Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ralph Rigby, the last continuously serving active-duty Vietnam War draftee, is retiring after 42 years in the Army.
According to the U.S. Army, Rigby had no plans for a military life when he was drafted at age 19 in 1972. Upon receiving his notice in the mail, his first reaction was to run away and dodge the draft. When he expressed his concerns to his mother, she reminded him that she did not raise a quitter, and that serving his country was a noble calling.
Rigby was first assigned to Fort Dix, New Jersey. From there he was trained in power equipment repairing at the United States Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. While he was drafted during the Vietnam War, the servicemember never served there. Instead, his first overseas assignment was in Kwachon, South Korea. According to the Army, Rigby knew that military life was for him after that first deployment. He quickly signed up to remain on activeduty and climbed up through the ranks.
Throughout his lengthy Army career, Rigby took on many roles, from platoon sergeant to engineer equipment maintenance supervisor. His favorite positions were ones that included fixing things. According to his colleagues, his passion and talent for maintenance was one of the defining features of his service. He was always willing to work hard to fix things.
Military Times reported that the soldier's retirement ceremony took place Monday, Nov. 3, which was also his 62nd birthday. He plans to spend his life after service in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
"It's mandatory to get old, but only optional to grow up. The Army has allowed me to travel and see things that I would have never seen otherwise. For that, I am thankful," he told the Army.