SAN ANTONIO — Conversations among veterans at Texas’ oldest VFW post located in downtown San Antonio are leaning more on a serious note as retired service members hear more about Russia’s invasion into Ukraine.
Chris Carney served 18 years in the military starting in the U.S. Navy and then worked in the Army as a unit armor. During his deployment between 2008 and 2009 in Iraq, he received his Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) to recognize his military expedition to combat terrorism. Carney retired in 2016 and is now a member of VFW Post 76 in downtown but his legacy continues.
“My children are old enough [to join the military] and they are going in now. I have one son in the Marine Corps now and my other son is getting ready to go Army and my daughter is getting ready to go Navy,” said Carney.
Watching his children enter active duty makes the 46-year-old father concerned about the conflict in Ukraine.
“I’m getting the feeling my mama had when I went [to war],” he said.
On Thursday during an address to the nation, President Biden said U.S. troops will not engage in direct conflict with Ukraine. Instead, troops have been deployed to NATO’s eastern areas.
Still, Mike Toreno thinks about his son in the National Guard in North Carolina.
“I wonder if his unit is going to get tagged,” said Toreno.
The 53-year-old father is a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant. Just like Carney, he has a GWOT-EM medal from his deployment in Afghanistan in 2007. He now serves as a post service officer at VFW Post 76.
“My heart goes out to the U.S. soldiers, airmen and marines that are there. We all want a peaceful resolution,” he said.
It’s a resolution 46-year-old retired Navy construction mechanic and GWOT-EM recipient John Roberts nodded his head in agreement with. He said other conversations at the post lean towards curiosity on the invasion.
“It’s more like, ‘Why is it happening?’ and that’s what I’m hearing,” said Roberts.
Still, the trio agreed the U.S troops already placed in NATO territories are capable of fulfilling whatever happens next.
“They are doing a mission they are trained for and I think they are capable of carrying out whatever they have to,” said Toreno.