By Andrea Stevens
AFRO Staff Writer
astevens@afro.com
For Robert Lorinza Jones and Earl Ruff Jr., military service was more than just a duty. It was a lifelong commitment that shaped their character and their careers. Both began in the Marine Corps and later transitioned into the Army National Guard, serving their country across decades, deployments and different roles.
Jones left Pineville, Kentucky, in 1969 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) after time in the Job Corps. He deployed to Vietnam, where he spent 13 months in combat. For his service, he earned the Combat Action Ribbon and multiple campaign awards.
“I didn’t know if I’d come back, but I went anyway,” he says. “Back then, when people came home and were paranoid and anxious, we called it ‘gun-shot.’ Now they call it PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).”
After his return, Jones moved to Washington, D.C., joined the Maryland National Guard, and later transferred to the D.C. Army National Guard. He served for 24 years total. While working full time at the Pentagon, he earned his GED through a Guard-sponsored night school program.
Jones rose from an entry-level laborer to a WS-14 Sheet Metal Mechanic Supervisor, overseeing 86 tradesmen. He deployed during Operation Desert Storm and helped process prisoners of war in Kuwait.
“I’d go away for six or eight months, come back and keep working,” he says.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Jones was at the Pentagon when the plane hit. He was responsible for accounting for his entire team that morning.
Through it all, Jones says “faith and work ethic carried me.”
Ruff’s journey started with a challenge. A Marine sergeant told him he couldn’t make it. Ruff enlisted to prove him wrong. He served six years in the Marine Corps, including time in Vietnam, then joined the Marine Reserves for two more years.
“The biggest challenge was relying on my training to survive in combat,” he says. “Discipline became instinct.”
He later joined the Army National Guard, where he served 27 years and attained the rank of sergeant. Ruff trained younger troops and says some returned to thank him years later.
“The military made me feel like I had done something that mattered,” he says.
In civilian life, Ruff worked in state hospital security, rising through the ranks and mentoring younger officers. He credits his military experience for the leadership skills he used throughout his career.
Both veterans say the discipline, resilience and camaraderie they found in the military stayed with them long after the uniforms came off.
“Take every opportunity to grow, whether it’s military education or civilian training,” Ruff says. “That’s how you advance.”