Saluting our Navy Veterans

Barb Hemberger • October 28, 2024

Yesterday was Navy Day in the U.S., a time to salute all of the U.S. Navy personnel who have served, both past and present, in the United States Navy.


We decided to track down some Navy veterans at our Saint Therese of Oxbow Lake community and found seven current residents, and one recently deceased: Carroll Abbott, Allen Anderson, Ed Green, Bob Kraushaar, Bob Peterson, Spike Sokoloski, Greg Williams, and Vincent Ahlers (deceased).



Of those we spoke to, all of them said they were proud to have served in the Navy and a few offered that they “loved the Navy.” Their years of service and roles follow.

Carroll Abbott, Communications Yeoman, served for 32 years, from 1945-1977. This included stints in the Pacific theatre such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam. He also was on the USS Missouri as a Chief Petty Officer. His duties over the decades were varied, from serving as a police deputy in Guam; at a duty station in the Kunia Tunnel Field Station in Hawaii; and at nuclear power site in Idaho. He eventually taught for the Navy ROTC in the Anoka-Coon Rapids area.


Allen Anderson, Radarman 3rd Class, served from 1952-1957. Spent time in Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines on the USS Cavalier Destroyer.

Carroll Abbott

Ed Green, Machinery Repairman First Class, from 1950-1954. Joined at the young age of 17 and was on a patrol frigate, PF 51, in Japan and Korea. He also served on a Destroyer tender which was a repair ship in San Diego and Japan.


Robert Kraushaar, Aviation Boatswain Mate, from 1950-1954. He worked on hangar deck control for the attack carrier, Bennington CVA-20. Stationed in Pensacola for three years.

Carroll Abbott

Robert Peterson, Machinery Repairman 3rd Class. Served from 1951-1955. Was stationed in Norfolk, Va., trained in the Caribbean and was on a troop transport ship.


Spike Sokoloski, served from 1951-1955 and among his duties was at a receiving station in Brooklyn, N.Y.; on a Timbalier Sea Plane Tender stationed in Panama where he was a storekeeper; and in Bahrein on a Bay Ship.


Greg Williams, served in the U.S. Marine Corps (in the Department of Navy, sister to U.S. Navy), from 1956-1962. Spent two years in Southern California at three marine corps bases; he also served four years in the reserves.



Vincent Ahlers (passed away on Oct. 7, 2024). He served from 1954-1958 and attended Meteorology school and was proud to always rank first or second in his class.

Thanks to all of them for their service to our country.


We close with some interesting facts about the Navy:


  • Navy is an acronym for Nautical Army of Volunteer Yeomen. It was founded in 1794. 
  • With 323,000 active and 109,000 personnel, the U.S. Navy is the world’s largest in terms of manpower.
  • Six U.S. presidents served in the US Navy during WWII – John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush.
  • The U.S. Navy tops the U.S. Army in a 116-year old college football rivalry. As of 2015, the U.S. Navy leads the series 62–55–7.



More facts can be found here.

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At Saint Therese, our heartfelt purpose since 1968 has been a people first approach to living well by providing senior care and services where every life we touch feels welcomed, respected, and heard. We achieve this by doing ordinary things with extraordinary love every single day. Contact us to learn more. 

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