Growing up, Bill Osborn of Scottsbluff never intended to serve in the military. But when the Korean War started in 1950, Osborn decided to enlist in the Navy. Looking back, he said he’s proud of the time he spent serving in the military, including three years aboard USS Boxer (CV-21). He’s grateful for the people he met and the places he got to travel to – and also for being able to survive a terrifying day when a fire on his aircraft carrier caused a 500-pound bomb to explode. Osborn’s service to the country was honored and recognized again recently when he and 15 other veterans who live at NRC in Scottsbluff received Quilts of Valor during a special, memorable ceremony.
JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Bill Osborn had no intention of serving in the military when he started attending Scottsbluff Junior College in Scottsbluff in the late 1940s.
His goal was to earn a business administration degree and then eventually take over the business that his father, Art Osborn, had started in 1944, Scottsbluff Tent & Awning.
However, in June 1950 – about a year and a half after Bill had started going to college – the Korean War started, causing him to think about quitting college to enlist in the military.
“All my friends were getting drafted into the Army left and right, so I thought I would be called soon, too,” he said.
Osborn, however, didn’t want to go into the Army.
“My preference was the Navy,” he said.
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