A tribute to a veteran: William Jarvis, Army & Air Force veteran

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Senior Master Sgt. Celia Jarvis, 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, manager, nursing services, shares this article about her father with members of the 445th Airlift Wing.

"It is in large part because of my father, his sharing of experiences and patriotic commitment to the military, that I joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve," Jarvis said.

William Jarvis served in both the Army and Air Force. He joined the military in 1940 at the age of 18. Jarvis served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He said of his service, "After the war, we took a troop ship jammed full of men back to the United States. Stepping foot on American soil after fighting in the war for years overseas was one of the best moments in my life."

Jarvis left the Army shortly thereafter, but enlisted in the Air Force in 1950. He was a Master Sergeant.

After Korea, he continued to serve in the Air Force at various locations and in 1961 rose to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, the highest rank of the enlisted corps.

In 1964, Jarvis was sent to Vietnam. He said that war was different because "you couldn't look your enemy in the eye."

Jarvis retired in 1971, but continued to work for the Air Force as a civil servant. All five of his children served in the Air Force.

William Jarvis recently passed away, but left this advice for us all:

"Anyone in the Air Force, either in the military or civil service, should like what they're doing and give the same dedicated service they would for any other important aspect of their life."

(This article was published by the House Veterans Affairs Committee -- Stories of America's Veterans, 11 Nov. 2011 publication)