In this episode of the Semper Try Podcast, Bill sits down with longtime friend and fellow Legion member Leroy, a U.S. Army veteran who served as a Military Police officer during the Cold War.

Leroy shares how his decision to join the Army in 1974 was inspired by his father—a World War II veteran who lost his leg in combat in the Philippines and earned a Purple Heart. From basic training at Fort Leonard Wood to MP school at Fort Gordon, Leroy takes us through his early days in uniform and the realities of Army life in the 1970s.

Much of the conversation focuses on Leroy’s time in Cold War Germany as an Army Military Police officer with the 1st Armored Division, where he patrolled off-base alongside German police, guarded missile sites, responded to bar fights downtown, and trained for a possible conflict with the Soviet Union. He describes Cold War tensions, NATO training exercises, riding with German police units, and being among the few soldiers authorized to carry live ammunition during field operations.

Leroy also recounts unforgettable moments, including responding to a Canadian military jet crash near a German town that happened to be the sister city of his hometown in Minnesota. He explains the difference between divisional and garrison MPs, crash investigation duties, and stepping into an acting sergeant role late in his enlistment.

After completing active duty in Germany, Leroy continued serving through the Army Reserves, training in South Korea, Pennsylvania, and Fort McCoy, Wisconsin—building a lifetime connection to service that continues today through the American Legion.

This episode is a powerful reminder that service doesn’t always happen in combat zones—but it always matters.