October 30, 2025 Edition
By Emily Patrick
In anticipation of Veterans Day, I set out to interview some local veterans and get their perspective on things. I thought I’d show up at our local Legion Post #94, take a few notes, and write a couple of paragraphs about some local vets. What I got was much more: “Coffee with Post #94,” as local Legionnaire Al Wickel so cleverly named my article before a word was even written.
I showed up to the Legion with my laptop and entered a room full of men and women who have served our country in various ways and at different times, each representing a dark period in our shared history and, at the same time, the resilience of human beings and the power of just getting together to have coffee. By the looks on their faces, I was an unexpected guest, and when they found out I worked for the local newspaper, maybe I became an uninvited guest, because most of them left with a polite nod of their head and closing of the door. I don’t blame them- lots of people run when they see me armed with my laptop; it’s just one of the perks of the job.
The brave men left behind (because what’s scarier than a nosy young girl taking down your every word) were none other than Post #94 members Pete Johnson and Al Wickel. You may not recognize the name, but Al was the pilot of the Cessna 185 Skywagon, framed by stunning peak foliage, that graced the cover of our October 16 edition.
That photo is proof that Al Wickel accomplished at least one of his life’s goals: becoming a pilot. As a young boy, Al knew four things: he wanted to serve his country, fly jets, take care of his family…and be an astronaut. You know, the usual things young boys dream about. Being the oldest of 7 boys growing up on Long Island, Al knew his parents weren’t going to pay his way through life; he was on his own.
He was in high school near the end of the Vietnam war, looking at college opportunities. He may have gotten an interest in the military from his father, who was a Waist Gunner in WWII. In the end, Al went to Notre-Dame on a four-year scholarship with the Airforce in a pilot slot. When the pilot slots were forecasted, Vietnam was still an active environment. Many of the others in Al’s position ended up graduating with a degree and just 90 days of active duty, because the conflict abruptly wound down. A couple of those young men, however (Al included), felt a higher calling to serve their country. Al went on to pilot training.
After several concussions earned at Notre Dame, being an astronaut was off the table for Al. Still, he forged a career in the “defense of our country,” including 10 years active-duty and 15 years in the International Guard. After 27 years of flying jet fighters, Al tore a hole in his heart that required surgery. This marked the end of his career as he knew it, though he worked for FEMA for 3 more years until retirement.
As for how he found his way to our “neck of the woods,” while he was in the military, he flew training routes over Moosehead and marveled at the beauty of our region from the air. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Al came up for the International Seaplane Fly-In, which is when he really “fell in love with the area.”
Al is grateful to have “tremendous support from the community.” He’s proud of our “really robust” Legion food pantry, which serves 80-90 families from Jackman to Monson. Al says throughout his life he’s been lucky to live in areas where veterans are really appreciated. He says there are lots of little things corporations do to “make sure veterans are thanked for their service.” Al encourages all young people to consider some type of service to our country, saying, “respect of country, respect of law…begins with respect for yourself.”
Pete Johnson has a similar story to his friend Al in many ways- he served for 30 years, from 1963-1993, and his family also has a history of serving in the military- in Pete’s case, an extraordinarily long history. Pete has relatives that served in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and WWII, and Pete himself served in Vietnam. Pete says with a smile, “The only one I didn’t have grandparents from was the Korean War.” Pete’s daughter even joined the military after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and served for 20 years, earning a spot on the Command Sergeant Major’s list.
Also like Al, Pete didn’t grow up in Greenville. He grew up in Belgrade, about 80 miles south of Moosehead, but his family has always had a camp in Shirley. He says proudly he’s been “coming here for 74 years.” Still, fate wouldn’t bring Pete here permanently until after he had some life experience under his belt. After graduation, he attended the University of Maine. At that time, all the men had to be in ROTC for 2 years. Though he had dreams of being a teacher, he saw the Vietnam War and the draft looming on the horizon and thought it would be better to, “go in as an officer rather than an enlisted guy,” so he “stuck with it.” “It was a changing point in my life,” Pete recalls.
Pete’s instincts ended up being spot on, and he subsequently spent 19 months in Vietnam, where he was trained as an Infantry and Intelligence Officer. He ran operations for a unit that monitored enemy communications, and his unit even found the location of the enemy in the jungle as they were preparing for the Tet Offensive, one of the largest battles of the entire conflict. He went on to serve in Germany, Hawaii and Turkey.
Pete says that every job he had in the military, he thought was a worthwhile, important job to do, and that as a result of his service, “Everything in my life just kept getting better.” That included marrying his “brilliant” wife, to whom Pete was married 49 wonderful years before she passed. His wife being from New York, he didn’t think she would ever agree to move to Greenville, but towards the end of his career they would visit in the summers and she “really fell in love with the place.”
In fact, Pete says, “This part of Maine is one of the better places to live as a veteran,” and agrees with his pal Al that the VA system has improved to the point neither can say “enough good things” about it.
What I learned having coffee with Post 94 is that these two veterans are as similar as they are different, and as we talk about everything under the sun, from family, to the area, to their lives and service, to politics, past and present, I realize something else… I shouldn’t have anything in common with these men, but I’m enjoying our conversation so much I’m thinking I should have coffee with Post 94 a little more often.
These local heroes don’t feel a lack of respect or appreciation or support from their community, but I think everyone could use a little more conversation with their friends and neighbors, especially those with different experiences and perspectives. This feeling is underscored as another local vet, a young woman, who asked to sit in on our “interview” and quietly listened to the three of us talk all the while, thanks me and says listening to our conversation helped her with some things she was going through.
This Veterans Day, after we thank them, of course, perhaps the best thing we can do for the veteran in our life is to take the time to talk…and to listen. Please note: coffee is not required, but it’s always a bonus.