Honoring Advisors Who Serve(d): Memorial Day, 2018

Brief story that stands out from your service time: There are so many Marines that hold a place in my memories with tremendous admiration. For this reflection, I will recount my first experience with the deepest level of comradery, and the friendliest competition I’ve ever experienced.

In basic training, Recruit Larson and I were determined to graduate with honors. Doing this provided the beautiful dress blue uniform we are so infamous for, and a promotion of one rank, which would have taken each of us to Lance Corporal. We were both stellar recruits, so we would try to push one another into the proverbial line of fire, to see who would slip up, and get punished by our drill instructors first.

During rifle range training, she and I stood across the squad bay trying to make each other laugh as our drill instructor passed. For what seemed like hours standing there, but was more like minutes, we kept our bearing until finally we both lost it. We could not stop laughing at one another. She was caught first, and was being laid into when the drill instructor turned around and saw that I had lost it as well. This did not turn out well for our whole platoon. We spent the evening running up and down four flights of stairs. We had all our possessions, our bedding, our clothing in one pile, in the middle of the squad bay to be separated in record time. She and I were hated that night, but the memory will live on with fondness forever.

Name: Thomas Fogerty

Title/Company: Financial Advisor / Penn Mutual’s Lakeshore Wealth Strategies

Branch: U.S. Navy

Rank held at beginning of service and at end:  Ensign at beginning: Lieutenant at end

Service Dates:  1970-1974

Work you did: Deck Officer and Combat Information Center Officer on USS Vega AF 59; Executive Officer and Navigator on USS Atakapa ATF 149

Brief story that stands out from your service time: While steaming from California to the Western Pacific for a seven-month deployment, one of the fresh-out-of-boot camp sailors on board asked one of the old-salts if mail was delivered at sea, as he already missed his girlfriend.

The old-salt chief said “of course it is. There are several 10-foot-tall red, white and blue mail buoys in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Your job, young man, is to stand watch on the bow and notify the bridge of any buoy sightings. Then, the ship will slow down, lower the motor whale boat, grab the mail bag with a bow hook, and motor back to the mother ship.”

The young man could not believe the good news, so he willingly donned the gear required to stand watch for the elusive mail buoy – namely, battle helmet, life vest, bow hook, foul weather gear, binoculars, and a headset to communicate status checks to the bridge every 15 minutes. Of course, having the captain and everyone else play along made it even more fun. Ah, yes, our tax dollars at work.

— Check out our special Advisors Who Serve(d) page to read more stories by advisor-veterans.

Name: Chad Feucht

Title/Company: President & CEO / Feucht Financial Group LLC

Branch: US Air Force and USAFR

Rank held at beginning of service and at end:  2nd Lt at beginning, Lt Colonel at retirement

Service Dates:  1991 – 2016

Work you did: F-16 and F-22 Pilot / Commander of the 477th OSF

Brief story that stands out from your service time: One moment that I will never forget is serving in Iraq during the 2007 surge in operations. It is memorable due to the courage and professionalism of the 457th Fighter Squadron, with whom I served, and especially memorable because I was able to work with my brother who was serving in the Army at the same place and the same time.

Name: Jeremy Feucht

Title/Company: President & CEO / Feucht Financial Group LLC

Branch: US Army

Rank held at beginning of service and at end:  Lieutenant — Captain

Service Dates:  1998 – 2007

Work you did: Company Commander

Brief story that stands out from your service time: Proud to have served with some of the greatest guys on Earth.

Name: Ann Konasiewicz Title/Company: Regional Leader / Primerica

Branch: US Army

Rank held at beginning of service and at end:  Private to SP4

Service Dates:  1976-1978

Work you did: Fort Ord, Calif.

Brief story that stands out from your service time: I entered the service under the Stripes for Skills program. Upon arriving at Boot Camp we were surprised to know our group was selected to be the first group of women in the regular Army, trained for hand to hand combat, not the WACS. The Drill Sergeants did not know how to handle the women, as we kept getting over on them. So they brought over the female Drill Sergeants to help out. Many women fell out and I am honored to say I was among the handful that passed. Because of my skills I ran an office with the MSG and Colonial. I was honored with letters of recommendation upon exit. The Army was a GREAT education in which I learned I had a strength I never knew I had. I am honored to be a US Army Veteran!

Name: David Murphy

Title/Company: Head of Wealth Advisory / Boston Private

Branch: U.S. Army

Rank held at beginning of service and at end:  Private / Colonel

Service Dates:  1979 – 2012

Work you did: Various

Brief story that stands out from your service time: September 2009 there was a report of an airmen and a soldier injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) just west of Camp Leatherneck in the Southern Helmand Province of Afghanistan. As we were conducting a briefing, we were notified of a “ramp call,” which is shorthand for when a service member has been killed and their remains are about to be begin the journey back home at the airfield ramp.

Close to 100 of us stopped what we were doing and traveled to the airfield where a C-130 aircraft was at the ramp and had lowered the tailgate off the back end of the aircraft. The plane’s engines were running to begin a quick take off, just in case mortars started to come in. The only illumination was the dusty glow of a small interior light, which was shining brightly on the American flag in the cargo bay. Two field ambulances pulled up and we all lined up to face one another creating a corridor for our fallen brother or sister to pass, where we all would render a hand salute.

Across from me was Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant. She was all of five feet tall, greying hair visible around her temples and her hair pulled back in a tight regulation bun. In the sweltering 100 degree heat, she bent over and began adjusting her utility uniform, attempting to smooth out the wrinkles. The message was clear and the rest of us followed her lead and did our best to brush of the dust, smooth out the wrinkles, to be presentable to our fallen comrades.

Both of the service members were respectfully removed from the ambulances on stretchers with American flags draped over their wounded bodies. There was one service member holding the stretcher in the front, and another in the rear, holding their fallen bodies as we listened to the Chaplin bless them with words that would never be adequate. At the conclusion of his remarks, we all came to attention and both fallen soldiers passed through the human corridor as we rendered our salutes. The airman and soldier were placed inside the aircraft beneath the American flag, where a service member would never leave their side until they were peacefully returned to their loved ones. We stood there, in the sweltering heat in salute until the plane had lifted off and was no longer visible.

Here’s is to the one percent that write a blank check to serve, and if necessary go into harm’s way, hoping the check is never cashed. That’s my why.

— Check out our special Advisors Who Serve(d) page to read more stories by advisor-veterans.