In honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, and the Upper Keys deep-rooted relationship with the military, Keys Weekly honors local veterans of all ages, who have served all over the world, from Iraq and Bosnia to Korea, Kosovo, Vietnam and everywhere in between. We thank you for your service and your dedication to our freedom, on Veterans Day and every other day of the year.
Name: Peter Bacheler
Age: 73
Which branch did you serve in? Navy. 1968-1972.
What rank did you achieve? Petty Officer second class. E5.
Unit you were attached to? I was a submarine sonar technician, and my submarine was homeported at New London, CT, but the ports of call were in Holy Loch, Scotland, and Rota, Spain.
What inspired you to join the military? I was fed up with college and I decided I’d rather do something else. I wanted to use the GI Bill to go back to college, which is what I did. Also, my father was in the Navy. I learned to scuba dive when I was 10. Sonar was that. I wanted to do something associated with radar. I went from submarine sonar to air traffic control.
What was the best part of your service? Out on a patrol on a submarine, it was a ball. You disappear for 70 to 80 days. You had your own bunk, stereo speakers, four meals a day, steak, lobster, homemade bread and pies. Our own cook. Softee ice cream machine. You’d do your job, then you get to play, read or watch movies. We generally played at “Mid Rats” — Midnight Rations.
How did serving change you? I glow in the dark because it was a nuclear submarine.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? If you’re a young man or a woman and in doubt the military is the best for you, you might want to volunteer for something special and difficult in the Navy. You’ll rise faster. I wanted to volunteer for SEAL teams but blisters on my feet prevented that. I went to submarine school out of boot camp. It was great.
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? The deeper the submarine goes, the more it creaks. It gets compressed, and it creaks.
Favorite military movie? “Hunt for Red October.” “A Few Good Men.”
What do you do now in the Florida Keys? I’m the vice mayor of the Islamorada Village Council, and I’m also a private planner.
Name: Bob Johnson
Age: 78
Which branch did you serve in? Air Force.
What rank did you achieve? For veterans, rank should be irrelevant. Even the lowest level service member has been in harm’s way.
Unit you were attached to? Strategic Air Command, 1960 to 1964. Selfridge Air Force Base, in Michigan.
What inspired you to join the military? I joined for a sense of purpose.
What was the best part of your service? The military owes me absolutely nothing, and I owe them everything for a much better life.
How did serving change you? From my perspective, it gave me a head start in the business world and a public-service work ethic.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? There’s nothing better for a young man to do than be in the military. It gives a sense of purpose, strong values, self-discipline, patriotism and work ethics.
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? The Cuban Missile Crisis and how close we were to a thermonuclear war. I remember the days of the blockade. The entire air force base was silent. Our motto was, “Peace is our profession.” If not for our military readiness, we’d be living in a different world today. Living in that era affected my view of the importance of democracy and the importance of public service. We spent five days on the highest alert level. The slowest five days of my life.
Favorite military movie? “Hunt for Red October.” “A Few Good Men.” “Patton.”
What do you do now in the Florida Keys? I’m retired. I work with the American Legion, veterans helping veterans. Every veteran has a story. I’m honored to be with the men in my post. Everyone has stepped up to the plate for God and country. That can’t be said for a lot of groups.
Name: Brian Mundey
Age: 40
Which branch did you serve in? Army.
What rank did you achieve? E5 Sergeant. I was an Army Airborne Ranger.
Unit you were attached to? 1-325 Airborne, infantry regiment. In ’05, I was in Afghanistan. In ’06, I was in Iraq. In ’07, I was in Iraq. I did three tours.
What inspired you to join the military? Being an American and seeing what happened to our country in ’01. For me, it was defending our country. I saw Bush say, “We’re going in.” Next day, I went to a recruiter and said, “Sign me up.”
What was the best part of your service? My brothers. The camaraderie. You cannot buy that kind of camaraderie. That’s what it’s all about. The guys to your left and right, you got their back. No matter where you are in life, you can call them and it’s like, “What do you need?”
How did serving change you? It gave me discipline, direction, purpose. I learned so much about myself that I carry to this day. I could talk about that for a couple of hours.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? Trust your gut. If you feel you have a calling to serve, do it.
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? When that first bullet goes whizzing past your head, everything changes. Your life flashes before your eyes. But you knew that, though, from your training. And also the bureaucracy. There was a love/hate relationship with the decisions being made from the top down.
Favorite military movie? “Black Hawk Down.” And you can take it all the way back to “Braveheart.” But honestly, I try not to watch military movies.
What do you do now in the Florida Keys? I work at Haven Marina Management. It’s consulting to hands-on marina management.
Name: Jerry Smithbower
Age: 54
Which branch did you serve in? Navy. 1985 to 1988
What rank did you achieve? 3rd class petty officer. E4.
Unit you were attached to? I was on three boats: the USS Caloosahatchee, the USS America, and the USS Comte de Grasse. I served mostly in the Caribbean chasing drug runners in and around Jamaica, Colombia.
What inspired you to join the military? Education. I grew up on a pig farm in Pennsylvania. I was the youngest of eight, hand-me-downs all my life. It was time to change it.
What was the best part of your service? Just being on the ocean. That’s freedom. That’s something you don’t see every day. There’s a color you see way out, blue water.
How did serving change you? Where I came from, you had a racist upbringing. The military changes you. You don’t see color. You see brotherhood.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? I really don’t know. I don’t know if I’d put my family through that.
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? I got a paycheck. I grew up on a pig farm. The money we made went to buy clothes. That paycheck was the first paycheck I’d ever seen.
Favorite military movie? “Saving Private Ryan.” I have a lot of respect for the gentlemen who fought those wars.
What do you do now in the Florida Keys? I work for the National Park Service.
Name: Russell Ellis
Age: 77
Which branch did you serve in? Marine Corps.
What rank did you achieve? Corporal E4.
Unit you were attached to? H&HS — Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron. First Marine Air Wing. I served in Danang, Vietnam for three years. It was 55 years ago today that was my first day in Vietnam (1966). Halloween. A scary day. We did get a rocket attack that night.
What inspired you to join the military? I figured I’d beat the draft by joining the Marines.
What was the best part of your service? The camaraderie. It lasts and lasts. I’m still in touch with them. Reunions. People coming out of their way to visit. It’s such a rewarding experience to sit down with people you haven’t seen in 40 years.
How did serving change you? I went from being a clothing salesperson to being in Vietnam, Tactical Air Control. I drove up to the draft board in a new car — it was ’65, and I was driving a ’66 Impala — wearing a new three-piece suit. In Vietnam, I’d send the jets up on their mission, and when they’d land, they’d have to call me. It was quite a change.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? When my son came of age, I told him whatever you decide, I’ll stand behind you.
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? I was extremely disappointed with how the war was handled. They would send people on a hill, then take them back. The Vietnamese would learn the tactics. In World War II, if you took an island, you stayed there. It hurt to see. We just knew we wouldn’t win. We were there to fight and die.
Favorite military movie? “The Sands of Iwo Jima.”
What do you do now in the Florida Keys? I’m retired concrete construction. I maintain my own home and have an interest in cars. Linda, my wife, has taken good care of me.
Name: Mark Birk
Age: 60.
Which branch did you serve in? Marine Corps
What rank did you achieve? Lieutenant colonel. I enlisted in 1982, retired in 2012.
Unit you were attached to? I was in the Marines for 30 years. I retired as a Marine. That’s a lot of units. I went from radio repairment to radio technician then to Central Command. I went to the Gulf War. Somalia. I left before Black Hawk Down. In Somalia, people liked us when we were coming, and when we were leaving, they were throwing rocks at our trucks. Then I was warrant officer, a specialist in communications maintenance. Then I transferred to limited duty office and went from captain to lieutenant colonel. I was deployed to Iraq four or five times, I don’t remember exactly, as a limited duty officer in charge of a maintenance company that took care of tanks. Last time, I was stuck there in a staff job in logistics.
What inspired you to join the military? I was going down the wrong road, and this was an option. My brother and dad served in the Air Force. I had a bit of a police record. The Air Force said it would take six months to approve my enlistment. So I walked next door to the Marine Corps. I did good in the test scores, and they said, “You’re good.”
What was the best part of your service? Taking care of people. And I used my GI Bill after I retired. Went to George Mason University at age 50. In two classes, when a teacher was late, they would say, “Take over the class.”
How did serving change you? Made me mature. I was young and dumb.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? I would say, “Right now, wait. Go to college first. There’s so much you learn at college that you don’t get when you do this.”
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? When I was in joint command as an enlisted officer, I went to a lot of countries, and their military is not as proficient as ours.
Favorite military movie? “Full Metal Jacket.” That boot camp was like my boot camp. But “Stripes” was so funny.
What do you do now in the Florida Keys? I’m a boat captain for Conch Republic Divers in Tavernier.
Name: Brian Sayre
Age: 48
Which branch did you serve in? Navy
What rank did you achieve? E5 petty officer second class.
Unit you were attached to? USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN71, a nuclear aircraft carrier. I went on four cruises in four years. I was underway all the time during the Gulf war, from 1991 to 1995. I’ve been to almost every country in the Mediterranean — Egypt, UAE. I was operated on in Bahrain. Flew to Cairo. Got drunk in Germany.
What inspired you to join the military? For me, it’s family. My biological grandfather was in the Air Force and was one of the first shot down in the Korean war. There’s a monument in his honor on an Air Force base in Korea. The grandfather that raised me on my dad’s side was a hospital corpsman in the Navy. My grandfather on Mom’s side was also Navy, Korean War. My stepdad is a Marine. My brother just retired from the Air Force. My wife is Army National Guard. A long family lineage.
What was the best part of your service? How we sit here and interact like this? (Waves his hand at the four other veterans at the table.) When the day is done, you can pull up in any country and any city and be like this. Each one has got our backs.
How did serving change you? It makes you be a man. Makes you be mature. If you don’t do your job, someone suffers.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? I have a son who’s serving in the Coast Guard in Islamorada. My youngest son is processing to join the Air Force. It’s an honor.
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? I didn’t realize how big the damn boats are. And the U.S. Navy is the most advanced in the world.
Favorite military movie? “The Hunt for Red October.”
What do you do now in the Florida Keys? I work for U.S. Bank as a manager of data analysis.
Name: Chris Kilmurray
Age: 49
Which branch did you serve in? Army
What rank did you achieve and what unit were you attached to? I was Staff Sergeant Aco 2/124th Infantry 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon.
What inspired you to join the military? What inspired me to join the military was the love of my country and the freedoms we have here.
What was the best part of service for you? Serving in Iraq from 2003 to 2004.
What part of your experience in the service do you think about often or that affects your daily life? I often think about the sacrifice made as I served, and the time away from family and friends back home.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? What I tell young people thinking about joining the military is make sure you want to serve. It is not something to take lightly.
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? No more home cooking!
Favorite military movie? Wow, there are so many. I would say “12 Strong.” I feel the director got it right when soldiers wanted to go fight after 9/11.
What do you do now in the Florida Keys? I am a Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy patrolling the Key Largo area.
Name: John Gallant
Which branch did you serve in? United States Marine Corps
What rank did you achieve? Lance Corporal
What unit were you attached to? Marine Corps Weather Service Station in Camp Pendleton.
What inspired you to join the military? My grandfather, who survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor on the USS Raleigh.
What was the best part of service for you? Marine combat training.
What part of your experience in the service do you think about often or that affects your daily life? The leadership skills I learned from watching good officers affect my daily life the most. Team building and collaboration, focusing on the overall mission while ensuring that each part of that mission fits with the ethos of the business. Giving praise and credit to successes to the people working for you. Giving people a sense of pride; in themselves, in who they work with, and in who they work for. Paying attention to the details, but not losing focus on the overall mission.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? If college is an option, do that first, and join as an officer.
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? Going to meteorology school on an Air Force base in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Favorite military movie? “Mayor Payne.”
What do you do now in the Florida Keys? I am the broker/owner for Engel & Völkers Islamorada.
Name: Evie Engelmeyer
Which branch did you serve in? U.S. Army.
What rank did you achieve? Captain.
What unit were you attached to? Company Commander of the 60th Ordnance Company out of Fort Carson, CO.
What inspired you to join the military? I watched Sept. 11, 2001 happen while I was living overseas (at Ramstein Germany) and I, as most Americans, felt that day was a defining moment in America’s history. My dad served in the Air Force during Vietnam, my oldest sister still serves today in the Air Force and my nephew was commissioned in May to the Space Force.
What was the best part of service for you? The camaraderie and community. I grew up as a military brat so joining was a no-brainer for me. The scholarship didn’t hurt – the Army paid for all of my college, housing and meals.
What part of your experience in the service do you think about often or that affects your daily life? The leadership I got to experience, both in the positions I held and the leadership over me. There is always something to learn – whether it’s finding the leader you want to be or the discovering the leader you don’t want to be.
The community as well. There was an unspoken, unconditional, community that no matter what you needed, someone was always there for you – personally or professionally.
What do you tell young people who want to serve? Do your research! Find the branch/career that fits you and your goals. Go in open minded; it’s going to be an experience like no other.
Biggest surprise after becoming active duty? I don’t think I had any surprises because I was a military brat and then did ROTC in college, I was prepared.Favorite military movie? I actually stopped watching military movies since I was living the life. BUT if I had to pick – “G.I. Jane,” simply because she’s a bad a$$.
