Veterans Chronicles

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Col. Allison Black, U.S. Air Force, Afghanistan, 'The Angel of Death'

July 01, 2026

Allison Black surprised her family by deciding to enlist in the U.S. Air Force after high school. She did it to be part of a mission bigger than herself. After basic training, Black spent the next several years as a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape - or SERE - instructor, teaching service members what to do if shot down, stuck behind enemy lines, or captured. After several years of that she became an officer in Air Force special operations and served as a navigator aboard an AC-130H ...

SSgt. Rudy Meekins, USMC. Korea, Chosin Reservoir

June 24, 2026

Rudy Meekins grew up in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Most young men from that area joined the U.S. Merchant Marine or the U.S. Coast Guard. However, Rudy initially opted for the Army National Guard but then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in September 1949. He endured boot camp at Parris Island and was eventually assigned to a 105mm howitzer team.In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Meekins tells us how he heard the news that North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950 and how he ...

COL Michael Gilpin, U.S. Army, Vietnam

June 17, 2026

Michael Gilpin had an interest aviation at a young age but had never pursued flying. He joined the Army with an option to pursue Officer Candidate School near the end of his college years. Even as he became an officer and started training, he was still in the infantry.But soon he would switch to pilot training - specifically helicopter pilot training. He deployed to Vietnam in 1971 as a Huey pilot bringing Air Cavalry personnel in and out of combat.In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Col....