Tomorrow Magazine Veterans Day Special Issue, 2003

NOVEMBER 11, 2003 

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

www.uawdcx.com 

VETERANS DAY 

SPECIAL ISSUE 

MARCHING 

Through 

HISTORY 

PEARL HARBOR TO BAGHDAD: 

A chronological history 

of UAW-DaimlerChrysler veterans 

and their commitment to 

preserve our freedom

Side by Side 

Saluting Our Veterans 

DaimlerChrysler Senior Vice 

President John Franciosi (left) and 

UAW Vice President Nate Gooden 

WE ARE PROUD TO ONCE AGAIN RECOGNIZE 

the heroes among us who defend our way of life 

through service in the U.S. armed forces. As we observe 

Veterans Day 2003, our prayers are with reservists and 

members of the National Guard from DaimlerChrysler 

who remain in harm’s way in Iraq, Afghanistan and 

elsewhere. They carry on the patriotic tradition of 

employees who have fought in America’s previous wars 

and kept peace around the world. 

We thank the men and women honored in this 

Veterans Day Special Issue of Tomorrow and their 

coworkers who also have served our country. Their 

stories of sacrifice and courage should inspire everyone 

to support our veterans and freedom’s cause. Because of security concerns, we limited our 

profiles of citizen-soldiers participating in the war on terrorism to those who have completed 

their tours and returned to work. 

Our fifth annual tribute to veterans conveys a range of thought-provoking, deeply 

personal messages. Each of the 24 profiles is created in the veteran’s own words, as told 

to Tomorrow writers. This issue also has a different look than previous editions. The 

profiles of current or retired employees from the UAW and management are presented 

with a timeline that puts their service in historical perspective. The timeline tracks important 

political and military events, as well as milestones in the evolution of Chrysler and 

the UAW, from 1940 to the present. 

Each time we publish a Veterans Issue, we’re reminded that courage comes in many 

forms. Consider the Vietnam vet from a plant in the Midwest who told us his story. For 

13 months, he ran U.S. Army tank convoys across South Vietnam, leading a young 

platoon through death-filled battlefields and terror. He returned home with more 

medals than he’ll talk about, including a Bronze Star. 

But even now, a conversation about Vietnam causes him sleepless nights and anxious 

days. After sharing his combat experience, he had second thoughts and asked not to be 

profiled. He didn’t want to risk reliving his pain if coworkers were to ask him about the 

war after reading his story in Tomorrow. Of course, we respected his wishes. 

We owe this anonymous vet — and others with similar haunting wartime memories 

who shun recognition — special gratitude and support. Perhaps their greatest 

show of valor comes when they return home and move forward with their lives and 

their jobs, despite the sleepless nights. They are often the hidden heroes among us, and 

we salute them, too. 

UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

2211 East Jefferson Avenue 

Detroit, MI 48207 

313.567.3300 

Fax: 313.567.4971 

E-mail: rrussell@ucntc.org 

www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org 

JOINT ACTIVITIES BOARD 

NATE GOODEN 

VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR 

DAIMLERCHRYSLER DEPARTMENT 

UAW, CO-CHAIRMAN 

JOHN S. FRANCIOSI 

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EMPLOYEE 

RELATIONS DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

CO-CHAIRMAN 

DAVE MCALLISTER 

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO 

VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR 

DAIMLERCHRYSLER DEPARTMENT UAW 

KEN MCCARTER 

VICE PRESIDENT, UNION RELATIONS AND 

SECURITY OPERATIONS DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

JAMES DAVIS 

CO-DIRECTOR UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 


FRANK L. SLAUGHTER 

CO-DIRECTOR UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 


RON RUSSELL 

COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATOR 

BOB ERICKSON 

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST 

TANISHA DAVIS-PEREZ 

STAFF WRITER 

MICHAEL BULLER 

EDITOR 

KAREN ENGLISH 

SENIOR EDITOR 

MEGHAN LITTLE 

MANAGING EDITOR 

SUSAN CASSIDY 

COPY EDITOR 

KRISTIN BRADETICH 

ART DIRECTOR 

CATHERINE KORN 

PRODUCTION MANAGER 

MARTY BUSS SMITH 

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER 

Nate Gooden 

John Franciosi 

This magazine is printed by a union 

printer on union-made recycled paper. 

2 www.uawdcx.com

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

✮✮✮✮ 

VETERANS DAY 

SPECIAL ISSUE 


Volume 7 • Number 5 

Special Issue: Veterans Day 2003 

17 

9 

2 Side by Side 

Saluting our veterans. 

27 Strong Support 

Programs to help members 

of the Guard and Reserves make 

ends meet while on active duty. 

Back Cover 

Our fifth annual tribute recognizes 

all who served. 

Front Cover 

PHOTO BY KAREN BEARD/GETTY IMAGES 

Marching Through History page 4 

With the help of 24 veterans from DaimlerChrysler facilities, 

Tomorrow magazine presents a history of the defense 

of freedom since Pearl Harbor. In their own words, these 

veterans tell their stories of active duty. It’s a history of 

individual experiences, tied together with a timeline of 

significant events in national, automotive and UAW 

history. Read the stories of: 

Leon Bougeno, page 11 

George Bowman Jr., 25 

Adrian Collier, 19 

Nadine Craig, 22 

Carolyn Davis- 

Flanagan, 25 

Dean Delmain, 23 

Angela Donnellon, 20 

Mike Douglas, 24 

14 18 

George Farrell, 21 

Daniel J. Ferdinande, 25 

Tom Finch, 14 

Paul Hasenauer, 12 

Orville Hawes, 7 

Bonita Hobson, 18 

Cheryl Lamb, 16 

Melvin D. Lee, 15 

William “Tom” Lee Jr., 6 

Joe McMahon, 10 

Manuel Rodriguez 

Pacheco, 9 

Theodore E. Perry, 25 

Paul Pirro, 8 

Tony Sadowski, 24 

Reginald Sanders, 17 

Don Walton, 13 

THIS ISSUE ONLINE: 

Not Your Father’s Battlefield 

The technological face of combat has 

changed dramatically since World War II. 

Friends of the Family 

Sterling Stamping’s veterans help others 

in need. 

It’s No Summer Camp 

Two veterans recall their indoctrination into 

the military. 

Paying Tribute 

One man’s way of saying thanks. 

EXTRA 


Tomorrow (ISSN: 1096-1429) is published quarterly with two special issues in spring and fall by Pohly & Partners, Inc., on behalf of the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training 

Center. Pohly & Partners, Inc., 27 Melcher Street, 2nd floor, Boston, MA 02210, 800.383.0888. Periodicals postage rates paid at Boston, Mass. and additional entry offices. 

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tomorrow, 2211 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48207. © 2003 by UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center. 

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Marching 

Through 

H 

JAY BAKER 

4 www.uawdcx.com

REBECCA COOK 

Dean Delmain at the Veterans 

Memorial Walk in St. Louis. 

See Delmain’s story on page 23. 

istory 

CChallenges to freedom are nothing new. 

Throughout history, this nation has confronted 

perils both within and beyond our borders. Those 

threats may have changed over time, but one thing 

that never wavers is the steadfast readiness of the 

men and women of the armed forces to protect our 

country’s interests and its citizens. 

Among the ranks of those who have answered the 

call through the years are many DaimlerChrysler 

workers. In this special issue, you’ll meet some 

coworkers who are veterans of conflicts that 

changed history, stretching TIMELINE, 1940–2003 

from World War II to today’s 

confrontations in the Middle Political and 

Military Events 

East. Through their stories, 

told in their own words, we UAW and Daimlerhonor 

all who have served. Chrysler Milestones 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ 

▲ 

TOMORROW VETERANS DAY 2003 5

You had to keep order and do everything on the double. 

WWilliam “Tom” Lee Jr. as told to 

Molly Rose Teuke 

When I enlisted in the Marines in 

1943, I explained that I’d just gotten 

married, but I was called up anyway. 

I didn’t like leaving, but at 18, you 

figure it’ll just be for a little while. I 

did not go overseas. When I was in 

San Diego, about half the platoon 

went overseas right after boot camp. 

There were a couple of times that 

we were all dressed in our greens with 

our sea bags packed, standing at the 

foot of our bunks in the barracks, 

waiting for orders to board ships. A 

couple dozen names would be called 

out to report for further training, and 

my name was among those. It was the 

same at Cherry Point, N.C. 

William “Tom” Lee Jr. 

U.S. Marine Corps, 1943–1945 

Corporal 

Product Design Leader, Transmission 

DaimlerChrysler Technology Center 

UAW Local 412 

6 www.uawdcx.com

OPPOSITE PAGE: JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIOS 

We’d march all day with our 

rifles. We learned to take our rifles 

and machine guns apart blindfolded 

and put them back together. We got 

training in things like recognizing 

planes and SOS signaling — part of 

it was keeping track of the aircraft. 

It was training for overseas duty. 

I kept records on all the planes at 

the base and the hours they flew, so 

that pilots didn’t take planes up that 

were in need of service. You know 

you’ve got a job with a lot of responsibility. 

I learned to be a detail 

person. You had to keep order and 

do everything on the double. 

I didn’t find it hard, but I was 

more interested in getting back to 

see my bride. When you lie in bed 

at night and you hear taps, there’s 

a lonesomeness. 

I considered it an honor and privilege 

to serve in the armed forces. I 

was proud to have been a part of it. ✮ 

Tom Lee was honored by his 

coworkers with a plaque that reads: 

On behalf of the UAW Local 412 

Veterans Committee we salute you 

for honorably serving our grateful 

nation during WWII. We commend 

you for your dedication and service 

and make you an honorary member 

of the veterans committee. Given on 

this day, June 11, 2003. 

Orville Hawes 

U.S. Army 43rd Infantry Division, 1941–1948 

Drill Sergeant/Staff Sergeant 

St. Louis South Assembly 

President, UAW Local 136 (retired) 

IOrville Hawes as told to Martha K. Baker 

I was drafted from home [Kentucky] and took my Army basic training 

at Camp Croft in South Carolina. In January 1942, I shipped overseas. 

The Army sent my regiment to an island in the South Pacific, and, you 

aren’t going to believe this, but I spent the war on beautiful Bora Bora. 

The Japanese were moving in, so the Army wanted to fortify the 

islands in the South Pacific. Thousands of soldiers made the island a 

fort. We built roads and airfields and the like. That work was all new to 

me, but you had to get used to new stuff in the Army. I’d worked as a 

coal miner before, and my father had worked as a coal miner. I was 

lucky I got drafted because it got me out of the mines. I wasn’t allowed 

to tell my family any more than 

“I’m in the South Pacific.” I’m sure 

they were worried about me. 

I can’t complain about my service. 

I saw a part of the world I never 

would have seen otherwise, a part 

of the world that [James] Michener, 

the famous writer, called “the most 

beautiful island in the world.” 

After I was discharged in 1945, I 

reenlisted. At Fort Hood [Texas], I 

I’m sure 

they were 

worried 

about me. 

was a drill sergeant with the 2nd Armored Division. I liked the Army and 

thought of making it a career, but after the war, I saw a different Army. I 

was disillusioned, so I left in ’48. I went to Evansville, Ind., about 60 

miles from where I was raised, to get a job at Chrysler. 

✮ 

Editor’s Note: Orville Hawes declined to be photographed. 

TIMELINE, 1940–2003 

1940 1941 

September 1940. Ground broken for Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in Warren 

Township, Mich. Chrysler built tanks in this first and largest of America’s 

defense plants, turning out 22,234 between 1941 and 1945. 

WWII 

July 1941. Willys-Overland starts 

turning out jeeps, an average of one 

every two minutes. 

Dec. 7, 1941. Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. 

President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares war on 

Japan, and all civilian car production halts. 

Dec. 12, 1941. UAW International Board 

pledges that the union will call no strikes 

for the duration of the war. 


WWII 

➤ 16,354,000 Americans in 

military service 

➤ 291,557 killed in action 

➤ 110,000+ POWs 

Paul Pirro 

U.S. Army, 1943–1945 

Private 

U.S. Army Reserve, 1950–1953 

Corporal 

Machine Operator 

New Process Gear (retired) 

UAW Local 624 

I’m lucky that I’m here. 

Paul Pirro as told 

Oto Molly Rose Teuke 

On June 6, 1944, we invaded France at 

Omaha Beach. We landed at 6:30 a.m. 

Our outfit [299th Combat Engineer 

Battalion] lost 30 percent of our men 

right on the beach, from the German 

artillery shells. I’m lucky that I’m here. 

Our job on the beach was to blow up 

obstacles with TNT and to pick up 

mines, all under fire. That was a dangerous 

job. 

I went back there in March 1972. 

The American Cemetery is on top of 

the hill. There is a chapel, then steps 

going down to Omaha Beach and 

Utah Beach. The first thing I did was 

kiss the sand. I told my wife that I 

never thought I’d be back there. Some 

of the concrete German pillboxes had 

been kept there as memorials. The 

Germans had been in there with 

machine guns, and when our ships 

started coming in, they were shooting 

at us. That’s a day that I’ll never forget. 

I was also in the Battle of the Bulge, 

in the Bastogne area. The American 

troops there were cornered on Dec. 16, 

1944, by the Germans. The battle went 

on for quite a while, and the 82nd 

Airborne and 101st Airborne had to 

drop supplies to us. I have five battle 

stars, one for every heavy battle that I 

was in. I was 18 1/2 years old when 

I entered the Army. The president gave 

a unit citation to the whole battalion. 

When Saving Private Ryan came 

out, reporters from a local TV station 

came to my house to show me the 

tape. The filmmakers didn’t get it exactly 

right, but it’s only a movie, and I 

only saw five minutes of it. I had tears 

in my eyes and they turned off the tape 

out of respect. I lost some pretty good 

buddies of mine on the beach. ✮ 

WWII cont. 

June 7, 1942. Battle of Midway ends 

in a U.S. victory, blocking Japanese 

eastward expansion in the Pacific. 

Early 1942. Chrysler switches to war production, including tanks, 

engines for B-29 Superfortress aircraft, marine engines, ammunition, 

and boats and trucks for military use. Chrysler also makes 

nickel-plated diffusers for the Oak Ridge atomic laboratory. 

June 25, 1942. General Dwight 

D. Eisenhower assumes command 

of U.S. forces in Europe 

Aug. 7, 1942. U.S. 1st 

Marine Division lands 

on Guadacanal. 

1942 1943 

March 31, 1942. UAW President Walter 

Reuther pushes his plan to increase production 

of military aircraft to 100 planes a day. 

He serves on several national wartime boards. 

November 1942. The 

UAW opens an office in 

Washington, D.C. 

Feb. 2, 1943. German 

troops accept defeat 

at Stalingrad. 

8 www.uawdcx.com

THIS PAGE: DAVID DEAL, OPPOSITE PAGE: MICHAEL GREENLAR 

HULTON-DEUTSCH COLLECTION/CORBIS 

We were under fire 

most of the time. 

I 

Manuel Rodriguez Pacheco as told 

to S.C. Biemesderfer 

I was young, in my early 20s, when I 

joined the Army in 1951. After training 

us, they put my rifle company on 

a boat to Korea. I was in the 3rd 

Division, 65th Infantry Regiment. 

They sent us to the front lines, 

where I worked as a lineman. Every 

time our company advanced, it was 

my job to connect the telephone line 

from the rear of the artillery to the 

command post. 

The time it was the worst, I’ll never 

forget. It had been raining for two days 

and enemy fire was coming from 

everywhere. They had done a lot of 

damage and blown all our wires to 

pieces. But without the line to the command 

post, more people would die. 

I volunteered with a buddy to try to 

put the line back together. We had to 

slide around in the rice paddies for a 

long way. There was artillery and mortar 

fire all around us. We were covered 

in mud, so much that I could barely see, 

and there were pieces of wire all over 

the place. Looking back, I don’t know 

what I was thinking. But somehow, I 

put the right pieces of line together. 

My lieutenant recommended me 

for medals, but I never received 

WWII cont. 

July 10, 1943. 

Allies invade Sicily. 

June 5, 1944. 

U.S. troops enter 

Rome, first Axis 

capital to fall. 

1944 

June 6, 1944. 

Allied forces land 

at Normandy, 

France. 

January and February 1944. UAW opens the 

first labor bookstore in Detroit and convenes its 

first annual education conference. 

Manuel Rodriguez Pacheco 

U.S. Army, 1951–1953 

Private First Class 

Metal Finisher 

Newark Assembly (retired) 

UAW Local 1183 

them. My kids came across my Army 

papers and old newspaper clippings 

and worked with our UAW Veterans 

Committee to have the medals 

awarded. That was a very proud day 

for me. The American flag is the 

most beautiful flag in the world. It 

was my honor to defend it. 

✮ 

July 21, 1944. 

U.S. forces 

land on Guam. 

Aug. 25, 1944. 

Paris is liberated. 

Last February, Pacheco was awarded 

the U.N. Service Medal, Korean 

Service Medal (two Battle Stars), 

National Defense Medal and Combat 

Infantry Medal. Three of his 

children, Richard and Marie Pacheco 

and Teresa Chance, work at 

Newark Assembly. 

Oct. 26, 1944. U.S. 

Pacific Fleet wins 

Battle of Leyte 

Gulf, Philippines. 

Nov. 7, 1944. 

President Roosevelt 

elected to unprecedented 

fourth term. 


I always 

felt something 

about that 

memorial 

was missing. 

KOREA 

➤ 1,789,000 Americans in 



➤ 7,666 POWs/MIA (presumed dead) 

I 

Joe McMahon as told 

to Martha K. Baker 

I was one of the first to go in to Korea 

with 1,894 people in the 34th Infantry 

Regiment of the 24th Division, in 1950. 

In seven weeks, we were down to 194 

of those original soldiers. The first man 

killed in combat, Kenneth Shadrick, 

was from our outfit. [The North 

Koreans] overwhelmed us in three 

hours’ time — we were under-strength, 

under-equipped, under-trained. 

People died in the Korean War. So 

to me the Korean War monument in 

Forest Park [St. Louis] never seemed to 

Joe McMahon 

U.S. Army 1948–1952 

Staff Sergeant 

Millwright 

St. Louis South Assembly and 

St. Louis North Assembly (retired) 

UAW Local 136 

be enough. I always felt something 

about that memorial was missing. 

Although several names of people 

killed were embedded in the monument 

for posterity, no one could see them. 

So I joined a committee of about 

12 vets from four local chapters of 

the Korean War Veterans Association 

to figure out what we wanted. 

We worked for three years to raise 

$13,500 for two new pedestals. We 

held fundraisers twice a year and 

sold the blue Rose of Sharon, the 

national flower of South Korea, and 

we took donations. 

On Aug. 2, 2003, the day before 

the 50th anniversary of the signing of 

the Korean Armistice Agreement, we 

held a memorial service. About 400 

people gathered around the Korean 

War Memorial, a large stainless-steel 

sundial next to the Jewel Box [an Art 

Deco greenhouse]. Our two black 

granite pedestals stand on either side 

of five flags representing America, 

prisoners of war, the United Nations, 

South Korea and Missouri. One 

pedestal is inscribed “Freedom is 

never free,” and on the other is a map 

of the Korean peninsula marked with 

the 38th parallel and four major cities. 

Inscribed on the black granite of 

the pedestals are the names of the 

28 fallen soldiers from Jefferson 

County, St. Louis County and city, 

and St. Charles County. 

✮ 

Dec. 27, 1944. 

Allies victorious in 

Battle of the Bulge. 

Feb. 7, 1945. Sen. 

Joseph R. McCarthy 

of Wisconsin claims 

the U.S. State Dept. 

harbors communists. 

WWII cont. 

Feb. 23, 1945. 

U.S. Marines raise 

flag at Iwo Jima. 

May 7, 1945. Germany surrenders; 

President Truman 

proclaims May 8 V-E 

(Victory in Europe) Day. 

Aug. 15, 1945. 

Korea is divided along 

the 38th parallel into 

U.S. and Soviet zones. 

Sept. 2, 1945. 

Japan signs 

surrender 

agreement. 

1944 1945 1946 

1946. Chrysler resumes commercial vehicle production, producing 

slightly modified prewar models. New sedan, coupe and 

convertible versions of the Chrysler Town & Country are introduced. 

BETTMANN/CORBIS 

10 www.uawdcx.com

OPPOSITE PAGE AND THIS PAGE: JAY BAKER 

Leon Bougeno 

U.S. Army, 1953–1955 

Private First Class 

Metal Finisher 

St. Louis South Assembly (retired) 

UAW Local 136 

I was supporting my four brothers 

and sisters when I was drafted. 

MLeon Bougeno as told 


My father died in 1950, and I was 

supporting my four brothers and sisters 

when I was drafted and sent to 

Fort Gordon, Ga., after basic training. 

I sent my whole paycheck from the 

Army home to Evansville, Ind. I 

worked three jobs to support myself. I 

drove a staff car for General Truman 

(not the Truman) and General Bolen 

in the morning, then I’d sleep in the car 

unless he had to go somewhere. I ran a 

skating rink until 11 p.m., and after 

that, I ran a gas station until 6 a.m. I’d 

leave there and go to the base to clean 

up and report to the motor pool. 

I got the driving job even though I 

was with the 101st Airborne and 

wearing a Class A uniform. The sergeant 

who was supposed to drive the 

general showed up with alcohol on 

his breath, so General Truman said, 

“Get the first man you see ready to 

go.” Someone pointed to me. 

“I thought you were supposed to 

be a corporal or better to drive a general,” 

I told General Truman (I was 

bucking for a pay raise). 

“Don’t you think I have enough 

rank to overrule that?” he asked (I 

didn’t get the raise). 

The Korean War was over shortly 

after I was drafted. They heard I was 

coming so they gave up. We were 

fighting a war we couldn’t win — a 

lost cause. When I got home, I tried 

to join the VFW, but they wouldn’t 

accept me because I hadn’t stepped a 

toe in Korea — even though I was in 

the Army during the war. I had nothing 

to do with where I was sent. ✮ 

April 1948. Unknown assailants attempt 

to assassinate UAW President Walter 

Reuther, seriously wounding him. 

Korea 

1948 1949 1950 

September 1949. UAW 

negotiates auto industry’s 

first pension plan. 

June 25, 1950. 

North Korea invades 

South Korea. 

1950. Chrysler introduces 

four-wheel disc brakes. 

June 27, 1950. 

U.N. asks members 

to intervene. 


As my confidence grew, I risked more. 

W 

Paul Hasenauer as told 

to Molly Rose Teuke 

When I was a boy I had a fear of 

heights. By the time I first enlisted, in 

1980, I could climb a ladder. But I 

wasn’t going to be airborne — that 

was for people bigger and better than 

me. Then a ranger friend of mine said, 

“Paul, it’s not wrong to be afraid; it’s 

wrong when you let your fears stop 

you from what you know you need to 

do.” So many times in my life, I’ve 

thought about that. 

I gradually gravitated toward 

more specialized units, and trained 

in jungle school, Special Forces survival 

school, and some things I’d 

rather not disclose. As my confidence 

grew, I risked more. 

When it comes to heights, there’s a 

psychological point, and that’s 33 feet. 

If you can do it at 33 feet, you can do 

anything. Eventually, you get up there 

and then you’re not afraid anymore. 

I had an association with Special 

Forces. I served in Korea at Panmunjom, 

the 38th parallel. Our mission 

was to protect the DMZ [demilitarized 

zone]. Officially, we were a joint 

security force under the United 

Nations Military Armistice Command. 

In order to get into a real-world mission 

at that time, you had to keep volunteering 

and moving up. The Army 

said to me, “Kid, we can’t do it for 

you, but we can do it with you.” ✮ 

June 30, 1950. President 

Truman orders ground forces 

into Korea and sends Air 

Force to bomb North Korea. 

1950–1954. Chrysler produces 28,878 tanks for the war effort, 

unveiling the M-48 “Patton” tank in 1952 at the tank plant in 

Newark, Del. Chrysler also produces trucks, aircraft and missile 

components, and other items for the Korean War effort. 

Paul Hasenauer, 

U.S. Army, 1980–1986 

Sergeant 

Mechanic/Driver, 3rd Shift Union Steward 

Arizona Proving Grounds 

UAW Local 509 

Sept. 27, 1950. 

U.S. establishes a Military Assistance 

Advisory Group in South Vietnam 

to support the French. 

Korea cont. 

1951 

1951. Chrysler 

unveils the HEMI 

V8 engine. 

April 11, 1951. General 

Douglas MacArthur recalled 

from Korea. 

July 1951. International UAW 

opens new headquarters at 

Detroit’s Solidarity House. 

MICHAEL MERTZ 

12 www.uawdcx.com

JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIOS 

We ended up in 

all the hot spots. 

I 

Don Walton as told 


I have more than 34 years with the 

company. It was a long time ago when 

I served, but it’s still very clear to me. 

I enlisted in the Marines in April 

1966. The recruiters promised to 

enroll me in heavy equipment school. 

That was the plan, anyway. Within 

six months, instead of heavy equipment 

school, I found myself with a 

heavy pack, a heavy rifle and a heavy 

helmet on a rice paddy in Vietnam. 

I was a sergeant and served with the 

1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine 

Division, Charlie Company. The first 

place they put us was the DMZ [demilitarized 

zone]. After about six months, 

they started sending our unit all over 

I-Corps, which was the northernmost 

territory occupied by our forces. They 

would brief us and drop us wherever 

they needed us to go in and fight. We 

ended up in all the hot spots, running 

missions they gave us. It was heavy 

fire, heavy combat, heavy casualties. 

I spent 13 months in country. I 

came home with six medals, including 

the Presidential Unit Citation, Good 

Conduct Medal,Vietnamese Campaign 

Don Walton 

U.S. Marines, 1966–1969 

Sergeant 

Inspector 

Toledo Machining 


Ribbon with two stars and Vietnamese 

Appreciation Ribbon. 

I was shot through my pack once, 

but I was never really injured. I count 

myself as very lucky. So many men lost 

their lives, and still some POW and 

MIA soldiers haven’t been accounted 

for. I fly a POW/MIA flag in my yard 

and have a Marine Corps tattoo on my 

arm. It’s important not to forget. ✮ 

VIETNAM 

➤ 2 million Americans in 



➤ 2,400 POWs/MIA 

Jan. 20, 1953. President 

Eisenhower increases U.S. 

aid to the French in Vietnam, 

citing the “domino theory.” 

July 27, 1953. Armistice 

signed, officially creating 

communist North Korea and 

democratic South Korea. 

May 7, 1954. French surrender 

their fort at Dien Bien Phu, 

prompting French withdrawal 

from Vietnam after eight years 

of occupation. 

1953 1954 1955 1959 

1953. The innovative 

PowerFlite two-gear 

automatic transmission 

premieres at Chrysler. 

Vietnam 

January 1955. 

First direct shipment 

of U.S. military aid 

arrives in Saigon. 

March 1959. Ho Chi Minh 

declares a People’s War to 

unite Vietnam. Two months 

later, construction of Ho Chi 

Minh Trail begins. 

1955. A Chrysler C-300 wins a NASCAR 

Grand National race for the first time with 

an average speed of 92 mph. The team 

wins 20 out of 40 NASCAR races. 


[We] used to talk about the food we missed the most. 

For me, it was always the cheeseburger. 

W 

Tom 

Finch as told 


When the Army drafted me in 1967, 

I was 20 years old and living in Clare, 

Mich. By June of 1968, I was in 

Vietnam. I was a sergeant assigned to 

the 4th Infantry Division in Dak To, 

November 1960. Ho Chi Minh’s 

guerrillas, called Viet Cong, 

infiltrate the countryside. Hanoi 

establishes National Liberation 

Front as its political organization. 

near what they called the tri-border of 

Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. There 

was a lot of intense fighting. 

Just to distract ourselves, my buddies 

and I used to talk about the food 

we missed the most. For me, it was 

always the cheeseburger. In fact, when 

I got five days of R&R in Hawaii, the 

Tom Finch 

U.S. Army, 1967–1969 

Michigan National Guard, 1977–1979 

Alabama National Guard, 1982–1996 

U.S. Army Reserve, 1996–present 


Production Line Worker 

Huntsville Electronics (retired) 


May 1961. President 

Kennedy sends Green 

Berets to South Vietnam. 

Vietnam cont. 

1960 1961 1964 

April 27, 1961. In a speech on the occasion of 

the 25th anniversary of the UAW, Dr. Martin 

Luther King Jr. compares sit-down strikes of 

the 1930s to civil rights sit-ins. 

first thing I did — after finding my 

wife — was get a cheeseburger. 

After two years of active duty, I 

went home to Michigan and worked 

at Chrysler’s INTROL electronics 

division in Ann Arbor. In 1977, I 

joined the Michigan National Guard. 

When they closed the Ann Arbor 

plant in 1982, I took a job on the production 

line at Huntsville Electronics. 

I retired last year after 30 years. 

After moving to Alabama, I joined 

the Alabama National Guard. Then I 

switched to the Army Reserve in 1996 

so that I could have more promotion 

opportunities. I’m a staff sergeant 

now. The last time I got called to 

active duty was this fall, for three 

weeks at Fort McClellan in Alabama. 

I worked in operations and helped set 

up classes at the signal school. 

I realize now how young we were 

when we fought in Vietnam. A lot of 

the people we send to fight are barely 

20 years old. When you’re older, you 

realize how young that is. 

✮ 

Tom Finch and his unit received many 

honors, including two Presidential 

Unit Citations, the Vietnamese Service 

Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal 

and the Cross of Gallantry. 

August 1964. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin 

Resolution authorizing the president to take “all 

necessary steps” to prevent attacks on U.S. forces. 

1964. First 

model year for 

Plymouth 

Barracuda. 

December 1964. UAW organizes 

airlift of food and medicine to 

South Vietnamese children. 

FLIP SCHULKE/CORBIS 

14 www.uawdcx.com

OPPOSITE PAGE: MARC BONDARENKO, THIS PAGE: BILL SCHWAB 

We were 

pushing for 

diversity. 

I 

Melvin D. Lee as told 


I had been called up four or five 

times, but I had a deferment for 

school, so I didn’t go. Finally, I volunteered, 

and on June 5, 1967, I joined 

the Army. I was just shy of 21, and I 

wanted to do my duty for my country 

and get back to living my life. 

I was assigned to the personnel 

department of the 1st Maintenance 

Battalion in Mannheim, Germany. My 

duties were to process new people 

joining us and departures from 

Germany, either to Vietnam or home. 

Being assigned to personnel, I was 

selected for various special assignments. 

I was assigned to a regional 

race relations committee. Years 

before we got there, a race riot broke 

out in Germany at Spinelli Barracks. 

It was the first time, that I know of, 

this kind of committee was even 

attempted in Germany. We were 

pushing for diversity, to make sure 

everybody got equal treatment. I was 

in Germany for two years doing that, 

not enough time to see what the 

Melvin D. Lee 

U.S. Army, 1967–1970 

Specialist Fifth Class 

Financial Analyst, Mopar 

Center Line Parts Distribution Center 

impact was. We were just the nucleus 

to get it started. 

The military gives you an awakening, 

makes you more aware of what 

you have to do to plan for the future. 

It made me able to look at things 

from different points of view; it 

broadened my outlook on life. It 

makes you think, that’s the main 

thing. I tried to look down the road 

20 years and make a determination 

— where did I want to be? I knew I 

needed an education to provide for a 

lifestyle that would be healthy, selfsatisfying, 

rewarding and economically 

fulfilling. 

Military life added a certain discipline 

and made me aware of choices. 

But most of all, it redefined the 

buddy system and teamwork. In retrospect, 

it was one of the best things 

that happened to me. 

✮ 

BETTMANN/CORBIS 

1965 1968 1969 1970 1973 1975 

March 1965. Walter Reuther 

leads UAW delegation joining civil 

rights marchers in Selma, Ala. 

January 1968. Siege of Khe 

Sanh begins. Viet Cong 

guerrillas launch the surprise 

Tet Offensive. 

April 1969. U.S. troop level 

peaks at 543,400. 

1970. American 

Motors Corp. 

takes over 

Kaiser-Jeep. 

March 29, 1973. 

Last American 

troops withdraw 

from Vietnam. 

May 9, 1970. Walter Reuther, his wife, 

May, and four others die in a plane crash 

on their way to the site of the soon-to-open 

Family Education Center at Black Lake. 

April 30, 1975. Last 

Americans evacuated 

from Vietnam. 


If you aren’t 

mature when you 

go in the military, 

you become 

mature really fast. 

I 

Cheryl Lamb as told 


I was in the Philippines for my first 

two years. We [the Fleet Composite 

Squadron, VC-5] supported the 

Seventh Naval Fleet, launching and 

recovering the aircraft. I was supposed 

to go to electrical trade school, but my 

paperwork got put off and that didn’t 

happen. I had to learn everything on 

my own. After I finished my work on 

the flight line, I would go into the electricians’ 

shop and work with the guys. 

They took me under their wing, showing 

me how to do things, what manuals 

to read and what to study. They’ll 

let you watch for a while, and then 

when they think you’re comfortable, 

they’ll say, “OK, do you want to 

remove this amp?” And so you try it. 

After those two years, I went on to 

Mirmar, Calif. That’s the Airborne 

Early Warning Squadron, VAW-110 

for the E2 and C2 aircraft. E2s track 

things, like submarines, under water 

with Doppler radar; C2s are cargo airplanes. 

I injured my knee coming out 

the back of a helicopter, and I injured 

it again coming out the back of the C2. 

Cheryl Lamb 

U. S. Navy, 1986–1990 

U.S. Naval Reserve, 1991–present 

Petty Officer Second Class 

Spot Welder, Warren Stamping 

UAW Local 869 

Once my knees were shot, they 

assigned me to the tool room. 

I revised all the toolboxes and the 

tool control program. I wanted it to be 

simple so anyone could tell what went 

where. I received a letter of commendation 

from a rear admiral for that. 

I’m attached to three different units 

because of my specialized skills. I have 

experience on seven different aircraft, 

from helicopters to early warning aircraft. 

There’s a lot of classroom training 

at Selfridge Air National Guard 

Base [Mount Clemens, Mich.], but 

there’s no Navy hardware, meaning 

aircraft, for me to work on. I go to 

Norfolk, Va., to work on the H60 helicopters, 

and once every couple of 

years, I go to Sigonella Naval Base in 

Sicily, Italy, to work with the Aviation 

Intermediate Maintenance Department. 

If you aren’t mature when you go in 

the military, you become mature really 

fast. You learn how to be responsible 

for your own actions. I can do anything 

I put my mind to. 

✮ 

July 16, 1979. 

Iraqi president Al-Bakr 

resigns and is succeeded 

by Saddam Hussein. 

Post-Vietnam 

attacked by a suicide bomber. 241 Marines 

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 

1979. Lee Iococca 

elected chairman 

of Chrysler Corp. 

September 1980. 

Full-scale war 

erupts between 

Iran and Iraq. 

1980. President Carter signs 

$1.5 billion in federal loan 

guarantees to Chrysler Corp. 

1981. Chrysler sells its 

defense division to 

General Dynamics. 

Oct. 23, 1983. 

U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, 

and sailors are killed. 

1982. K-cars 

introduced. 

1983. Chrysler pays 

off federal loans, 

seven years ahead 

of schedule. 

November 1983. 

The Vietnam Veterans 

Memorial dedicated 

in Washington, D.C. 

16 www.uawdcx.com

It was the only place it made any sense 

for me to be during that terrible time. 

OPPOSITE PAGE: JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIO, THIS PAGE: BOB MAHONEY 

I 

Reginald Sanders as told 


I’m a lieutenant colonel in the National 

Guard. But back when I enlisted in the 

Army in 1983, I really had no idea 

what was in store for me. 

After basic training, I was stationed 

at Fort Dix, N.J. — which happened to 

be where my grandfather was stationed 

before shipping off to France to 

fight in World War I. Soon I was working 

as a driver for a major general who 

encouraged me to become an officer. 

Next thing I knew, I was graduating 

from officers’ training at Fort Benning, 

Ga. — the same place my father went 

through training before fighting in 

World War II. 

By 1988, I was a first lieutenant and 

had a career decision to make: stay 

in the Army or work in the private 

sector. I took a job at a dealership in 

upstate New York, then in 1989 

accepted an offer to be district manager 

at Chrysler’s Syracuse Zone 

Office. That same year, Staff Sgt. 

Robert King, from Fort Drum in New 

York, called to see if I was interested in 

signing up with the National Guard. I 

chose to commit to a dual-career track. 

In late 1990, I received my orders 

for Desert Storm. We left at the end 

of the year and were gone for eight 

months. I served as a supply officer 

at a number of different locations in 

Saudi Arabia, including Bahrain, Riyadh 

and King Khalid Military City. 

In 2001, I was working for Mopar 

International and getting ready for a 

business trip to Singapore when I 

heard the news — it was Sept. 11. I 

was in Michigan and had to get to my 

unit [27th Brigade 427 Support 

Battalion] in New York. I called the 

state police to see if I could drive 

through Canada. When I reached the 

Blue Water Bridge, the officers there 

waved me through and I drove full 

speed to Niagara Falls with an escort 

from the Ontario police. 

After getting to my unit in Syracuse, 

I spent the next two weeks working as 

our chief logistics officer. Our unit was 

in charge of guarding key sites, including 

all of the state’s airports and nuclear 

power plants. I returned a couple of 

weeks later to serve some more. It was 

the only place it made any sense for me 

to be during that terrible time. ✮ 

Reginald Sanders’ military awards 

include the Saudi Army Freedom 

Medal, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal, 

Federal World Trade Center Award, 

Army Achievement Medal, four Army 

Accommodation Medals, two Meritorious 

Service Medals and New York 

State Conspicuous Service Cross. 

Reginald Sanders 

U.S. Army, 1983–1988 

New York Army National Guard, 1989–present 

Lieutenant Colonel 

Warehouse Manager, Atlanta PDC 

Reginald Sanders dedicates his story in memory 

of his mentor, Gen. Thomas W. Kelly.

It takes a lot to 

leave your life 

and loved 

ones behind. 

W 

Bonita Hobson as told to 

S.C. Biemesderfer 

When I set off for basic training in 

1978, I was in one of the Army’s first 

coed training units. It was a lot of hard 

work and I gave it everything I had. In 

1979 I was selected for MP [Military 

Police] school. After that, I was stationed 

with an MP unit in Stuttgart, 

Germany. My four years were up in 

1982. Then I joined the Army Reserve. 

My Reserve unit, the 350th Evacuation 

Hospital, was activated in late 

1990, during Operation Desert Shield. 

After being deployed to Dahrain, Saudi 

Arabia, we were sent to King Khalid 

Military City near the airport in 

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Our first mission 

there for Operation Desert Storm was 

to set up an evacuation hospital in 

about 24 hours. Once we set up the hospital, 

we helped keep it running. It was 

a 24/7 facility where we received 

patients who had to be cared for and 

evacuated for medical treatment and for 

wounded American soldiers and POWs. 

I was over there for a total of five 

months and 23 days. That was a long 

time to be away from my two kids. 

Fortunately, my sister took care of 

them while I was away on duty. 

In 1993, I started working for 

DaimlerChrysler. In 1999, after 20 

years in the military, I retired at the 

rank of staff sergeant. 

My prayers go out to the men and 

women being deployed today. It takes a 

lot to leave your life and loved ones 

behind, even when you’re doing it for 

your country. 

✮ 

Bonita Hobson 

Ohio National Guard, 1978–1979 

U.S. Army, 1979–1982 

U.S. Army Reserve, 1983–1999 


Inspector, Toledo Machining 


18 www.uawdcx.com

We were sent as part of a peacekeeping 

force, but there wasn’t much peace. 

OPPOSITE PAGE AND THIS PAGE: JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIOS 

Adrian Collier as told 

Mto S.C. Biemesderfer 

My first stint in the military was as a 

Marine. I enlisted in 1982. When the 

U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut was 

bombed in 1983, my unit, the 2nd 

Battalion, 8th Marine Division, had 

already been ordered to Beirut. 

Word came down that we would be 

diverted to the island of Grenada in 

the Caribbean. There had been a coup 

there and the new regime was aligned 

with Fidel Castro. The U.S. government 

decided to intervene, and we 

were sent in to help evacuate missionaries 

and about 1,000 American students 

going to a medical school there. 

Then we went on to Beirut. 

A suicide bomber had completely 

destroyed the barracks and killed 

more than 240 Marines. It was an 

intense situation and my first taste of 

real combat. We made underground 

bunks out of old tractor-trailer beds 

and were on guard 24/7. We were sent 

as part of a peacekeeping force, but 

there wasn’t much peace. When I left 

the Marines in 1986, I was a corporal. 

After a few years, I decided to reenlist 

and joined the Army in 1989. In 

late 1990, my unit was deployed to the 

Persian Gulf as part of Operation 

Desert Shield, then Desert Storm. I 

served as a staff sergeant in the 2nd 

Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery. 

We were stationed in Saudi Arabia, 

about 40 miles from the Iraqi border, 

and our assignment was to launch 

Patriot missiles. The Patriots were 

guided missiles designed to shoot down 

incoming enemy missiles, and I worked 

Adrian Collier 

U.S. Marine Corps, 1982–1986 

Corporal 

U.S. Army, 1989–1997 

Staff Sergeant, Recruiter 

Assembly Worker, Warren Truck 

UAW Local 140 

as a surveyor with a team that calculated 

the trajectory for missile positioning. 

Altogether, we fired five missiles 

and shot down two Iraqi scuds. We 

were in the thick of it over there. 

From 1994 to 1997, I was an Army 

recruiter in Detroit. In 1999, I started 

working at Warren Truck. I’m proud 

of my military service, and I really 

appreciate the sacrifices being made by 

our troops today. As Americans, we 

have a lot to be grateful for — and a 

lot to defend. 

✮ 

Desert Storm 

Aug. 

1984 1987 1989 1990 

1984. Chrysler creates 

the minivan, introducing 

the Dodge Caravan 

and Plymouth Voyager. 

1987. Chrysler acquires 

American Motors. 

April 28, 1989. UAW members join 

first nationwide observance of 

Workers Memorial Day, commemorating 

workers killed on the job. 

2, 1990. 

Iraq invades Kuwait. 

U.N. calls for full 

withdrawal. 

1990. UAW involved in improved 

pensions and profit sharing and establishment 

of physical fitness centers. 

Dec. 17, 1990. 

U.N. sets January 15, 1991, as deadline 

for Iraqi withdrawal. Saddam 

Hussein rejects U.N. resolutions. 


I never wanted my being 

a woman to be an issue. 

Angela Donnellon as told 


W 

When I was a supply clerk in the 

Army, I tested 36 out of 40, an 

“expert” on the firing range with a 

rifle. I’ve never fired a weapon since, 

but if I had to, I think I could handle 

myself. I reenlisted because I liked 

the life; reenlisting was a career 

move for me, but I got out when it 

was time. 

Although I was in Saudi Arabia 

for Desert Storm, I never saw combat. 

The months I was there were the 

most relaxed of my service career. I 

was a supply clerk with the 188th 

Ordnance. We worked only two to 

three hours a day. Since we were at 

war, we weren’t bothered with the 

usual little details. In case you were 

needed for combat, they didn’t want 

you stressed out or fatigued. My 

husband Kevin, who also works for 

DaimlerChrysler, at McGraw Glass, 

is a Desert Storm vet, too; he’s in the 

National Guard. 

Angela Donnellon 

U.S. Army, 1986–1993 

Specialist Fourth Class 

Liftgate Line Worker 

Warren Stamping 

UAW Local 869 

I think everyone who’s 19 or 20 

should have a couple years in the 

military. It made me more appreciative 

of being an American and gave 

me discipline. You become more tolerant 

of people from different backgrounds, 

and that still helps me 

today with the people I work with. 

The military also challenges you. 

When you’re a woman in an occupation 

that the Army doesn’t think 

females are capable of, you like to 

prove them wrong. One time a 

colonel at Fort Bragg [N.C.] came to 

lecture us on morale. He went to 

everyone in the office but me — 

maybe he didn’t approve [of female 

soldiers]. I remember feeling dejected 

because I was the best soldier in 

the office at that time, but the experience 

also pushed me because I 

never wanted my being a woman to 

be an issue. That still drives me 

at work today. 

I’m a good worker. After my time 

in the military, I never feel there’s 

anything I can’t do — because I’ve 

done it. 

✮ 

BILL SCHWAB 

1991. 

Hostilities 

break out 

in Bosnia. 

Jan. 17, 1991. 

Operation Desert Storm 

begins, as coalition forces 

begin bombardment. 

Feb. 24, 1991. 

Allied ground 

campaign begins. 

March 3, 1991. 

Saddam Hussein accepts 

terms of ceasefire. 

1991 1995 

1991. Chrysler is the first 

automaker to add an airbag 

to its minivans. 

1995. President Clinton 

orders first American 

troops to Bosnia. 

1995. Chrysler’s hybrid-electric car, 

the Patriot, wins the Discover Award 

for technological innovation. 

20 www.uawdcx.com

JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIOS 

I would have 

sworn it was the 

end of the world. 

George Farrell 

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 1986–1994 

U.S. Air Force Reserve, 2002–present 

Senior Airman 

Procurement Analyst 

Mopar World Headquarters 

UAW Local 889 

I 

George Farrell as told 


I enlisted in 1986 and got called up 

in 1990. I still remember the date, 

Nov. 29. It was the day the U.N. 

authorized use of force to remove 

Iraq from Kuwait. Dec. 9 was my 

first day of active duty, and I 

boarded a plane for Okinawa with 

the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines on 

Dec. 25. That’s a Christmas I’ll never 

forget — it was the worst Christmas 

of my life. 

When I enlisted, I didn’t think we 

would ever go to war. The Cold War 

was at its peak, and I figured no one 

would risk war because that would 

be the brink of World War III. 

Strange as it may sound, the Cold 

War actually provided some stability 

in the world. Cold War tensions 

thawed, and next thing you know, 

we’re getting into these smaller conflicts, 

and the world changed on me. 

I was at Subic Bay Naval Base in 

the Philippines when Mount Pinatubo 

erupted. If I hadn’t had access 

to television, I would have sworn it 

was the end of the world. We could 

feel the earth moving, I couldn’t see 

10 feet beyond me; it was literally 

raining mud. There wasn’t anything 

to do but sit in your bunk. And at 

one point I jumped out of my bunk 

— I thought the barracks I was in 

was going to collapse. After 36 hours 

of darkness, the sun finally came out. 

Later, we stuck around to help evacuate 

civilians and clean up. 

In the aftermath of September 11, 

I felt compelled to go back in, so I 

joined the Air Force Reserve. I had to 

appeal for a medical waiver as I had 

fractured my hip in 1996 in a skiing 

accident. I didn’t think I could handle 

the Marines again, with a metal 

plate in my hip. On Aug. 20, 2002, I 

was sworn in, and I’m now serving 

at Selfridge Air National Guard Base 

[Mount Clemens, Mich.] as part of 

the 927th Air Refueling Wing. ✮ 

PERSIAN GULF 

WAR, 1991 

➤ 467,939 Americans in 


➤ 148 killed in action 

➤ ZERO POW/MIA 


You could see 

their anxiety, 

wondering 

what would 

happen next. 

Nadine Craig 

U.S. Army, 1984–1987 

Michigan Army National Guard, 

1988–2001 

U.S. Army Reserve, 2002–present 

Sergeant First Class 

Corporate Auditor, Detroit Axle 

UAW Local 961 

WNadine Craig as told 


When I joined the Army in 1984, I 

suppose it was a career choice more 

than anything. I was on full-time 

active duty for almost four years. 

Most of that time, I was stationed in 

Colorado, working as a communications 

and satellite systems technician 

with the 124th Signal Battalion. 

I joined the National Guard in 1988 

and moved up to the rank of staff sergeant. 

In 2002, I joined the Army 

Reserve and was promoted to sergeant 

first class. I knew at that time that 

there was a real chance of being called 

to active duty. And in December of last 

year, just before the holidays, I was put 

on alert that I might be activated. So 

was my husband, who was also a 

reservist at the time. 

In March, I was called up. First, I 

was sent to Camp Atterbury in 

Indiana. I spent a month there training 

to prepare Army trainers going to Iraq 

in emergency care and first aid in the 

field — everything from performing 

CPR to applying a tourniquet. 

About a week after the training, 

I did a two-week rotation at Fort 

McCoy, Wis., training people who’d 

been activated to go overseas. That 

was hard, working with the younger 

troops. You could see their anxiety, 

wondering what would happen next. 

Sending people off to war is a tough 

thing to do. 

It was also tough being away from 

home, especially since I have a 16- 

year-old son. But everyone at work 

was really terrific — they gave me a 

going-away party and a plaque, and 

named me March Employee of the 

Month. That meant so much to me. I 

was proud to be serving my country 

— and proud to know I’d be coming 

back to such a great group of people 

at Detroit Axle. 

✮ 

September 1998. U.N. Security 

Council calls for ceasefire to end 

civil war in Kosovo. NATO takes 

steps to intervene. 

1998 1999 2001 

1998. Daimler-Benz and 

Chrysler Corporation merge. 

June 1999. NATO moves 

peacekeepers into Kosovo. 

Sept. 11, 2001. 

Terrorist attacks in 

New York, Washington, D.C., 

and Pennsylvania. 

Kosovo, 

22 www.uawdcx.com 

Bosnia,

We were the first one 

sent over because of 

our knowledge of rivers. 

Dean Delmain as told 

Mto Martha K. Baker 

My Naval Reserve unit was in Iraq 

from Dec. 3, 2002, until July 22, 2003. 

I serve with In-shore Boat Unit-14, the 

only boat unit in the Midwest, and we 

were the first one sent over because of 

our knowledge of rivers. Once the first 

wave of Marines stabilized the perimeters, 

we could go in to do our jobs. 

We worry about the water. We 

can’t be worried about getting shot 

from a pier because we can’t beach the 

boat and go after [the enemy]. We 

started in Kuwait at the Shuaibi Port. 

Then, for four months, we patrolled a 

OPPOSITE PAGE: BILL SCHWAB, THIS PAGE: JAY BAKER 

30-mile river in Iraq, from 7 a.m. to 

7 p.m., with Umm Qasar on one end 

and Al Zabar on the other — one was 

an industrialized port, the other an oil 

port. We offered inner-harbor protection 

to civic buildings, piers and 

merchant ships. 

People appreciated us being there — 

no matter what the media says. The 

news reports come out of the big cities 

where there are people who still have 

ties to Al Qaeda, but when we drove to 

the outlying areas, women and children 

waved at us, even a quarter-mile 

away. The men were more hesitant 

after years of living under Saddam. 

I originally got out of active duty 

Dean Delmain 

U.S. Navy, 1986–1996 

U.S. Navy Reserve 2001–present 

Engineman First Class 

Pipefitter, St. Louis North Assembly 

UAW Local 136 

to get married and raise a family. This 

time I left a 5-year-old daughter and 

3-year-old twins. The hardest thing 

to do was leave my family, but some 

reservists sacrifice a lot more than 

time away from home. I’m lucky 

to have a great job with a company 

that takes care of me. [See “Strong 

Support” on page 27.] 

I still believe in this country, and I 

haven’t forgotten September 11, even if 

other people have. But I’m disappointed 

— I’ve been overseas three 

times now, for Desert Shield, Desert 

Storm and now the war with Iraq. I 

don’t mean any offense, but I don’t 

want to have to go back. 

✮ 

Sept. 15, 2001. President George W. Bush 

says nation is at war and begins push to 

find Osama bin Laden. 

Oct. 7, 2001. U.S. launches 

military strike against Taliban 

in Afghanistan. 

November 2001. Taliban withdraws 

from Afghan capital, Kabul. Allied 

troops move in. 

Dec. 16, 2001. Al Qaeda stronghold 

of caves at Tora Bora taken; bin Laden 

not found. 

STRINGER/USA. REUTERS 

Afghanistan, Iraq 

2001. Plymouth brand discontinued 

after 2001 model year. Prowler to be 

branded a Chrysler vehicle. 


A 

Tony Sadowski as told 


After serving in the Air Force full time 

for six years, I signed on with the 

Michigan Air National Guard in 

1988. On Feb. 20 of this year, I got 

a call at work saying that my unit 

[127th Supply Logistics Fuels Branch] 

had been activated. I had to get to the 

base and get my orders right away. 

By March 1, we were in Kuwait, 

stationed at the Kuwait City International 

Airport. I worked as the 

night shift fuels supervisor. We fueled 

and took care of all the aircraft flying 

in and out of that area, so we were 

there when the first planes flew into 

Iraq. We were also there when they 

flew back wounded soldiers, and 

when the first 17 silver caskets were 

loaded onto a plane to go back home. 

What struck me the most was how 

young so many of the soldiers were. 

I’m 42, and these kids were closer in 

age to my own children than to me. 

They were good soldiers, good kids. 

Tony Sadowski 

U.S. Air Force, 1982–1988 

Michigan Air National Guard, 1988–1990 

Florida Air National Guard, 1990–1994 

Michigan Air National Guard, 1994–present 

Technical Sergeant 

Specifications Analyst, 

Sterling Heights Assembly Plant 

UAW Local 889 

On April 17, we were sent from 

Kuwait to the Al-Udeid Air Base in 

Qatar/Doha. We came home in July, 

but I’m still on orders, working as 

the fuels supervisor at the Selfridge 

Air National Guard Base [Mount 

Clemens, Mich.]. I’m glad to be home 

with my wife, son and two daughters 

and back at my regular job. 

I have to mention my supervisor, 

Chris Barrett [specifications supervisor]. 

Chris is one of the greatest patriots 

I know. He’s been a tremendous 

supporter while I’ve been on orders — 

e-mailing me while I was gone, helping 

out if my wife or family needed 

anything. I even got a care package 

from the people at work. 

I came back with three flags that I 

flew over in Kuwait and Qatar, and 

I gave one of them to my brother, one 

of them to my daughter’s school and 

one of them to Chris. I’m UAW and 

he’s management, but none of that 

means much when it comes to being 

an American. When you’re a true 

patriot, that means everything. ✮ 

We did extra duty. 

I 

Mike Douglas as told 


I’ve been to Central America, South 

America and Europe with the Air 

National Guard. I was deployed back 

and forth to Panama when we still 

had bases there. 

I’m a ground equipment mechanic, 

but I’m able to get on some of those 

flights because there’s a program 

where they’ll let you fly MEGP — 

Mission Essential Ground Personnel. 

They do that because they’re 

going to need you when they fly in. 

When the aircraft is on the ground, 

I work on the equipment that supplies 

the power. I’m qualified to do 

some things with the aircraft engine. 

We’re the 191st Airlift Group of 

127th Wing, a C130 unit. We fly 

cargo aircraft. All the missions we do 

are resupply, humanitarian and things 

like that. We did a 20-day mission in 

Germany that involved resupply of 

troops in Bosnia and Kosovo. It was 

two weeks after September 11. We 

were supposed to go for one mission, 

but we did extra duty with a lot of different 

jobs, like packing supplies and 

food to be dropped in Afghanistan. 

Now, they’re sending more experienced 

mechanics on these trips, 

but the weekend guys like me still 

September 2002. President Bush 

tells U.N. General Assembly that 

they must help confront Iraq or 

U.S. will act alone. 

Oct. 4, 2002. 

John Walker Lindh, the 

“American Taliban,” 

receives 20-year sentence. 

March 2003. U.N. 

weapons inspectors 

say they 

need more time. 

2002 2003 

24 www.uawdcx.com 

March 17, 2003. 

President Bush gives 

Saddam Hussein 48 hours 

to leave Iraq or face attack. 

March 20, 2003. 

U.S. missiles 

strike Baghdad. 

April 9, 2003. 

U.S. forces advance 

into Baghdad. 

Sept. 14, 2003. 

UAW and DaimlerChrysler 

reach new agreement. 

REUTERS/MANNIE GARCIA

OPPOSITE PAGE: BILL SCHWAB, THIS PAGE RIGHT: SGT. THEO MCNAMARA, BELOW: BILL SCHWAB 

get a chance to help out. I get more 

training and more experience, we 

all get into the team effort, and if 

they need someone to jump on an 

airplane and go somewhere, I’m out 

there at Selfridge [Air National 

Guard Base, Mount Clemens, 

Mich.] and I’m available. 

Entering the service was one of the 

better choices I’ve made. My son is 

active duty Air Force right now in the 

Middle East. I’m proud of that. ✮ 

In 2002, Tech. Sgt. Douglas was 

chosen by his squadron supervisors 

to be Squadron NCO (noncommissioned 

officer) of the Year. In 1995, 

he had been chosen Squadron Airman 

of the Year. 

Mike Douglas 

Michigan Air National Guard 

1989–present 

Technical Sergeant 

Waste Treatment Plant Operator 

Sterling Heights Assembly Plant 


Operation Enduring 

Freedom 

Four citizen-soldiers at Guantanamo 

IT 

would be hard to find 

a military outpost in 

a more beautiful setting: 

surrounding the Caribbean 

beaches of Guantanamo 

Bay, Cuba, are mountains 

that stop most rain clouds 

from marring the bright blue 

skies. Cactuses and palm 

trees flourish in the hot, dry 

environment. With no 

tourists in sight, the beaches 

and nearby coral reef 

are pristine. 

This idyllic scene is a jolting contrast 

with the grim reality of global 

terrorism — the reason why 2,000 

U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine 

Corps and Coast Guard servicemen 

and women are there. While these 

soldiers may appreciate the natural 

beauty that surrounds them at the 

U.S. military base in Guantanamo, 

they work long days in unrelenting 

heat and endure extended separation 

from family and friends. 

Defending Freedom 

Among them until recently were four 

“citizen-soldiers” from Daimler- 

Chrysler. The workers, who completed 

tours of duty with the Joint Task Force 

Guantanamo, have all come home to 

their jobs at Detroit-area plants. All 

four were interviewed for Tomorrow 

while still in Cuba. 

Their reasons for serving range 

from patriotism to self-improvement, 

but they all share the conviction that 

Left to right: Sgt. 1st 

Class Daniel Ferdinande, 

Sgt. Carolyn Davis-Flanagan 

and Sgt. Theodore Perry 

what they are doing is essential. “It is 

probably the most important thing 

going on in the defense of our country 

right now,” says Sgt. Theodore E. 

Perry of the 785th Military Police 

Battalion. “We’re saving countless 

American lives every day.” 

At Guantanamo, their mission was 

unusual — detaining about 660 

enemy combatants from 42 countries 

and developing intelligence to help 

the United States and its allies in 

the ongoing global war on terrorism. 

“Even those of us who do not have 

direct contact with the detainees 

know that we are defending freedom 

in the attack on terrorism,” explains 

Sgt. Carolyn Davis-Flanagan, a 

Sterling Stamping driver. The Army 

reservist acknowledges that her time 

in Cuba — on the same base with 

prisoners who have suspected Al 

Qaeda and Taliban ties — has 

affected her deeply. 

Serving among presumed terrorists 

may be unusual, but the four 


have found that their civilian and 

military jobs have much in common. 

Perry, a member of UAW 

Local 869, found that his work as 

a hi-lo driver at Warren Stamping 

helped him understand the importance 

of getting supplies to their 

destination. “If we don’t get the 

customers what they need, it could 

close plants. In the military, if we 

don’t get people what they need, it 

could cost lives,” says Perry, who 

was responsible for receiving, processing 

and distributing supplies at 

the base warehouse. 

Service and Sacrifice 

His colleague at the warehouse, Davis- 

Flanagan, knows that sacrifice is part of 

military service. A 21-year veteran of 

the U.S. Army Reserve, the UAW Local 

1264 member had to leave behind a 

husband and a daughter. “My husband 

is very supportive, and so are other 

family members,” says Davis-Flanagan, 

who deployed with the 300th MP 

Brigade. “But my 6-year-old daughter 

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba 

Their reasons for serving range from 

patriotism to self-improvement … 

says, ‘Mommy, you’re missing my birthday 

party.’ Overall, though, she’s trying 

real hard to support me.” 

Davis-Flanagan says she was able 

to put what she’s learned in her plant’s 

Transportation/Hi-Lo Department to 

use at the base. “The experience I 

gained at Sterling Stamping helped 

me complete my mission, which 

entails a lot of price matching and 

cost cutting,” she explains. 

Exercising Leadership 

Army Reserve Major George F. Bowman 

Jr. sees crossovers in leadership. “As 

an officer, you must effectively manage 

people and resources,” he says. “As an 

assembly area manager at Warren 

Stamping, I use the same skills. The 

leadership skills you gain from military 

service are priceless.” 

Bowman, who is attached to 

300th MP Brigade Headquarters, 

is true to his family’s 

legacy of military service. “My 

father, my uncle, my grandfather, 

my wife, my father-inlaw 

and all three of my brothersin-law 

are serving or have 

served our country through military 

service,” he says. “They 

miss me, but they know that it 

is the right thing to do.” 

After nine years of active duty, 

Bowman chose to continue in 

the U.S. Army Reserve. “I believe 

in the concept of the citizensoldier,” 

he says. “And the great 

people I’ve met here who are also 

citizen-soldiers have reinforced 

my resolve to continue.” 

Like Bowman, Sgt. 1st 

Class Daniel J. Ferdinande 

decided to stay on after a tour 

of active duty. He enlisted in 1984, 

served for four years and has put in 

an additional 15 years with the 

Army Reserve. 

On a Mission 

His reasons are straightforward: “I 

enlisted to serve my country, develop 

discipline and learn skills that would 

benefit me my entire life,” says 

Ferdinande, a member of the 785th 

MP Battalion. “I think the mission 

here is very important to the security 

of our country. Every service member 

in Guantanamo Bay plays an important 

role in fighting the war on terrorism.” 

A welder equipment repairman at 

Sterling Stamping, Ferdinande was 

noncommissioned officer in charge of 

the facilities (maintenance) section at 

the base. “I use a lot of the mechanical 

and troubleshooting skills that I 

have learned as a skilled tradesman 

in my role as NCOIC,” says the UAW 

Local 1264 member. “Working in the 

automotive industry involves many 

different situations and different 

types of people.” 

All four DaimlerChrysler workers 

will continue to face the challenges of 

a new kind of war. “We haven’t seen 

anything like this before. When I was 

in Desert Storm and Desert Shield, we 

knew who the enemy was,” says Perry, 

whose 15 years of military experience 

include four years of active duty. “Now 

your enemy could live right next door 

to you and you might not know it. Like 

so many others, I am motivated by the 

tragedy of September 11 to do my 

part in this war on terrorism. I just 

hope the rest of America does its part 

and supports us.” 

— Michael J. McDermott 

REUTERS 

26 www.uawdcx.com

Strong Support 

Protecting Our Protectors 

Members of the Guard and Reserves make many 

sacrifices — but they don’t have to be financial 

MICHAEL GREENLAR 

The call came on Sunday, Feb. 9, 

2003. Exactly one week later, 

Mike Filippi, a machine operator 

at New Process Gear, left home 

for a six-month stint as a U.S. Coast 

Guard maintenance engineer with the 

Naval Engineering Support Unit 

Sandy Hook. 

While the Coast Guard reservist 

was helping protect New York 

Harbor, other forces were protecting 

his wife, Renee, and two boys, 

Nicholas, 8, and Thomas, 7. The military 

provides financial safeguards for 

families of reservists and National 

Guard members who are called to 

duty. The UAW and DaimlerChrysler 

also make sure that families aren’t hit 

with a double whammy of lower 

income and higher expenses. 

Holding the Line 

Active duty pay for Filippi was only 

$13,000, but DaimlerChrysler made 

Benefits for UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

Workers on Active Duty 

up the difference between 

his Coast Guard pay and 

his income at the plant. 

“The money we had 

saved wouldn’t have gotten 

us through if I was 

away all year. The differential 

paid the mortgage,” 

says Filippi. 

It also gave the family 

some financial breathing room. With 

her husband away, Renee had to pay 

$75 more each week in before- and 

after-school care for the boys. 

Many families struggle financially 

when one breadwinner’s salary is replaced 

by military pay, says Jim Frye, 

a retired U.S. Army pilot. Now a 

counselor with American Financial 

Solutions, a credit counseling service 

in Seattle, he advises military families. 

“When you maintain the same 

lifestyle using credit cards, you can 

get in trouble in six months,” he says. 

The DaimlerChrysler Corp. and the UAW have agreed to grant extended 

payment of short-term military duty pay, as well as health care and 

group life insurance benefits, for workers called to active duty at least through March 31, 2004. 

In addition, UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center Circle of Life Programs can 

be especially helpful for active duty workers and families. The Family Resource and 

Referral Program, for example, offers a wealth of materials and expert advice on a wide 

range of personal and family issues. The National Child Care Network, Dependent Care 

Assistance Plan and after-school programs can help parents make sure their children are 

well taken care of when they are away. For more information on these and other NTC 

programs, visit the work-life section at www.uawdcx.com or call Phyllis Johnson, UAW, 

or Colleen McBrady, DaimlerChrysler, at the NTC, 313.567.3300. 

The Filippi family together again. 

From left: Thomas, Mike, Nicholas and Renee. 

Safety Net 

Families with credit card debt, car 

loans and mortgages can claim a 

break on burdensome interest rates 

by invoking their rights under the 

Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief 

Act (SSCRA) of 1940. The SSCRA 

requires lenders to charge no more 

than 6 percent for loans taken out 

before the service member was called 

to active duty. In addition, families 

paying monthly rents of $1,200 or 

less can’t be evicted. 

Families in financial crisis often get 

emergency aid through military relief 

societies, explains John Alexander, 

director of communications for the 

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, 

based in Arlington, Va. Any reservist 

who has been on active duty for at 

least 30 days is eligible. 

Thanks to the SSCRA, the Filippis 

were able to get an interest rate 

break on their car loan and mortgage. 

And then there was an extra 

helping hand from Mike’s brothers 

and sisters at UAW Local 624, who 

collected $1,000 for each family 

affected by active duty. 

✮ 

— Joanne Cleaver 


I’m UAW and he’s management, 

but none of that means much when it comes to being 

an American. 

— TONY SADOWSKI 

Operation Iraqi Freedom 

featured on page 24

Tomorrow Magazine Veterans Day Special Issue, 2003

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