Marines to National Guard: Journeys of two veterans

By Andrea StevensAFRO Employees Writerastevens@afro.com

For Robert Lorinza Jones and Earl Ruff Jr., navy service was greater than only a responsibility. It was a lifelong dedication that formed their character and their careers. Each started within the Marine Corps and later transitioned into the Military Nationwide Guard, serving their nation throughout many years, deployments and completely different roles.

Jones left Pineville, Kentucky, in 1969 and enlisted within the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) after time within the Job Corps. He deployed to Vietnam, the place he spent 13 months in fight. For his service, he earned the Fight Motion Ribbon and a number of marketing campaign awards.

“I didn’t know if I’d come again, however I went anyway,” he says. “Again then, when folks got here dwelling and have been paranoid and anxious, we known as it ‘gun-shot.’ Now they name it PTSD (post-traumatic stress dysfunction).”

After his return, Jones moved to Washington, D.C., joined the Maryland Nationwide Guard, and later transferred to the D.C. Military Nationwide Guard. He served for twenty-four years whole. Whereas working full time on the Pentagon, he earned his GED by a Guard-sponsored evening college program.

Jones rose from an entry-level laborer to a WS-14 Sheet Metallic Mechanic Supervisor, overseeing 86 tradesmen. He deployed throughout Operation Desert Storm and helped course of prisoners of warfare in Kuwait.

“I’d go away for six or eight months, come again and hold working,” he says.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Jones was on the Pentagon when the airplane hit. He was answerable for accounting for his whole crew that morning.

By all of it, Jones says “religion and work ethic carried me.”

Ruff’s journey began with a problem. A Marine sergeant informed him he couldn’t make it. Ruff enlisted to show him flawed. He served six years within the Marine Corps, together with time in Vietnam, then joined the Marine Reserves for 2 extra years.

“The most important problem was counting on my coaching to outlive in fight,” he says. “Self-discipline turned intuition.”

He later joined the Military Nationwide Guard, the place he served 27 years and attained the rank of sergeant. Ruff skilled youthful troops and says some returned to thank him years later.

“The navy made me really feel like I had accomplished one thing that mattered,” he says.

In civilian life, Ruff labored in state hospital safety, rising by the ranks and mentoring youthful officers. He credit his navy expertise for the management expertise he used all through his profession.

Each veterans say the self-discipline, resilience and camaraderie they discovered within the navy stayed with them lengthy after the uniforms got here off.

“Take each alternative to develop, whether or not it’s navy schooling or civilian coaching,” Ruff says. “That’s the way you advance.”