Make the best of it

Alan Brundage looks very unassuming. He’s tall, standing over six feet, and sports a beard and mustache. He speaks in a soft tone but with purpose and intent, making one feel that if he’s talking they better listen as it’s likely something worth being said.

Brundage, who has lived in the Platte Valley for around two years now, spent nearly 50 years working for the federal government when one includes his time in both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force. His stint in the Marine Corps began in 1974, near the end of the Vietnam War.

“I was a 23-11, an ammunition technician. I worked out of the S-4 section at the battalion level. I procured and delivered all the ammunition and explosives to the H&S (Headquarters & Support) companies and three-line companies,” said Brundage. “It was a lot of road work.”

The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975 with the fall of Saigon. After that, however, the United States sought to keep a presence in the area, especially in the Philippines. During his four years with the Marines, Brundage was deployed for a six month tour in the area.

“We did a lot of patrolling for piracy down around the Philippines. Pirates would be hiding in these islands. That was right after Vietnam was over, so they (United States) were worried about having a presence,” said Brundage. “That’s what made up my mind not to ever re-enlist in the Marines after I got out. My daughter was born about three months before I left and I was gone for six months.”

Brundage was discharged in 1979, but just three years later he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served in that branch from 1982 until 1997.

“When I joined the Air Force, I was a metals processing specialist. I was a certified aircraft welder, TIG welder and machinist. With all of those trades under my belt, I never had a problem finding a job anywhere I went,” said Brundage. “So, I appreciate the military for doing that for me.”

While in the Marines, Brundage had been stationed in California and Hawaii. In the Air Force, he was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico and Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.

“That’s where I retired from. I retired from that in 1997 and, after that, I worked downtown for a while as a machinist. Then, I got a job over at the army base doing structural work on helicopters at Fort Wainwright. Then I got another job over at Eielson Air Force Base for civil engineers,” said Brundage. “I was a certified welder and did a lot of pipe (work) because everything was heated by steam there. I had my own service truck and would run all around the base doing whatever needed to be done and I loved it.”

From 1997 until 2021, Brundage worked for the federal government working on various bases. His last job was at the Mount Elbert Powerplant at Twin Lakes, Colorado. To say the skills he learned while enlisted, especially in the Air Force, helped him build a life would likely be an understatement. He almost didn’t get that opportunity, though. Upon enlisting with the Air Force, said Brundage, the recruiter wanted to assign him to be a security officer due to his time in the Marine Corps. Brundage refused and, upon taking an entrance exam, was told he could take any MOS he wanted short of flying jets due to his poor eyesight.

That experience came in useful years later when his grandson, Logan Wells, was considering joining the Air Force.

“My grandson, he joined the Air Force about three years ago. He is doing just excellent. I told him ‘Don’t let the recruiter push a certain job on you. Take that ASVAB test, score as high as you can score and really take it seriously,’ said Brundage. “The higher your score is, the more opportunities they offer you as far as a job.”

In addition to the trade he learned, Brundage said his time in the Air Force and working for the federal government gave him friendships he still has to this day. Those friendships came in useful last winter when, while living in his fifth wheel, his daughter encouraged him to travel cross-country until a house in the Platte Valley became available. Many of those friendships were made while working in Alaska after his time in the Air Force.

“When I was stationed in Hawaii, everybody was away from families so you got real tight with everybody. It was the same way in Alaska, everybody was away from their families,” said Brundage. “In my shop, I’d invite the airmen over for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas because they were alone. You just had to support them a little bit.”

Now retired from his federal job, Brundage spent 47 years working for the government in some capacity. He’s now using both his skills in metal trades and his skills in carpentry to renovate his house in Saratoga.

“It was a journey and I always tried to make the best of it,” said Brundage. “Be friendly to people and that rubs off on people, if you treat them with respect they’ll treat you with respect back.”