Veterans Day, a federal U.S. holiday that pays tribute to all American veterans, occurs on November 11 every year in honor of the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918 that signaled the end of World War I. The observance is designed to thank those who have served the country honorably during war or peacetime.
Amerisure is proud to honor our veteran employees or those who have a veteran in their life in a special way this year by sharing their stories and experiences. Read on to learn about these veterans and join us in thanking all veterans today for their service.
Rodney Labbe, U.S. Army and Army National Guard
Regional vice president of risk management, Rod Labbe, served in the U.S. Army and the Army National Guard from March 14, 1988, to August 31, 2009. His service experiences covered the Cold War, Operation Desert Storm and the War on Terrorism. He served in emergency relief missions, homeland security missions, and was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2007 to November 2008. Rod was promoted multiple times during his tenure, ultimately achieving the rank of First Sergeant.
Nate Bozeman, U.S. Navy
Nate Bozeman, husband of corporate underwriting consultant, Bethany Bozeman, served in the U.S. Navy on the carrier U.S.S. John Stennis for four years. He took the knowledge he learned in the Navy and made it a career as an aircraft mechanic.
Katie Beauregard, U.S. Army
Katie Beauregard, daughter of business analyst – application engineering, Jim Beauregard, served for eight years as a pediatric doctor for the U.S. Army. She served at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, and then at Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Georgia. She is now currently working at Winn Army Medical Center in Georgia, while still serving as Major in the Army Reserves.
Vanessa Ocampo, U.S. Navy
Business development specialist, Vanessa Ocampo, served in the U.S. Navy from 1988-1992. Over all four years of her enlistment, she served onboard U.S.S. McKee (AS-41) which was based out of the Point Loma Submarine Base in San Diego. The U.S.S. McKee was one of the first Navy warships to integrate female sailors.
“I was fortunate enough to be on the first surface vessel with females onboard, departing to support Operation Desert Shield prior to it transitioning to Operation Desert Storm. We visited working ports on our route towards Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Singapore. We crossed the equator on 2/20/91, and I became a Shellback that day,” Vanessa said.
Vanessa’s ship was stationed for three months in Jebel Ali, which is about 20 minutes from Dubai, along with other Naval forces from all over the world. Her ship specialized in repairing submarines, but the crew would repair anything and everything necessary during their time in UAE and at other ports.
“It was a floating manufacturing and radiation control vessel,” Vanessa remarked about her ship, which boasted a machine shop, welding shop, and foundry, among many other types of repair divisions. “We were honored to have [actor] Sean Connery come aboard our ship while filming The Hunt for Red October and [athlete] David Robinson while he was fulfilling his two-year contract for Active Duty in the U.S. Navy prior to entering the NBA.”
Vanessa and her crew also provided support to the United States’ submarine fleet by transferring their Tomahawk Cruise Missiles. “I am happy to say that first strike missiles deterring the enemy in those initial days of Operation Desert Storm originated from one of the submarines in our squadron on the U.S.S. Louisville.”
Vanessa’s journey back to San Diego brought her through Thailand, Hong Kong, Sasebo and Yokosuka Japan, and Pearl Harbor once again. While in Yokosuka, she also worked onboard the famous U.S.S. Midway aircraft carrier.
“At that time in our military, there were no enlisted females onboard this ship. It was a privilege and an honor to have been given this opportunity. My journey in the U.S. Navy and on my beautiful submarine tender was the experience of a lifetime, and I would not trade it for anything in this world. Go Navy!”
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We thank these Amerisure employees for sharing their and their loved ones’ stories of service to our country.
