Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Robert Glen Andree, who served in the Vietnam War and retired after 21 years of service.
Shortly after graduating high school, Robert Glen Andree was accepted to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. After graduating, the Army commissioned Andree as a second lieutenant in the infantry. He attended Infantry Basic School at Fort Benning, Georgia for four months, and then went to Aviation Primary School in San Marcos, Texas.
Shortly after Aviation School, Andree served in Germany where he flew along the East/West border. He became a regimental operations officer and was in charge of the initial defense of Europe and the aviation nit.
After returning from Germany, Andree attended Advanced Armor School, and Helicopter School. He then went to Fort Ord in California. In 1962, the Army ordered Andree to go to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He trained to fly to Cuba and direct artillery until he ran out of gas. However, the U.S. averted the crisis while Andree was in Kentucky, and he returned to his base.
Andree then served two yearlong tours in Vietnam with the 117th Aviation Company, the 52nd Aviation Battalion, and the 1st Cavalry Division, 229th Aviation Battalion. The Army stationed Andree primarily in Pleiku and Qui Nhon. His first tour was in 1963, where his unit served as advisors to the South Vietnamese. Andree’s main missions during the tours included flying gunships, hauling, and escorting aircraft carrying troops.
Andree retired from the Army in 1977 as a lieutenant colonel after serving for 21 years. He earned many ribbons and medals, including a Bronze Star Medal, 12 Air Medals and a Meritorious Service Meal. Shortly before leaving the service he attended the University of Georgia for two years and received a master’s degree.
He later became the director of Computer Services at Indiana University North West, while also teaching information systems. Robert and his wife, Linda, settled in Indiana, the state he grew up in, and had three children.
Thank you for your service!
More of his story can be found at http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.62893.
Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.
Veterans History Project
This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.
Contributors
Writer: Isabel Nulter
Editor:
Fact checker: Claire Dufault
Graphic artist:
Topics in this story
More Stories
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran Ken Mattingly, who served as a pilot during the 1950s and later became an astronaut during the Apollo missions.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Gavino Cavazos, who served from 1949 to 1973 during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Howard Brown, who served during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1969 and the Gulf War from 1969 to 1992.
Thank you for your service Robert Glen Andree.