Colonel Forrest R. Newton, US Army

Col. Forrest R. Newton. (Click image to enlarge)

Colonel Forrest R. Newton, US Army, is not your typical Active Duty solider. He has called nine presidents his Commander in Chief, worn a U.S. military uniform in each of the last six decades with both the Marines and Army, and is one of the last few remaining Active Duty military members with service in the Vietnam War.

Standing statuesquely with broad shoulders and a deep voice, Col. Newton was born in Detroit into a long lineage of auto industry workers and military servicemen dating as far back as the Battle of Gettysburg. Of his childhood, he reflected that "the only thing that was talked about was join the military, do your time, come to work in the factory."

Col. Newton, however, has gone far beyond 'doing his time.' He has distinguished himself in each phase of his military career, beginning with his service in the Que Son Valley of Vietnam, where he survived two injuries and bravely served under then-platoon leader, now former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Peter Pace. Since that time, he has carried out missions in Korea, Iraq, Kuwait, Haiti, and stateside challenges such as Hurricane Andrew in 1992.