Tribute to veterans
One of James Ulrey’s prized possession is a photo collage that his daughter-in-law put together for Father’s Day a few years back. There are only three photos, but they represent something that makes Ulrey proud.
First, there’s a photo of Jack Ulrey, James’ father who served in the Army in World War II. Then there’s James, who served in Vietnam as a Navy Seabee. Finally, there’s a photo of his twin sons, Jack and James, who followed in his footsteps and served as Navy Seabees. Not pictured are three grandchildren who are currently serving.
In the years since Ulrey came home from Vietnam, he hasn’t talked about it much, just as his father didn’t talk much about World War II. But his experience was a little different. He’s still bitter about returning home and being called a warmonger and a baby killer. That was one of the reasons he never joined a veteran’s organization. He believes that experience made him a bit of a loner.
“I’m proud of our military heritage,” he said. In recent years, he’s been wearing his Vietnam veteran hat and people have been stopping him to thank him for his service. Some of them seem to have some guilt about the way the Vietnam vets were treated when they came home.
Being part of a military family meant that he was strict with his children as they were growing up, but they never got into any trouble. They spent a lot of family time together, fishing and bowhunting. His sons joined the Navy together and went through basic training together as well. They became heavy equipment operators just like their father.
Warren Conner enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1966 during the Vietnam War. After basic training at Lackland Air For Base in Texas, he was assigned to the Security Police Squadron at Castle Air Force Base in Merced, Calif., and spent approximately three years there. During that time, his first job was working in the Security Clearance office. In 1969, he volunteered for the Strategic Air Command Elite Guard at SAC Headquarters in Bellevue, Neb., where he worked in security in the SAC Underground. He was selected to be a member of the Strategic Air Command Drill Team, which required a lot of practice in the techniques of precision marching using Springfield chromed rifles. The team toured the country doing drills at various Air Force bases and events such as the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, La.
He’s glad that his sons missed serving in an active war zone. That changes a person, he said.
When he served in Vietnam, he was often transporting equipment within a few miles of the demilitarized zone. That meant that he was shot at and he returned fire. He came home with PTSD and that’s all he will say about it. Eventually, on late night fishing trips with his father, the two of them talked about their time in the service, but he has no intention of sharing those conversations. That was between him and his father.
“All combat vets carry some scars,” he said. “That will never change.”
Ulrey has been in Bella Vista for over 20 years. He worked in the same plant in southeast Wisconsin for 38 years and, when it was closed and he had to start over, he chose Bella Vista because he and his wife owned two lots here. He’s enjoyed the area ever since.