Don Weikert enlisted in the Navy in 1958, served throughout the Vietnam War and beyond. He dedicated almost 25 years of his life to the military.
He completed basic training in San Diego, California, before being assigned to the USS Bennington aircraft carrier from 1959 to 1961. Weikert was then assigned to guided missile cruiser USS Albany (CG-10) until 1967. He served on the destroyer USS O’Brien (DD-725) as an air traffic controller after that. In his role, he often collaborated with other military branches, working closely with Navy pilots stationed in Vietnam.
Throughout his tours, Weikert served as an operations specialist in combat intelligence command. He managed communications for marine squadrons and sent out rescue and aid teams to squads in danger. He also directed fire toward enemy lines to cover for U.S. Marines.
In 1970, Weikert shifted gears in his career and worked as a nurse recruiter for the Navy. He was stationed in Pontiac, Michigan, but also recruited in South Dakota and Wyoming. He was on a team that recruited over half the class of nurses stationed in Sundance, Wyoming, in 1973.
Weikert returned to life on ship when he was transferred to Hawaii and stationed on USS Brewton and USS Francis Hammond. His final station was in Yokosuka, Japan, where he remained until he formally retired from the Navy in 1982 with the rank of chief petty officer.
Weikert’s son, Kevin, recently recalled the excitement he felt when he waited at the docks for his father’s ship to return after back-to-back cruises during the Vietnam War. Weikert and other soldiers lined the rails of the ship, waving to their families as music played.
After retirement, Weikert began volunteering with the American Legion, an organization dedicated to advocating for Veterans, providing a myriad of resources for Veterans and their families, as well as meeting the needs of local communities through selfless service and mentoring programs to younger generations. Weikert’s son said that his father is “a Veteran that devoted his entire life in belief that only a free country can truly enjoy freedom.”
We honor his service.
Nominate a Veteran
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s “Honoring Veterans” social media spotlight is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission
Writer: Sarah McDonald
Editors: Cate Manning, Cynthia Xu
Researcher: John Bergstrom
Graphic Designer: Saul Leon
Topics in this story
Link Disclaimer
This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.
More Stories
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Coast Guard Veteran Alan Spielman, who served in Alaska.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Jan Klebukowski, who served in the United States, United Kingdom and South Korea.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran James McDonald, who served as a Chief Metalsmith during his service.
