Salute to heroes: 92-year-old WWII vet from Winston-Salem honored for lifetime of service
Dennis Casey served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and also taught ROTC for decades
Dennis Casey served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and also taught ROTC for decades
Dennis Casey served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and also taught ROTC for decades
Ninety-two-year-old Army veteran Dennis Casey of Winston-Salem is one of this year's Salute to Heroes honorees for his lifetime of service to his country and his community.
Casey's military career began the end of World War II when he was a teenager and he has quite a sense of humor about it.
"I was just a clerk, 16 years old. They disappointed me. I figured with being a high school dropout, 16 years old, I would get some really good job like being an aircraft engineer or something but they misled me," he said, jokingly.
He later reenlisted to the infantry because he "wanted a little action" and that's exactly what he got. In his nearly quarter-century, he earned three Purple Hearts, two Combat Infantry Badges, two Bronze Stars, an Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and Occupational Medal for Germany and Japan.
"There's stories with them (the medals) but I mean, if you just do your job then they're gonna take care of you. The Army takes care of its own. They reward hard work," he said.
During the Korean War, he survived a mortar attack, helped get fellow wounded troops to safety and delivered supplies. During the Vietnam War, he was wounded.
"I got into a firefight with some unfriendlies and I got shot in the foot. That's bad. You can't run!" he said, with a smile. "I'm here. That's part of being in the service. Somebody's going to get hurt."
It was also during his time in southeast Asia that he found his passion for leadership and teaching, which he carried with him from that point on.
"I went to the University of Texas the last two years I was in the service and the guy I replaced started teaching ROTC in San Antonio and I saw how he reacted with the kids and the fun he had and I just kind of felt- I like young people anyway," he said.
That led to a rewarding career teaching ROTC in Forsyth County from 1971 to 1992 where he says he taught a number of future police officers and deputies.
"I don't look at myself as a hero but I've done my job and I've done a lot of stuff that others couldn't do or wouldn't do," he said. "I've been a good soldier and I've done what they told me. I've never done anything extraordinary but I never refused to do anything either."
Dennis, who reached the rank of sergeant major, was born in Oklahoma during the depression and says that has given him incredible perspective and appreciation for his blessings.
"Life is good. I got a sign on my refrigerator that says that. We're alive, we're healthy, it's a good country, there's good people in it. Sometimes you've got to look for the good but it's there," he said.
This year's American Red Cross ceremony for the Salute to Heroes program is Sept. 22 at the Millennium Center in Winston-Salem. Click here to learn more about the event or to purchase tickets.