Mr. Don Rydrych, longtime resident of Helix, Oregon, was 22 years old when he was drafted into the army during the Cold War.
While he served in the U.S. Army he was stationed in Germany as a 2nd lieutenant, and a platoon leader. He trained many soldiers over the course of two years. He actually didn’t see any combat, but still he had many great stories and a great experience that changed his life.
He was assigned into an infantry unit, so if the Russians would have fired their way, his unit would have been the first to know about it, but that never happened. After he got out of the Army, he used the G.I. Bill to pay for his college to become a plant biologist.
Mr. Rydrych enjoyed what the Army taught him and it was a great experience. Don could have made a career out of the Army, but that is not what he wanted to do with his life. Instead, he was really happy when he got to come back from Europe, and start his life in the states again. Don is now in his 80’s and if he had to do it all over again, he would do it the same way because he likes where it took him in his later life as a civilian.