He fought at a time when soldiers and wars weren’t fashionable.

He served his country before it became the honored thing it is today, when it was almost looked down upon. In fact, when he returned home from overseas duty there were no parades or rallies or pictures in the local newspaper. Only family and a few close friends knew you were back – or that you’d been gone.

Shortly after graduating from high school in 1965, Danny Downey enlisted in the United States Army and spent 23 years serving in various parts of the world, including in the Vietnam War.