SMSgt. “The world was beautiful and it’s a technology that we was thus glad I’d a chance to create,” Zahradka said.
“I got inside Baltimore, Maryland, and we had been dealing with community. The fresh new heritage agent waved us by way of, smiled and only said ‘desired house.’ We realized I became back to the united states, and has always trapped beside me,” Zahradka said.
“I happened to be older than people dealing with earliest education, but I truly liked it. I preferred the fresh new area [where] I didn’t need thought. I happened to be told when you should awake, once i was going to eat, what you should wear and how to make my personal sleep. My day is actually arranged aside for me personally that it are particularly a secondary,” Zahradka told you.
Their decision as part of new army were only available in twelfth grade, but he decided to waiting before signing up for.
No matter if participating in the latest armed forces are tricky, Zahradka doesn’t have regrets regarding his feel about Supplies and you can National Protect.
And so i ran in the future and you can graduated school, had a job come, then I got time for you expend on the new Supplies,” the guy said
“It actually was among five extremely satisfying some thing in my own life. My personal very first is fulfilling my spouse and having several great people then that positions number four after my children,” Zahradka told you.
“In fact, We fulfilled my partner after i got inserted [new Reserves]. She was in the latest Federal Guard and i was in the new Reserves,” he told you.
Calcaterra, interviewed which have Lieutenant Colonel Smith, and you can came in to the slide out-of 2019
Immediately following Zahradka found its way to Afghanistan into effective duty, their part due to the fact a primary Sergeant provided your the burden regarding looking out for approximately 140 other troops. He’d invested several years when you look at the Afghanistan, in which he said their book feel remaining your that have lasting recollections.
“[The brand new landscapes] was unique. I found myself on the Bagram Valley, north off Kabul inside Afghanistan and now we was at about 5,five hundred ft away from elevation and you will surrounded with the three edges from the 11,000-feet slopes. It absolutely was gorgeous. We ran indeed there for the September therefore i been able to see it if this is loving and if it got cooler and you may this new snowfall would been further down the hill and in the new valley in November,” Zahradka told you.
“I recall we once had a flag foldable service in the Selvidge Middle school therefore the first year my personal wife [Sandra] and my eldest daughter was in fact for the Selvidge,” the guy said. “I’d a chance to Skype into the one to service of Afghanistan so i got to see.”
“She would watch our ceremony however, we’d so you’re able to turn the quantity from due to the fact she are hiding the underside the girl desk while they had been around a rocket assault at the time. I became most afraid once the my ladies were beside me and you will an incredibly dear friend out of mine who was simply a good Vietnam seasoned is beside me as well in which he realized that was happening. I remember the primary don’t very master that which was going on at the full time so 
Shortly after retiring regarding the Supplies and you may teaching during the Scott Sky Push Base into the St. Clair, Illinois, Zahradka found another opportunity to train on Lafayette for the because among the AFJROTC coaches.
“We spoke to the former Sergeant here and you can Dr. It is my fourth-year of teaching and it’s already been you to really satisfying some thing I have actually done,” the guy said.
“I’m swelled with pride and you may I am unfortunate both when i thought of some of the people whom were not able to get back and you can that simply don’t get to enjoy the freedoms that they battled to have,” Zahradka said.