Pineville Resident Served In Navy Almost 30 Years
Dennis Kirk of Pineville was in the Navy for almost 30 years. He grew up in Pittsburg, Kan., and was attending college there in 1967 when he decided to join the Navy.
“The Vietnam War was going on hot and heavy, and three of my buddies and I decided we wanted to serve our country, so we signed up,” he said.
He joined the Naval Reserve and did not go on active duty right away, although he was committed to two years of active duty. The Naval Reserve Center was in Joplin. He drilled there for a year before he went on active duty. Then he went to boot camp at Great Lakes, Ill., and yeoman (A) school in San Diego. Then he was called on active duty and spent two years at training command Pacific San Diego from 1968 to 1970.
Next Kirk spent four years on active duty at the Naval Reserve Center in Rockford, Ill., in training and administration. Then he remained in the Naval Reserve for 22 more years. He went back to school and got his bachelor’s
degree and master’s degree at Pittsburg State in industrial arts education. He taught industrial arts in McDonald County and was a principal for 10 years.
While in the Naval Reserve, he was on the administration staff for Reserve Construction Battalion 15.
“After I made chief petty officer, I served on the fast frigate USS Lang off the coast of Central America,” he said.
At one point, he was on the staff of a seal team, seal delivery vehicle team 1 San Diego. He said he had to go out and exercise with them every day.
“They were awesome,” he said.
When he was promoted to chief warrant officer, he served as a training officer, public relations officer and an administration officer for several units but mainly for Reserve Mobile Construction Battalion 25 Chicago, Ill. Then he retired.
Asked what he enjoyed about the Navy, he said he enjoyed “the camaraderie and meeting so many people and the opportunity to serve my country.”
Kirk has been a member of the American Legion Post 392 for 30 years. He has served as commander and has been adjutant for 25 years. He is also on the honor guard team and has served at about 150 funerals.
His wife, Carla, is a retired high school counselor from McDonald County and is president of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit at Pineville.