VETERANS HONORING VETERANS
For some, the desire to serve runs deeper than ambition. It’s a calling, a quiet but persistent drive to protect, uplift and give back. Whether through military service, public safety or community leadership, many Peoria Unified alumni have answered that call with courage and conviction. DJ Salch, a proud graduate of Peoria High School’s Class of 1999, was one of those individuals. From an early age, he felt a strong pull toward service and was determined to make a difference in the place that helped raise him.
Salch dreamed of becoming a teacher at a young age, knowing that he wanted to be a part of something larger than himself. In high school, he was actively involved with the drumline and Boy Scouts of America where he learned the importance of community service and having a servant mindset. After graduation, Salch struggled to stay motivated in college until ultimately, he found his purpose when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000.
Throughout his service, Salch aided indigenous tribes in Alaska, and served in Kuwait during Operation Enduring Freedom and in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After adjusting to civilian life once he returned home, Salch’s path brought him to Northern Arizona University where he was ready to finish pursuing his long-term goal of becoming a teacher.
The need to reinvest in his community has not faltered over the years. Salch taught numerous grades at the elementary level before joining Sunrise Mountain High School, where he has enjoyed serving as an English teacher for more than five years. Sunrise Mountain High School, located on 83rd Avenue just south of Deer Valley Road in the Peoria Unified School District, is well-known for supporting students who continuously excel in academics.
Students who attend Sunrise Mountain High School are provided with many opportunities to enrich the educational experience, such as the Imprints of Honor Club. At this after-school club, students connect with veterans in the community on a personal level, interview them about their experiences and then write their biography.
Through the process of connecting with veterans, students learn skills in the areas of speaking, writing, listening, interviewing, journalism and editing, as well as how to connect with another generation and build trust. When the interviews are over and the write-ups are complete, each biography is published in an anthology submitted to the U.S. Library of Congress titled Since You Asked, and the Sunrise Mountain High School students become published authors.
The work of this after-school club is a favorite for Salch as he can bring his personal history and his passion for investing in the future together. Last year, Sunrise Mountain High School students had the honor of meeting with Ronald Butler, a former Marine who flew President Eisenhower on the Presidential helicopter, Marine One, before becoming the Crew Chief of Marine One for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
“As a Marine myself, it was beyond words to have him in my classroom and hear his story,” shared Salch, “This year, two of my students will interview the first female F-16 pilot in the Air Force.”
Although his passion is in the classroom, watching the connection the students make with veterans is heartwarming to Salch and hits close to home. Last year, the Imprints of Honor Club helped publish six student authors and one student artist who won the statewide art contest for the book. Their work is now preserved as part of the permanent collection in the United States Library of Congress.
To expand their impact and educate classmates on the role of the U.S. Armed Services, the Imprints of Honor Club will be hosting a panel, comprised of a Vietnam Veteran, a retired 3-Star General, and a Gold Star Mom. A Gold Star mom is someone who lost their child in the line of duty. Salch shared how the Gold Star Mom’s story was especially moving.
Salch is one of many Peoria Unified alumni who have joined the armed forces and given so much to protect our freedoms. We are thankful for his, and every veteran’s, service and sacrifice. To continue this good work, the Imprints of Honor Club is always looking for more veterans to interview. If you are a veteran willing to share your story, please email pusdpr@pusd11.net or call 623-486-6100.
The following article, Imprints of Honor: Marine Ronald Butler’s Story, was written by one of Salch’s students through their work through Imprints of Honor.
IMPRINTS OF HONOR: MARINE RONALD BUTLER'S STORY
On May 30, 1943, Ron was born in Kansas City, Kansas. He was raised in Kansas City with his two sisters and younger brother. The Butlers moved to be tenant farmers in the cotton fields of Arkansas, where Ron learned the importance of hard work. The Butlers returned to Kansas during Ron’s secondary education. While Ron was in college and working 40 to 60 hours a week, his sisters married two of their neighbors. Ron’s father was in the Navy during World War II, but he never discussed it; however, his new Marine brothers-in-law were happy to. Ron remarked, “I decided I was too smart to be in college, so I was going to do something else; they talked me into joining the Marine Corps.” Ron took his entrance test and was guaranteed aviation, “so [he] signed up for four years and after that, it was ‘here we go.’"
Ronald entered the military on September 11, 1962. He started his service with boot camp in San Diego, California. He laughed at the memory of his first days: “Yellow sweatshirt, tennis shoes, and getting rolled out at about 5 o’clock in the morning to go play silly games on what they called a ‘grinder’ at that time.” A grinder is a paved area where the recruits go for exercises. Ronald fondly remembered his main drill instructor as a “big gentleman.” He expressed, “We got to pay attention to him . . . You didn’t want to call him sir, because he would explain to you very quickly that he wasn’t a sir, that he worked for a living.” Ronald found boot camp an irreplaceable experience. With his previous work on the farm, he didn’t find boot camp physically hard, but it challenged him mentally. “In boot camp, you make pretty close friends pretty quick. It’s a comradery of brothers, you know, everyone’s there for the same reason and it doesn’t take long to get in the zone.” By the end of boot camp, Ronald had learned self-discipline and formed lifelong bonds.
Ronald continued at Camp Pendleton for combat and infantry training. “The first duty of every Marine, regardless of his status, is as a rifleman.” Every Marine goes through combat training. Ron appreciated this experience now but struggled at the time. He finished his schooling at Millington Naval Air Station in Tennessee. At the time, all the Marine and Navy air wing schools were there. He went through all classes starting with the basics: the machinist, fixed wing aircraft, reciprocating engine, and lastly helicopter class. Only nine other people had passed to be in the helicopter class with Ron. Instead of regular car engines on the farm back home, he worked on amazing jet engines. I saw joy in Ron’s face as he talked about the engines.
The last three and a half years of Ronald’s enlistment were spent in Quantico, Virginia, although that’s not how he wanted it to go. After finishing jet engine school, he planned to serve at El Toro, California, with further deployment overseas. As he was first in his class, Ron was chosen to do a critical job serving the President in Quantico.
To work for the President, Ronald needed a White House Pass. The Secret Service went back and interviewed people from his hometown, including his lifelong neighbors. It was about a three-month process to receive the clearance. Ronald started his work for HMX-1, the Presidential Helicopter Squadron known now as the Executive Flight Detachment. He described this role as “the best duty in the Marine Corps. We had the best mess hall and we never had mess duty. When we traveled, we stayed in the best hotels and ate the best food. Couldn’t ask for any better.”
In the work of flying the President and different executives, Mr. Butler explained that there was no normal routine. “Every day brings something different. One day, everything would be nice and calm, and the next day would be a three-ring circus with getting everything packed up and getting everything ready to move.” Mr. Butler was on call to serve all the time. He worked on a rotating schedule—48 hours on, 48 off, 72 on, etc. When they got a call, Marines had to be ready in their dress blue uniforms and at the hanger in 30 minutes. “On duty, we were in the flight room, ready to roll 48 hours straight. It was a different life.” This lifestyle was demanding, but Ron was young and saw it as an incredible opportunity. “It was amazing to me that they’d let a 20-year-old kid off the farm work on the President’s helicopter.”
In the President’s squadron, there would be the President’s helicopter, known as Marine One, and others carrying Secret Service, staff, or luggage. Each of the helicopters was assigned Marines, which included a crew chief, second crew chief, and five to seven other mechanics. When called to the White House, the mechanics didn’t know which helicopter they would be assigned to. “You always hoped that you got the President, but you had to make sure that you were worried that everything was absolutely perfect for the President. It was never less than perfect for the President…that was unacceptable.” Ron explained the system: “Everywhere the President went, a group of us got to go.” The Marines escorted him to his destination by leaving before him and coming back after him. Then, they would use helicopters; now, they load helicopters onto aircraft and fly there. Flying to Seattle on a helicopter would be a three-day trip there, the president’s stay, and three days back.
Mr. Butler began as a mechanic “to make sure the President’s plane didn’t hit the ground too hard.” Following that, he became second crew chief, then eventually first crew chief. The crew chief was responsible for the safety of significant and crucial personnel. The crew chief managed the plane’s maintenance, making sure it was ready to go 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Crew Chief One is the Marine we all recognize saluting the president as he steps off the helicopter. Unfortunately, Mr. Butler doesn’t have any pictures of himself doing this, because he says no cameras or photos were allowed near the flight line.
Butler did lots of traveling with the Presidents and learned more about them each time. When former President Eisenhower found out Ron was from Kansas too, he assigned Ron to many of his flights from Gettysburg and down to the Pentagon for meetings. Ron remembered President Eisenhower as a “very nice gentleman.” Mr. Butler fondly recalled President Kennedy asking about his family and his welcoming behavior toward him. “We had a flight of three sitting at Love Field in Dallas when he was assassinated. We were supposed to fly him later that day, pick him up and take him to Air Force One . . . When we got recalled, we had no idea what was going on. For most of us crew, we were airborne before we found out what happened on our way back to Virginia.” Presently, about 60 years since President Kennedy was in office, Mr. Butler still admires President Kennedy. During President Kennedy’s time, they often traveled to the Northeast. During President Johnson’s, they traveled more west, sometimes to his ranch. Each day was a different place, and the Marines never knew where; it truly was a three-ring circus. “My favorite place was Hyannis Port with President Kennedy because they always took care of us, and we normally weren’t there that long; it was in and out.” HMX-1 also transported executives. During the Cold War, Ron was involved in emergency evacuation of key personnel from Washington, D.C. The Marines also picked up Ambassadors from Williamsburg, brought them to their embassies in Washington, and back to leave the country.
Mr. Butler was a magnificent serviceman for the executives, earning him many awards. Ron received the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Presidential Service Medal, and Rifle Expert Qualification Badge. After a year of service, he wore the Presidential Seal on his uniform every day. Wearing this was the symbol of a coveted position only few receive. During his time in the military, Ron married Judy on April 16, 1966. Judy also worked for the federal government as a paralegal for the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in the Pentagon. This wasn’t the life the Butlers wanted for their family, however, so when his four-year term was over, Ron left the service in October 1966.
Mr. Butler “actually stayed away from the service for a number of years.” He cited the reminder of both good and bad memories, many of which still plague him today. Upon questioning about ever missing working on aircraft, Ron chuckled and remarked, “Once I got away, I was away. Civilian life is much easier.” Ron enjoyed finally being with family, one of the most important things to him. After service, he started to slow down for about a year to adjust to civilian life. Rejecting numerous job offers to work nights away from the family, Ron instead took a job at AT&T. He had enough clearance to work anywhere in the Pentagon, so he spent a lot of time at the Joint Chiefs of Staff Office.
“We stayed there for a year, then decided we didn’t want to raise our children n Washington, D.C. so that’s when we moved to Missouri, and we’ve been out there now 57 years.” Mr. Butler transferred his AT&T job to Missouri and spent 25 years with the company. During most of his career, Ron was a cable splicer, then a construction foreman. He was moved to the outside plant design group. For the last four years of his work, he worked on all the new cable at Whiteman Air Force Base. Being a veteran, Ron had the clearance to be there. He expressed how weird it was to be back as a civilian. “Being a civilian, you can do things that in the military you couldn’t do.” Ron was employed for one more year until he was 48, at which point he retired. Judy had been working as a paralegal in the federal office of the Federal Aviation Administration. Mr. Butler spent his days volunteering at the fire department for 25 years. Eventually, he progressed to be the Assistant Chief of Fire Operations. While serving, he also did some work with golf tournaments to keep him busy.
As they hoped, the Butler family grew. Judy and Ron are blessed with two daughters, four grandchildren, two adopted grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Following his grandfather’s example, Ron’s grandson served in the United States Army. Ron wants to be remembered for “being a good grandpa and a good dad.” He is not only beloved by his family but by his fellow Marines. Four of the ten people in Ron’s helicopter class went to Quantico for the full four years. “All five of us got out of the service; none of us actually stayed or reenlisted. They offered us a very good package to stay but I had just started a family and had been gone for weeks at a time. Not knowing where my next duty station was going to be, I didn’t want to be gone for 13 months at a time.” Barely two years after their graduation, four were killed in Vietnam and one was being put back together in a hospital. Mr. Butler conveyed his sorrow, “You kind of feel guilty that you weren’t there, that maybe you could have done something to prevent it from happening. That’s part of the bad times.”
Furthermore, Ron made lifelong friendships with his fellow mechanics of HMX-1. “You form a bond, because the work they do makes a difference on whether you live or die. You develop a trust that they’re going to do their job right and they develop the trust that you’re going to do yours right.” Butler still meets with 12 of them. If traveling within a few hundred miles, they visit and talk about family. Butler also meets at the unit reunion every five years. Their next reunion will be the 80th anniversary of the unit’s founding by President Eisenhower. Ron enjoys the four-day social time around generations of units. Servicemen working in the White House receive a military badge each with a serial number. According to Ron’s last memory, the newer military has badges #32,000-34,000, while Ron’s serial number was only #1400. Ron guffawed as he told how some of them were as young as his grandkids. “We started it off right and gave them a good footing. They have improved on it since then.” Looking back, Mr. Butler takes pride in his military service.
When asked to sum up his military service in one thought, Ron said, “I met some of the greatest people in the world, between the people we flew with and the people I worked with. Lots of good memories.” Ron reflected and decided, “I feel like I had the best duty of any service and especially of the Marine Corps. I couldn’t have had it any better, didn’t really realize that at the time.”
Ron would do it again and wouldn’t change anything. Ron suggests for the younger generation considering enlistment, “I would say get your education, work hard at it, and have an attitude that you want to help, that you want to be part of the organization, that you’ll do what needs to be done to be part of that organization.” Ron is part of two service organizations, the Westbrook Village Veterans Club and the Order of the Elks. Back at his home lodge last Christmas, the Order of the Elks provided dinner and presents for over 300 families. Although Ron served in the military, he still faithfully serves his community with charity. “I strongly believe in giving back to the community. After all they’ve done for me, that’s the least I can do.”
Founded in 2004 and established as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit in 2009, Imprints of Honor mission is to connect students with veterans to honor veterans, preserve America’s heritage, and develop future leaders. The Character and Civics Education program has been recognized by many organizations, including the Arizona Department of Education. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Veterans Hall of Fame Society, Arizona Humanities, and the Arizona Council for Social Studies. Primarily offered as an after-school program for 7th-12th grade, additional implementation methods include a capstone project for high school seniors, an elective course, or the online independent contributor option for those at schools without chapters. For more information about Imprints of Honor, please visit www.imprintofhonor.org.
Read the complete fall edition of unifiED at www.peoriaunified.org/unified.