado, he and some buddies w...

After graduating from high school in Oklahoma, Charles “Chuck” Whitson went to college on a basketball scholarship. But at that time, lots of guys were being drafted. Joining the military seemed like the thing to do. So on Jan. 15, 1953, he enlisted in the Army for three years. Chuck got his f...

Joseph comes from a military family with members serving in WWI and WWII.  It was expected that he would join, and he did. In 1963, Joseph enlisted in the Army and went to Fort Ord, California, for basic training. He was there as a private for about three hours and decided it wasn’t for him. So, h...

RONAN – Creating a positive future for hundreds of children is such an important goal for the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County that they’ve named their annual celebration the Great Futures Breakfast. This is the fifth year for the event. About 200 adults and a fe...

PABLO – Whether time constraints, fear or cost have prohibited you from pursuing healthcare, it’s time to schedule a day off from work to attend the annual Women 4 Wellness health fair. The event organizers have found ways to eliminate almost all barriers to women pursuing healthcare. This yea...

In August 1966, HJ Pieper was told by the post mistress in Polson, who was on the draft board, that his name was on the draft list. Because it looked like he would be drafted into the infantry — and he didn’t want to be — instead he enlisted and let the Army make a mechanic out of him. P...

Charleen enlisted in the Army on February 12, 1980, in the “delayed entry program” and chose military intelligence as her field.  She actually reported on March 23, 1980, and received credit for that pre-duty time period as a benefit. During her 10 weeks of basic training at Fort Leonard ...

When Phillip joined the Army in April 1971, he became the eighth generation of his family to serve in the military, dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War.  He knew if a young man wanted to go to college, there were three options: have his parents pay his way (not an option for Phillip’s...

RONAN – Dr. Jim Ofstad’s career as an optometrist in Ronan changed drastically since he started seeing patients in 1972.  When he retired from Ronan Eye Clinic in December he was seeing patients in a large building that he designed himself, working with a broad team and seeing patients fr...

Growing up on Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, the sea was always part of Hugh Henderson’s life.  He belonged to the Sea Scouts, which is part of the Boy Scouts organization and includes a navy uniform. In October of 1960, Hugh became a “Kiddy Cruiser” in the Navy at the age of 18 and out at ...