85 Years Young
A fellow Vietnam Veteran and friend Jerry Rhodes brought Jim Drexl to my attention a few weeks ago and I finally had time to meet him in his modest Valencia apartment.

James J. Drexl Promotion

At 85 years young, his condition both physically and mentally is simply remarkable.  Our conversation carried on for over two hours as time just flew by.

James Joseph Drexl was born September 28, 1933, in St. Paul, Minnesota where he spent his early years until age 17.  He attended John Marshall High School, but no one could have despised attending school more than Jim.

He typically avoided bringing his below average report cards home opting instead to forge his father’s name, but when he was finally caught, Drexl and his dad were summoned to the principal’s office.

Upon learning his mischief, his dad asked why he did that and Drexl simply replied that he really hated school so his dad said, “Go ahead quit.”

At age 17, Drexl quit going to school that very day and soon landed a grocery store job where he worked for the next 5 months.  Meanwhile, Drexl had always been fascinated with the U.S. Navy, as several family members had served with the Navy during World War II.

Korean Wa

On June 25, 1950, communist North Korean troops surprisingly crossed the 38^th Parallel and invaded South Korea.  On October 11, 1950, Drexl enlisted with the U.S. Navy and was sent to the Navy’s Great Lakes Training Center for 12 weeks of boot camp. He was soon sent to Philadelphia by train for one week.

James J. Drexl Re-enlistment

Next, Drexl was assigned to Norfolk, Virginia, where he reported aboard a destroyer. In February 1951, he and his fellow sailors departed Norfolk to the Panama Canal and on to Korea where they conducted massive shore bombardments in support of the U.S., United Nations and South Korean infantry troops.

This went on for a month as their destroyer routinely maneuvered to provide maximum fire power for allied ground soldiers.

Next, it was back to Norfolk for shore leave and preparations for good-will tours that took Drexl to numerous ports of call including throughout the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and South Pacific.

“I have far too many ports of call visits to remember,” said Drexl.

Love Story

James J. Drexl Receives Award

While assigned to a Naval Station at Kingsville, Texas, Drexl met the love of his life, 17 year old Imogene Roach, at a Navy Base dance hall and it turned out that her blind date had failed to show up.

He noticed a beautiful young woman sitting alone, so he introduced himself to her and asked her to dance. After this, they dated for the next five months.

“We fell head over heels for each other and I just knew that we would spend our lives together,” said Drexl.

At Imogene’s cousin’s kitchen table, Drexl said bluntly, “Do you want to go get married?”  When she said yes, he replied, “Let’s get married tomorrow.”

And so on October 11, 1956, they were married in a local chapel by a justice of the peace, and they went on to have three wonderful and accomplished children.

Vietnam War
Soon after the August 4, 1964, “Gulf of Tonkin Incident” that famously sparked America’s full scale war commitment to protect South Vietnam’s freedom from North Vietnamese communist troops, Drexl’s destroyer, the USS Brinkley Bass, deployed to Danang, South Vietnam.

For the next nine months operating out of Danang, Drexl and his crew bombarded communist positions in support of U.S. ground troops.

He treasured serving with the U.S. Navy so in 1965 he re-enlisted for six more years. Altogether, Drexl served three tours of duties along South Vietnam’s coastline supporting U.S. Army and Marine Corps infantry grunts locked in combat with his last tour occurring mid 1969 at age 37.

James J. Drexl Russian Code School

Next he was assigned to San Diego to learn the business of recruiting new sailors, which lasted less than a year when he received disconcerting news.

Out of the clear blue, Drexl received orders back to Danang to serve on a Swift Boat, which was incredibly dangerous, and since he had served 20 years he chose retirement.

Honorable Discharge
On July 1, 1970, while serving as a U.S. Navy recruiter in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Drexl received his honorable discharge.

James J. Drexl Awards

He had loved being a recruiter and found meeting his two recruits per month quota easy to meet.

“I had a good friend working for Aberdeen’s local draft board who secretly tipped me off on young men about to be drafted into the Army that gave me a major advantage,” said Drexl.

After the Navy, he and Imogene moved their family to Long Beach, California, where they purchased their very first home and where they lived for the next 25 years.

Later, Drexl landed a job with the U.S. Post Office and in 1995 he and his family moved to Valencia, California. In 2012, after 56 years of blissful marriage, Imogene tragically passed away.

Imogene’s funeral service was standing room only at Newhall’s Eternal Valley Memorial Park and Cemetery.

Teary eyed, Drexl told me that he dreams about Imogene almost every day and when he does he routinely reads this poem below. Jim, it was a sincere pleasure meeting you; thank you for your patriotism and honorable service to America.

Beyond The Sunset

James J. Drexl Wedding

Should you go first and I remain
to walk the road alone,
I’ll live in memories garden dear,
with happy days we’ve known.
In spring I’ll wait for roses red,
when faded, the lilacs blue.
In early fall when brown leaves fall,
I’ll catch a glimpse of you.

Should you go first and I remain,
for battle to be fought.
Each thing you’ve touched along the way
will be a hallowed spot.
I’ll hear your voice, I’ll see your smile,
though blindly I may grope.
The memory of your helping hand
will buoy me with hope.

Should you go first and I remain
one thing I’ll have you do:
Walk slowly down that long, long path,
for soon I’ll follow you.
I want to know each step you take,
So I may take the same.
For someday down that lonely road
you’ll hear me call your name.

– Author Unknown –

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