Military Alumni

Military High School Alumni

Honoring Our Heroes

This area is dedicated to our alumni that have served or are serving in our armed forces!

Lost Class Rings

Have you lost your Thomas Jefferson High School class ring? Have you found someone's class ring? Visit our J-hawks lost class ring page to search for your class ring or post information about a found ring.

Honored Military Alumni

Allen June
Allen June
Class of 1972
Air Force, 10 Years

After graduating from Baylor University, I was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. and entered pilot training at Ft Rucker, Alabama (1976). I flew helicopters/search and rescue and missile site support for 5 years and finished my last 5 years in fixed wing aircraft. My last assignment was in C-130H aircraft. I spent most of my time in southern U.S. but flew multiple deployments outside the country. I finished my service as a captain senior pilot, with over 2,200 flight hours.
Anita (Roethlisberger) Plotz
Anita (Roethlisberger) Plotz
Class of 1972
Air Force, 2 Years

A1C, Russian Linguist. Stationed at Defense Language Institute(Monterey CA), Shu Lin Ku AFB in Taipei, Taiwan.
Bert Axline
Bert Axline
Class of 1996
Army, 20+ Years

Served as Mechanic Recovery nco
bill knebel
bill knebel
Class of 1963
Navy, 4 Years

worked on a-4 skyhawk jet engines. my squadron was va95. two cruises in vietnam with uss ranger and uss intrepid
carl bare
carl bare
Class of 1970
Air Force, 20+ Years

22 years as aircraft maint. on b52's c5a's c141's c130's and aircraft job controllers assignments guam thailand, japan ,spain,korea ,new jersey castle ,ellsworth s.d.
carl bare
carl bare
Class of 1970
Air Force, 20+ Years

air force b 52 mechanic,air force c141,c5,c130 mechanic,air force weapons controller
Clarence Miller
Clarence Miller
Class of 1961
Air Force, 4 Years

Served during the Berlin Crisis and Cuban Missile Crisis in France. Assigned to Crash Rescue - 366TFW.
Cynthia Lynn Carlisle Lee
Cynthia Lynn Carlisle Lee
Class of 1974
Army, 16 Years

Supply Sgt.
david peterson
david peterson
Class of 1983
Army, 8 Years

gulf war veteran
David R. York
David R. York
Class of 1969
Marine Corps, 4 Years

Vietnam(69-70). Duty stations at Camp Pendleton, Camp Lejeune, Gitmo Bay, Cuba, Okinawa, and Marine Barracks at Yokoska, Japan.
Final rank was a Sgt.
david rahn
david rahn
Class of 1987
Army, 7 Years

2 times Korea, 2 times Kuwait and 4 years at Ft. Carson, 94-00
Dennis Brink
Dennis Brink
Class of 1959
Army, 2 Years

3rd Infantry, Old Guard -- Ft. Myer, Virginia and Ft. McNair, Washington, DC. Ceremonial soldier and S2 Intelligence.
Dennis Brink
Dennis Brink
Class of 1959
Army, 2 Years

Drafted in December 1963 and completed 2 year engagement in December 1965. After basic training and advanced infantry, I was chosen to go to the 3rd Infantry at Ft. Myer, VA and Ft. McNair, Washington DC. I was in the Old Guard, the ceremonial battalion of the army and involved in parades, guarding at Arlington Cemetery, political events in Washington, DC, and in the S-2 intelligence section of the battalion.
Diane R. King
Diane R. King
Class of 1968
Navy, 2 Years

SN-3: Enlisted in Chicago. Boot in Orlando, Fla. Served at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla.; Norfolk Naval Station, Norfolk, VA; Naval Air Station Oceana. I am a member of WIMSA (Women in Military Service of America). My name/picture can be found in the database (& seen) at the Women's Memorial at Arlington, Washington DC. I am PROUD to be an American & I am PROUD to have served. THANKS to all the other service people that have served!
Doug Kopecky
Doug Kopecky
Class of 1964
Army, 3 Years

Army Intelligence Sp5-S2, Europe
Duane Albin
Duane Albin
Class of 1972
Air Force, 4 Years

Antenna and pole jockey in communcations
Dwayne J Behrens
Dwayne J Behrens
Class of 1982
Army, 20+ Years

Infantry, Instructor and Recruiter.
Earlene Johnson
Earlene Johnson
Class of 1990
Marine Corps, 8 Years

SGT OF MARINES!
Ed Pulda
Ed Pulda
Class of 1964
Marine Corps, 4 Years

1964 - 1968
Ernest Rimrodt
Ernest Rimrodt
Class of 1962
Army, 20+ Years

US Army Berlin Brigade 62-65
Iowa Army National Guard 73-85
US Army Reserve 85-94
Ernie Coleman
Ernie Coleman
Class of 1965
Marine Corps, 3 Years

Joined Marines Aug. 66. I served in a rifle company with Company C 1st Battalion 5th Marines for 13 mo. from 67-68. Once back in the states, I was a rifle instructor for new recruits at Edson Rifle Range at Camp Pendleton Calif., until being honorably discharged in April of 69.
Francis (Mike) Fowler
Francis (Mike) Fowler
Class of 1965
Navy Reserves, 6 Years

Served from 1966-1972 with 2 years 0f active duty aboard the USS LaSalle (LPD-3) which was an amphibious transport dock. Our mission was to transport and offload up to 1,000 U.S. Marines for invasion landings anywhere in the world. After many years of good service the USS LaSalle was used for target practice by other U.S. naval vessels and eventually sunk somewhere off the panhandle coast of Florida and is now being used to form a coral reef.
Frank Usher
Frank Usher
Class of 1964
Army, 3 Years

SP5 Medical Corp 1967-1970
Gale Dorman
Gale Dorman
Class of 1972
Army, 20+ Years

Chief Warrant Officer, in charge of maintenance of Patriot Systems deployed to SWA for Desert Storm, Served in Germany, Fort Bliss (Nike Hercules, Patriot), Korea. Was a Army Recruiter in Cedar Rapids.
Gary Benford
Gary Benford
Class of 1967
Army, 20+ Years

Served on active duty, 1972-1975; and in the Army Reserve or National Guard, 1975-2001. Retired as a Colonel.
Gary L Fisher
Gary L Fisher
Class of 1965
Marine Corps, 4 Years

1965-1969 MOS 3516/3531 -1966 3rd MAW MAG 33 1966 - 1969 5th Marine Division Service Battalion Maintenance CO SGT E5
Gordon Fuller
Gordon Fuller
Class of 1980
Navy, 8 Years

Duty stations included USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Emory S. Land (AS-39)
Gregory Birky
Gregory Birky
Class of 1969
Air Force, 4 Years

Weapons loader on F4 aircraft in Thailand 1972, weapons loading trainer on F4 at Kunsan AB, Korea 1973/74
JAMES BOHREN
JAMES BOHREN
Class of 1972
Navy, 20+ Years

CHIEF MS
James L. Fuhrman
James L. Fuhrman
Class of 1958
Army, 3 Years

USNS Corpus Christi Bay Vietnam Act. Sgt.
Army Commendation Medal
Jeannine Johnson
Jeannine Johnson
Class of 1972
Navy, 4 Years

I joined the Navy in 1973 and was stationed primarily in Charleston, S.C. and worked as a radioman. I spent about three and half years active duty and about one year in the Navy Reserves.
Jim Minninger
Jim Minninger
Class of 1964
Army, 20+ Years

20+ years in Army Aviation, retired in 1992 as a CW4
John Brodie Scroggins
John Brodie Scroggins
Class of 1990
Navy, 9 Years

United States Submarines.
John Bruce Miller
John Bruce Miller
Class of 1963
Navy, 3 Years

Attack Squadron VA212 two cruises off coast of Viet Nam on Carriers USS Hancock & USS Bonn Hom Richard.
John Houser
John Houser
Class of 1970
Air Force, 4 Years

Spent most of my military time at Luke A.F.B. in Phoenix, AZ. Worked in Surgery at the Air Force Regional Hospital during the Vietnam War, honorably discharged after serving 4 years.
Kevin Schindler
Kevin Schindler
Class of 1982
Navy, 20+ Years

Retired E6 1988-2008.
Kit Covington
Kit Covington
Class of 1967
Navy, 6 Years

Submarine Service on Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine SSBN 658 USS Mariano G. Vallejo!
Loretta (Lori) Adams
Loretta (Lori) Adams
Class of 1986
Army, 6 Years

Psychological Operations Specialist -37F
Operation Just Cause 1989
Desert Storm Era Veteran
Matt TOdd
Matt TOdd
Class of 1998
Navy, 8 Years

Crash and Rescue
Michael D Mason
Michael D Mason
Class of 1974
Army, 20+ Years

Mechanized Infantry, Military Police, Logistics/Operations, Recruiting. Served 12 of 21 overseas (Korea, Germany)

Classmates Spotlight

Thomas Jefferson High School Classmates

Judy Mchugh
Class of '64

Alumni Stories

High School Alumni Stores

Read and submit stories about our classmates from Thomas Jefferson High School, post achievements and news about our alumni, and post photos of our fellow J-hawks.

School News

1959 Jefferson Class 60th Reunion

At the Long Branch Hotel in Cedar Rapids IA. on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019. We will be at the Banquet room at 6 PM followe...
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Our Thomas Jefferson High School military alumni are some of the most outstanding people we know and this page recognizes them and everything they have done! Not everyone gets to come home for the holidays and we want our Thomas Jefferson High School Military to know that they are loved and appreciated. All of us in Cedar Rapids are proud of our military alumni and want to thank them for risking their lives to protect our country!