Honoring Our Veterans: Mike Voegele, U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy veteran Mike Voegele still recalls the negativity with which he and other servicemen were met upon returning from Vietnam.
“I respected their right to vocalized their feelings,” said Mike. “But it still hurt.”
One returning wounded veteran Steve Wowwk was sent to Boston Chelsea Naval Hospital in 1970 while strapped to a gurney. He and other injured soldiers felt some excitement when they looked out the windows of the small bus and saw civilians lined up to watch the convoy of hospital-bound vehicles.
Wanting to acknowledge the crowd, wounded warriors made the peace sign; it was returned with the display of the middle finger. Others were screamed at, called “baby-killers” and actually had people who spat in their faces.
Mike was among the many met with derision and disdain.
Born April 16, 1945, in Highland to Alfred and Agnes Voegele, Mike was the baby of the family with two elder sisters. His dad was a photographer. As a youngster, Mike played baseball and basketball, swam, roller skated at Skater’s Paradise and was a Boy Scout before becoming an Eagle Scout. He was also a server boy at church.
Interested in science and history in high school, he was president of the student council his senior year. He said his parents showed to their children by example the importance of being nice to everyone and working for whatever they wanted, not expecting someone else to hand it to them.
He graduated in 1963 and joined the Navy in 1964 and completed basic training in San Diego. Mike was then transferred to Lakehurst, New Jersey, to become an aerographer mate, his second choice after photography.
Off to war in Vietnam
Then sent to Vietnam on the USS Independence by way of Africa, through the Indian Ocean with a stop in Singapore, Mike arrived in the Gulf of Tonkin six weeks later. On the same ship was his hometown friend, former Prisoner of War Bill Tschudy, a bombardier navigator.
Mike’s job was to make certain weather conditions were suitable for pilots making air strikes. He well remembers the day Tschudy and Jeremiah Denton were hit in the air and parachuted to earth. Tschudy ended up in the middle of a Viet Cong village and Denton landed in a nearby river. Both were taken captive.
Obviously, the morale aboard the ship was low with all having great concern for their comrades. It was later learned the extent of their stay at the Hanoi Hilton was less than pleasant. During a propaganda-type video of Denton, not being allowed to say the truth, he blinked his eyes with rapidity, but only those who knew Morse Code knew what he was trying to impart: Torture.
After 7 1/2 years, when the war was over, they were they released. They existed on scant amounts of rice and vegetables, with an occasional small bit of mutton. Duties on the Independence had to continue. Mike ended up traveling to 17 countries before being relieved by the USS Enterprise.
Mike completes tour of duty, embarks on photography career
Mike recalls a brief stop in La Verna, Italy, where he and fellow soldiers were locked in a bar for their own protection due to outside protesters chanting “Yankee Go Home.”
Mike said, “It was a real bummer, there was no appreciation and we felt like our country didn’t care.”
Actually, many Americans did not care nor had any sympathy for those who served. The Vietnam War claimed the lives of more than 58,000 American servicemen and wounded more than 150,000. They were met with none of the fanfare and received none of the benefits bestowed upon those returning from World War II, which has been termed the “greatest generation.”
Mike had served his tour of duty and was brought home in 1968 — his parents were waiting at the airport. Though delighted to have their son home, they had bad news. The man to whom they had sold the Highland photography business had filed bankruptcy papers on all of the equipment and Mike’s dad had to actually re-buy his own equipment, and, his dad needed his son’s assistance.
Mike took a photographer’s correspondence course and received training from his father. Voegele Photography Studio, located at 1012 Laurel on Highland’s Square, reopened April 1, 1968. His father encouraged him with the admonition, “you’re going to make some mistakes. Just don’t make the same ones twice.”
Life back in Highland
Later in 1968 and while visiting with friends in St. Louis, Mike met his bride-to-be, Anna, a lab technician for Cardinal Glennon Hospital. Mike remembered being drawn to her “because she had such a deep appreciation for even the smallest of things.” After eight months of dating, they married Oct. 4, 1969.
The couple had two girls, Bridget and Trisha, and one son, Shaun. Tragically, Trisha perished in an automobile accident when she was only a toddler. They have three grandchildren. Mike was the president of the Illinois Photography Assoc. in 1989. He has served as post commander of VFW 5684 and is the president of VFW International.
After 51 years of photographing weddings, individuals, groups and events as far away as Florida and Colorado, Mike said the most difficult aspect of performing his work was when taking pictures of children.
In reference to his life and military service Mike said, “I feel good when I lie down to sleep at night. I know I’ve been fair and I’ve never taken advantage of anyone.”
As for those protesters years ago, Mike said, “If we were not living in a Democratic society, they would have been unable to protest.”