AUGUSTA, Kan. (KSNW) — Ray Brown grew up in tiny Brainerd, Kansas, and later, he lived in Potwin for over 45 years. In between, he joined the Navy at the age of 19 and served as a Seabee during two ...

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Alfred Perez joined the Navy, but he never stepped foot on a ship. He was never on the ocean, either. However, he was a “busy bee” during two tours to Vietnam in the late 1960s.

“They always kept us busy,” said Ziegler, adding how his unit of Seabees was ordered on occasion to patch up holes made in runways by enemy fire. In between jobs, the battalion was assigned to fix up ...