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11/07/2018 07:30 AMIn October 1962, just months after graduating high school, Radioman First Class Don Langlois found himself in the middle of the Atlantic blockade of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Don’s main job was fielding top-secret clearance communications aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain.
“It was a little scary, because we were very close to a war back then. It was all up in the air and could have blown up in our face. If Khrushchev didn’t back down and take the missiles out, it could have been a real disaster,” says Don, a Branford resident.
Luckily for the world, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev did back down to the demands of President John F. Kennedy, pulling some 100 tactical nuclear weapons from Cuba. As the cruise missiles, short range rockets, and bombs were taken away, Don was part of the American forces overseeing the action.
“Our planes were doing the aerial reconnaissance of the Russian trawlers coming to pick up the missiles and going out loaded with missiles. They’d take the pictures of the ship coming in empty, and so the draft was high, and then coming out, they could tell how many missiles were on that ship by how low it was floating in the water. They were doing all the calculations, so they could tell [the Soviets] were doing what they said they were doing.
“My battle station was the highest you could get on an aircraft carrier,” says Don of his radio shack. “It was at the ‘09’ level on that particular carrier, which was way at the top of the superstructure. And it was a little room, about six by six, and it had one radio in it, and I was alone in it. And of course, during battle stations at night, you had to close everything, and it was totally dark, and you had a little red light you could see with. You could get up there for hours and just roll with the waves. But that’s something that’s just part of the duties.”
On Sunday, Nov. 11, Don and every other military veteran who has served or is serving now will be honored during the Branford Veterans Day Parade 2018.
“We thank all living and past veterans on Veterans Day,” notes Don, who is in his first year as commander of Branford American Legion Post 83. “Whereas on Memorial Day, you’re honoring all the veterans that gave the ultimate sacrifice, on Veterans Day, you are honoring all the ones that are still serving and have served in the past.”
This year, Don has been selected by the Branford Veterans Day Parade Committee to be Branford’s 2018 Veterans Day parade marshal. In addition to leading the parade that will march down Main Street at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, Don will take part in the Veterans Parade Ceremonies at 1 p.m. on the Branford Town Green. In case of inclement weather, ceremonies will be moved to Branford High School, 185 East Main Street (see Related Article for event details).
“It’s an honor, and I appreciate the parade committee for nominating me,” says Don. “I’ve never really given speeches, but at the ceremony, I want to talk about thanking all the people showing up to the parade that came out in whatever kind of weather it is to honor veterans. And that’s a big part of it. They’re honoring veterans and their families and sacrifices everyone makes. And there’s a lot of people out there who, believe it or not, think it’s getting old hat and that veterans are getting too much recognition, [while] the veterans don’t have half the stuff they were promised when they joined. They signed that blank check years ago to sacrifice their lives if they had to—that was what they were signing up for. So I think to honor them is a good thing. I love it, if I’m wearing my Legion ball cap, when people come up and even young kids come up and say, ‘Thank you for your service.’ It’s really very humbling. And I say ‘Thank you’ back to them. It is a good feeling.”
Don’s participation on Nov. 11 will be good practice for what he hopes will be a high-visibility year for the Branford American Legion in 2019, when the national organization celebrates its 100th anniversary.
“It’s going to be a really big year for the legion, and I’m trying to get some excitement going, because there’s going to be a lot to do next year,” says Don, adding the Branford American Legion is looking for new members to help out. “Years back, at our high, we had 617 members. Right now our membership is down to 170, but we only get 10 or 15 members at a meeting. It’s hard because of most of them are getting on in age—we still have a couple World War II veterans who come! It’s very hard to get the young people nowadays that are coming out of the service. So right now, it’s hard to plan something [for the 100th anniversary] because of our active membership being what it is. I’m doing everything I can, and we also have a couple of really good guys that have been hanging in there for so long. But you don’t want to burn them out, because they’re the glue that holds it together.”
The Branford American Legion meets the fourth Tuesday of each month (third Tuesday in December) at Post 83’s home on North Main Street in Branford. The legion collaborates often with Branford’s other veterans’ organization, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Walter Dymarczyk Memorial Post 12106.
“We collaborate with the VFW, and our chaplain for Post 83 is the commander of the VFW, Elliot Hastings,” Don says.
While Don is eligible to join the VFW, too, he feels he best serves other veterans by concentrating his energy and effort as part of one organization, the Legion.
Don’s military service began with the Navy Reserves in 1960 and included active duty (1962 to ‘64) and two years’ Reserve inactive duty (1964 to 1966; honorable discharge). In addition to the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was actively serving when President John F. Kennedy was killed, and was part of an overseas deployment in the time leading up to the Vietnam War.
“I was on the ship when Kennedy was assassinated,” says Don, who was stationed out of Quonset Point, Rhode Island. “They immediately canceled all our leaves and went to battle station. So I called my girlfriend and said, ‘I won’t be home this weekend.’ We pulled out and we were at war-ready. Whenever something like that happens, you go [to] battle station until they’re sure what’s going on.
“It was an exciting period that’s burned in your memory. It was scary at times, but I never got into any conflicts,” Don says of his years in the Navy. “I was in the Vietnam police action era, so I never had boots on the ground in Vietnam...I really got out before it ever escalated.”
Don’s military medals and honors include Ships Battle Efficacy Pennant, National Defense Service, Armed Forces Expeditionary, Cold War Victory Commemorative, CT Wartime Veteran Service, and Good Conduct.
Now a grandfather to six, Don married his wife, Sandy, in 1964 and moved to Branford in 1976. The couple purchased a 19th century saltbox house (believed to be the oldest in Short Beach) where they raised their three kids.
“I was born and raised in East Haven and graduated from East Haven High School, and my kids all were in Branford High School, so believe me when I say the Thanksgiving [football] games were interesting for us,” he says, laughing.
When his kids were growing up, Don served with Boy Scouts of America (BSA) as an assistant scoutmaster and BSA assistant East Shore District commissioner. Growing up in East Haven, Don was a volunteer with the East Haven Fire Department and a member of its Bradford Manor Drum Corps out of Momauguin. Also as a youth, he was a charter member of Columbian Squires in East Haven (a youth arm of the Knights of Columbus [K of C}) and a K of C Drum Corps member. As an adult, Don went on to become a third-degree K of C member, as well as a member of the Shriner Drum Corps (past president). A master mason with Branford Widow’s Son Masonic Lodge 66, Don is also past president of the Tri-Haven Tibetan Spaniel Club and a past member of the Connecticut Wheelman antique bicycle club.
Now retired, he worked for Pratt & Whitney, WNHC Radio and TV, Armstrong Tire/Pirelli Tire, and R & D Special Performance Tire Design and owned his own printing company for 28 years.
Originally a member of Connecticut American Legion Post 200 in Rocky Hill for 14 years, Don became a member of Post 83 in Branford four years ago.
“Once you’re out of the service, if you want to keep on serving, you join the
Legion or VFW, and that’s a service organization. We vote—our vote is very strong in Congress to pass bills. We’re heard, so we are very powerful, in that end of it, to help veterans,” he says. Closer to home, Branford American Legion works to help local vets.
“In our organization, our service officer is really a great guy and his job basically is to take requests from people. He has cases that he works and we help out. Maybe someone’s got a problem with the rent, so we’ll help out there, or paying for their heating or something like that,” says Don. “Our basic function is to keep on serving our veterans. ‘Veterans Serving Veterans’ is basically our motto.”
During his years with Post 83, Don has also joined a large group of local military and veterans participating in the Branford High School (BHS) annual Anthony “Bob” Bescher Veterans Appreciation Day. This year’s event is set for Monday, Nov. 12 at BHS, with guests from actions including Korean War, Vietnam War, the Cold War era, Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan set to speak to students in assembly and break-out sessions.
Honoring veterans is especially important to Don. While he never personally experienced any unwelcome attention from U.S. citizens who turned their backs on military veterans returning from the later years of the Vietnam War, he says he’ll never forget how they were disparaged when they came home.
“You know, the Vietnam guys came home and weren’t really welcomed. I’ve heard horror stories—the guys were spit on, and things like that. It really was hurtful,” says Don. “I didn’t run into that personally because I got out before it really escalated, but I was very upset about it all, because it was still part of the life that I lived, you know?”
By turning out for events like the Nov. 11 Veterans Day Parade, Don says residents can help show all military service men and women and veterans that they are appreciated.
“We’re one of the few towns left that does have a Veterans Day Parade, and it’s appreciated,” he says. “The past few years [attendance] had dwindled. It started to come up last year a little bit. I heard rumors if attendance didn’t come up, they might consider not doing it, and I think that would be a shame. So I’d love to see it build up.”
Branford American Legion Post 83 meets the fourth Tuesday of each month (third Tuesday in December) at the post hall, located at 243 North Main Street. For more information or membership information, find American Legion Post 83 on Facebook, email kpykatpt@comcast.net, or call 203-488-7537.