Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. – To commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today released the March edition of his “Answering the Call: Maine’s Veteran Voices” interview series, in which he shares the stories and reflections of the lives, selfless service, and sacrifice of Maine’s veteran community. In the fifth interview of the series, conducted in partnership with the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, Senator King spoke with longtime Maine humorist Gary Crocker, who served on the USS Boston as a Navy Reservist in the Vietnam War. During the interview, Gary shared his story of inspiration and opportunity that led him to join the Armed Services, his time on the USS Boston stationed off the coast of Vietnam, and how his journey as an educator in Maine was shaped by his service. Vietnam Veterans Day is set aside every year on March 29th by the military and veteran community to mark the date in 1974 when the last active duty American troops left the nation at the conclusion of the war.
“It was a pleasure to host Gary Crocker for the fifth episode of ‘Answering the Call: Maine’s Veteran Voices.’ Gary has continuously demonstrated what it means to serve one’s nation – not only in the Armed Services, but also through his years of dedication to bettering Maine’s education system,” said Senator King. “After serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, Gary used the GI Bill to graduate from the University of Maine and dedicated his career to expanding resources for students in Maine’s community colleges – oh, and he made us laugh along the way! Gary’s service both in and out of the Armed Services has made a real impact on our state and nation. On this Vietnam Veterans Day, I’m especially honored to call him a good friend, and I’m deeply grateful he could join me to share his story.”
Gary was born and raised in North Monmouth, Maine where he graduated from Monmouth Academy before enlisting in the Navy Reserves. He was inspired to join the Armed Services by his father who had served in the U.S. Army in the Philippines during World War II. As a kid, Gary remembers waiting for the bus down the road from his house and seeing the Roll of Honor, which listed all Americans who served in the military during wartime- including his father. Gary was eager to honor his father by serving himself. The other important factor in his decision to enlist was the GI Bill. Gary knew he wanted to attend college, but his family couldn’t afford it at the time of his graduation. So, in order to get his degree, Gary enlisted in the Navy Reserves right after graduating high school.
Gary spent one and a half years on the USS Boston, a heavy cruiser that provided naval artillery support to land troops fighting in Vietnam. When not engaged in combat, he worked as the Captain’s Yeoman – a position that normally requires months of training but one that he qualified for on the spot due to typing skills he learned at Monmouth Academy. When in combat, Gary worked as a phone talker with the repair group below deck – helping to coordinate the battle activities of the ship. Gary left the Navy when offered early release by the Navy Reservists.
After leaving the Armed Services, Gary utilized the GI Bill to attend the University of Maine. After graduation, he worked as a police officer in Waterville for almost two years, while simultaneously earning his master’s degree in adult education. He left the police force to begin work at Central Maine Community College, where for five years he was the Director of Adult Education. Gary then transitioned into a lobbying role in Augusta where he spent the rest of his career working on the state level with all community colleges in Maine. Today, Gary is a Maine humorist. He still credits the Navy with the leadership skills that have helped him succeed in his career in education, and he’s a firm believer that everyone should do some form of service for their nation – whether that be military or volunteer work such as the Peace Corps.
The Veterans History Project is an effort by the Library of Congress to collect, preserve and distribute the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. The interviews and primary documents from the project are then used by researchers, historians, students, and filmmakers across the country. Senator King joins many other members of Congress who’ve participated in the project.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator King has been a staunch advocate for America’s servicemember and veterans. He discussed the issue of resources and support for injured veteran and servicemember suicide in last month’s Answering the Call interview. King also recently introduced the Save Our Servicemembers (S.O.S.) Act, which would work to improve Department of Defense’s servicemember suicide prevention efforts, and Senator King has worked to improve the services for Maine veterans across the state, including at the Togus campus in Augusta.