American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Gary Kocsis, 70, who joined the United States Marine Corps in Summerville, N.J., in 1975. After Boot Camp at Parris Island, he went to Twentynine Palms, Calif., to attend Electronics School and Radio Fundamentals Course before advanced training at Keesler AFB in Mississippi for Microwave Equipment Repair.
His first duty station was MCAS Cherry Point working with ground-to-air communications. From there he deployed on USS Harlan County (LST-1196) to the Caribbean; on USS Austin (LPD-4) to Norway and Denmark; and aboard USS Saratoga (CV-60) to the Mediterranean, including Spain and Turkey.
In 1978 he deployed to MCAS Beaufort to backfill locals who deployed. In 1979 he separated and used the GI Bill to attend DeVry Technical Institute, furthering his skills in electronics. He then began 18 years working for IBM designing integrated circuits before moving to Pitney Bowes and advanced mail services.
In 2013 he relocated to Smith Mountain Lake, Va., and began selling boats. Finally in 2019, he moved to Beaufort County. He is a DAV volunteer each Thursday, helping service VA claims at AMVETS in Port Royal, where he is also a member. He volunteers at the Beaufort History Museum.
Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.