EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a series on local veterans that runs every Monday through Veterans Day. To suggest a veteran, contact Metro Editor Marly Reichert at 330-841-1737 or email her at mreichert@tribtoday.com.

Correspondent photo / Nancilynn Gatta
U.S. Army veteran Gary Harrer of Howland discusses his time in the service.

Despite not shedding light on those days, Harrer did say that his brother was supportive of his enlistment into the United States Army.

“It was peace time. It was something that I felt I needed to do, to serve the country,” Harrer said. He graduated from Buckeye High School in Medina in 1978 and then served active duty from 1979 to 1983.

He spent two years on inactive or reserve duty where he could have been called up at any time.

“After high school, I went to work in a factory for about eight months and then I took a military leave of absence from that job,” he said.

His high school curriculum prepared him for his military career.

“In high school, I spent two years at the vocational school, and I took up auto mechanics. When I went into the service, they gave me one stripe because I already had that training,” Harrer said.

As a military recruit, he left for his first trip to the southern states.

“I went to Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. It was the first time that I flew on an airplane. You could still smoke on a plane then. It was the ’70s. Everything was so different,” Harrer said.

At basic training, he learned to follow orders, keep his quarters tidy, use a gun and other duties.

“We were standing in line going to the mess hall and they wanted you to look straight ahead, don’t look around and stand at ease. If you looked away and the drill sergeant caught you, he would make you go down on the ground, say, ‘Quack, quack, quack,’ and go around in a circle.” he said.

During his basic training, he met people from all over the country, but not all of his fellow soldiers were friendly.

“I was doing guard duty. It was a weekend, and someone had gone out and he got really drunk. He got nasty. He tried to punch me. I grabbed his hands and I said, ‘Stop right there!’ He was like, ‘Alright’,” Harrer said.

As part of his job, he worked on vehicles and also drove them. He did Advanced Individual Training, also at Fort Jackson, to learn to work on military vehicles.

“I worked on two-and-a-half ton and five-ton jeeps. I worked in the motor pool at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I also drove the company commander around,” Harrer said.

Fort Bragg was his permanent post during his active time in the military.

The motor pool position was not for his entire military enlistment.

“They gave me a secondary MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) and I drove a truck for the last year and a half,” he said.

Harrer liked driving trucks since his company, 659th Maintenance, supported the 82nd Airborne.

“We used to have to get parts, and they had a parts depot. In order to get the parts, you had to sign up for a commercial vehicle. You had to wait in line every morning to get a commercial vehicle. All the units were waiting. They used to get me out of all the physical training. I didn’t have to run. I ran 4 miles, but very seldom. It had its advantages,” Harrer said.

After his four years active duty, he could have re-enlisted with the potential of an overseas tour of duty.

“I liked North Carolina. I liked the weather. I liked everything about North Carolina, but I didn’t like the bugs. I had a job waiting for me back home and I decided to return,” he said.

He worked at the factory that held his job while he was in the military for 34 years — a wire harness factory in Ashtabula called Alphabet, which later became Stoneridge Electronics.

“The people left Packard and started this business. They went into farm machinery and heavy trucks. When I got out of the military and came back, it was funny. I started at ground zero as an hourly worker but because of my military, they recognized that and they offered me a position to be a supervisor’s helper,” Harrer said.

Through the years, he became a supervisor, plant supervisor and plant superintendent for the engineering and design Center. When it closed, they put him in engineering where he became an engineer.

“I was working at the corporate office on East Market Street in Advance Engineering when I left. They gave me a heads up that they were closing my department in the third quarter and moving everything to Mexico. They gave a severance package of one week’s pay for every year I worked there, which was 34 years. I just had to train my replacement,” he said.

For the past seven years, automobiles have continued to be part of Harrer’s life. He has restored numerous classic cars and exhibited them at car shows.

Harrer is happy with his decision to volunteer and serve his country. He believes the training and experience helped him in work and in life.

“Looking back, I wouldn’t change it. It made me grow up. It gave me a lot of responsibility. I would not change that for the world. I was very immature before I went in,” he said.

Gary Harrer

AGE: 65

RESIDENCE: Howland

SERVICE BRANCH: Army

MILITARY HONORS: Distinguished Soldier award for March 1981 as a wheel vehicle / power generation mechanic; and letter of commendation from American Legion.

OCCUPATION: Retired from Alphabet, which later became Stoneridge Electronics, in Ashtabula

FAMILY: wife, Judy; two daughters; two stepdaughters; one stepson; and seven grandchildren