Shortly after graduating from Linesville High School, Russell McKinsey started his tour of duty in the U.S. Army.  His first three years of service had some unexpected turns.

After serving 13 months in Korea, Russell wanted his next assignment to take place in Germany.

"He says, 'Yeah, you and everybody else, Son, there's only one place you can go to from here.' and I said, 'Well, put me down," said McKinsey. "So, I volunteered to go to Vietnam."

In Vietnam, he served as a crew chief on a fixed-wing aircraft.

"I crewed a U6, which is a a workhorse of the Canadian and it's a taildragging called a Beaver, you know, single engine radial engine and also a Bird Dog, which is a single engine spotter plane. We were a recon company for the artillery outfits in the Central Highlands," said McKinsey. 

Now 78 years old, Russell still remembers leaving Vietnam, the heat surrounding the swamps to the cold of Pennsylvania.

"To go transition from a combat zone and 3 days later you're at home," said McKinsey. "You know, and everything's changed. You know people aren't the same and it was - there's an adjustment for sure. It's our duty as citizens of this nation to protect our country."

Russell's great great grandfather served in the Civil War, and his father served in World War II. Russ McKinsey, thank you for your service.