Mary Ellen Piotrowski Post 94

Jack Coyle, Commander: July 1, 2021 - Present

I graduated from high school in June 1970 and received my induction notice in January 1971.  I reported for a physical in February and went for basic training in May at Ft Lewis, Washington, and Ft Gordon for AIT, focusing on telephone and switchboard maintenance.  Then, we had thirty days of leave to get ready to go to Vietnam; instead, our whole group was sent to Korea to begin our thirteen-month tour.  After sitting in Kimpo Air Base for three days waiting for an assignment, a Sergeant walked in and said he was looking for a volunteer with a Signal MOS.  Not thinking anything of it, and what everyone had told me, “Never volunteer for anything in the Army,” I raised my hand and said, “Here, Sergeant.”  As we were walking to the processing room, the Sergeant said: “I have good news and bad news; the bad news is you just volunteered to go up on the DMZ; the good news is you will get an extra sixty-five dollars a month for hazardous duty pay.” 

I had just volunteered to be part of the JSASG-UNC (Joint Security Area Support Group-United Nations Command) in Panmunjom, located on the 38^th parallel; this was an all-volunteer unit.  On days of MAC (Military Armistice Commission) meetings, you would come face to face with the North Korean soldiers, and they would never smile at you.  Besides maintaining the telephone lines between guard posts, one of the duties was recording the meetings between the North and the South on reel-to-reel tape decks. I also entered North Korea twice during my time there to perform routine maintenance on the TA-312 field phone located in the North Korean building known as Panmon Hall.  This field phone was used by UNC to contact the North and set up meetings between both sides.  I would go into this building escorted by two North Korean soldiers to clean the contacts and change out the batteries.  After my thirteen months were up, they offered us the option to extend it to get a 5-month drop.  I extended my stay by two months to get out five months early and arrived home before Christmas, on December 16, 1972.  I then served two years of active duty in the reserves and two years inactive in the reserves

I have been in communications my entire life, working for several contractors to install voice and data infrastructure systems, primarily in new construction environments. I retired on February 27, 2015, and moved from Illinois to Sun City West, Arizona, in June 2015. I have been a member of the American Legion for 20 years, 9 of those with Post 94.

My wife and I have been married for fifty-four years and have two daughters, five grandsons, and five granddaughters.    

   Jim Andrews, First Vice Commander: July 1, 2024 - Present

American Legion Veteran Jim Andrews is a 25-year Navy veteran who has spanned the Vietnam Era through Desert Storm. After enlisting in the Navy on July 31, 1970, in Phoenix, AZ, he spent his first ten years on surface ships: the USS Ranger CVA-61 during Vietnam and the USS Edward McDonnell FF-1043 after Vietnam. After the McDonnell, he was transferred to Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Waukegan, Ill, for shore duty.

After shore duty, Jim volunteered for submarines. And was transferred to Pearl Harbor, HI. He was assigned to the USS George Washington SSBN-598, the first Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine. He and his wife, Marcie, and son, Jamey, spent three glorious years on this island paradise. It is also where we adopted our beautiful daughter, Jennifer. After three years, his family and the boat were transferred to Groton, Ct. where it operated in the Atlantic. After another three-year tour, Senior Chief Andrews was again transferred to shore duty, but he stayed in Groton this time. Senior Chief Andrews was transferred to the USS Sea Devil SSN-664 as its Chief of the Boat when his three-year tour was finished. The Chief of the Boat is the direct Enlisted liaison to the Captain and the Enlisted.

Master Chief Andrews spent another three years on the Sea Devil before transferring to the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in Cleveland, OH, as its Command Master Chief. He worked there, finished College there, and finally retired on July 31, 1995.

After retiring from the Navy, Jim stayed in Ohio, trying to find a job suitable to his talents. Finally, he settled on working for the United States Department of Labor as a Federal Investigator for the Wage and Hour Division. After almost 12 years, Jim retired and came home to roost in Sun City West, AZ.

     Edward Dalley, Second Vice Commander:  2025-Present