Veteran Salute: Finding love through the National Guard

TOPEKA (KSNT) - After serving active duty as a Dental Specialist and Hygienist towards the end of the Vietnam conflict, Tony Elias thought his time in the service was well behind him.

A chance encounter brought him back in for an additional 23 years, and ended up introducing him to his future wife.

“At the time I was working a job in Emporia," Elias said. "A friend of mine there one day showed up in a uniform. I asked him, hey what are you doing. He said well I’m in the National Guard.”

With his prior service, Elias signed up for a Try One, and quickly realized that the National Guard lifestyle fit him well.

His experience in that organized militia looked quite unique, being activated for a vital conflict overseas.

“The first time we were mobilized, it was during Operation Enduring Freedom," He said. "We were in a support unit, transportation company, palletized loading system. We were sent to Fort Bragg to support the 82nd airborne in their deployments. During that time we ended up sending some of our soldiers with them overseas. At the time I was sent, I was a Sergeant 1st class, and I was appointed the acting 1st Sgt. for that group, and we had 80 soldiers there.”

While looking for a new company in Kansas, Tony met his wife - a fellow National Guard member.

“We actually met in this building, in this National Guard building. When I joined the unit, I had to complete a PT test. We went to the local high school here, and I had to do my two mile run and she was timing me.”

Having a partner in the service came with it's fair share of challenges though.

“We were training in the same area at Fort Riley, then we deployed just two days apart of each other. Her going to Camp Taji in Iraq by Baghdad, and us deploying since our vehicles were the way they were, we were deployed into Kuwait, and did all our mission into Iraq. The only time that I could, I would see her was that I would find out if there were missions going out, heading towards her area. Being a 1st Sgt. I really wasn’t supposed to be on the road that much, but I would arrange to have someone taken off the mission so I could take their place.”  

If that's no love, what is?

Their love would endure as well, the couple just celebrated their 26th Anniversary in August.