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Gary Howard

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Vietnam was winding down when Gary Howard enlisted. He remembers watching the news every night because he had cousins there. At the recruiter's office, they told him he could pick his duty station if he did well on tests. I don't care where, came the response. Well, are you married and do you like beer? (4:32)

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As an MP in Cold War Berlin, Gary Howard witnessed the stark divide of East and West. His job was mostly regular police work but there were occasional incidents, like the time one of the MP's tried to smuggle his girlfriend out of East Berlin. (5:03)

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The difference was like night and day. When MP Gary Howard would cross into East Berlin, it was very dismal. The cars were all the same and the people reticent. But the exchange rate made the shopping and restaurants a bargain. His encounters with Russians were very business like. They were both doing a job. (6:43)

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After two-plus years in Berlin, MP Gary Howard was asked if he wanted to re-enlist and he asked, can I stay here? He decided to get out and joined the sherriff's department when he got home. He fit right in. (3:53)

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The skills he learned as an MP in the Army helped Gary Howard thrive in his new career of law enforcement. He started as an entry level officer and rose to head the department as Sheriff. (3:08)

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The tension between East and West in Cold War Berlin was a very palpable thing. Gary Howard served as an MP there and he had a constant worry that things could blow up quickly. (4:52)

Gary Lawrence

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Gary Lawrence decided that, if he was going to go into the military, he was going to be a frogman. He'd been an excellent swimmer on his high school team and that sounded like the place for him. He nearly was washed out at the first screening because of a problem with the grading on punch cards. (5:07)

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While at Navy boot camp, Gary Lawrence encountered recruiters for the underwater demolition teams which were no longer known as frogmen but Navy SEALS. He passed the screening test but on career day, he was informed that he had to get a ship rating before he was allowed to go to SEAL training. Dispirited, he chose the Seabees. (Caution: strong language.) (5:21)

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He finally got his wish. Gary Lawrence entered Navy SEAL training and couldn't believe that there were dropouts the first day. The highlight, or maybe the lowlight, of the program was Hell Week, a grueling week of no sleep and arduous tasks. He and his swim partner were the fastest swimmers in camp, which worked out well for them with one memorable exception. (4:17)

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The instructors could make you quit if they wanted to, at least that was what Gary Lawrence observed during Navy SEAL training. Once you made it through the basic program, there were additional schools to learn the skills needed for special operations. This included both land warfare and diving. (6:33)