Our year long series, "Remembering our Veterans" continues with the story of a military family. From grandfather to grandson, for ten decades there always seems to be a member of the Steele family serving our country.

Tom Steele served 17 years in the U.S. Navy, beginning in 1984, but that is just the start of the Steele military family tree. His grandfather Walter Steele served in World War One, Infantry, his dad Glenn Steele and uncles Chester and Ken also served during the Korean War, Tom's two sons were in the Navy.

Kenny Steele landed in Normandy and earned four Bronze Stars.

"I'm not sure where it starts," said Tom Steele. "I don't know if it started with my grandfather and then my father and his brother decided to follow suit just because what was going on at the country at the time, they felt that calling." 

Tom signed up for duty right out of General McLane High School nearly 40 years ago now at 57, he still marvels at what his grandfather had to endure.

"Back then we didn't have a lot of in the way of medication, antibiotics, I don't think penicillin was invented until 10 years after the war," said Steele. "So, we had minimal treatment, and it was a very blood trench war going on back then, there was a lot of hand-to-hand battles back then." 

In 2007, 44-year-old Thomas Steele got the called, he was headed to Iraq to run heavy equipment and he arrived for his six-month tour of duty in May 0f 2008.

"Our base was moved around on a regular basis, they always did it in the middle of the night, and an alarm will go off and you're sleeping, you got your weapon next to you get dressed and you're all hauled to a location until they give the all clear," said Steele. "When I came home I think I kissed the ground when I got off that plane." 

Thank you for your service, Steele family.