By John Montesano
The April 2022 Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club Herschel Luckinbill Veteran of the Month is Ted Clinnin.
Ted was born January 21, 1947 and grew up in Summit, a southwest suburb of Chicago. At Argo High School, he participated in football, cross country, swimming, and tennis. After graduating from Argo in 1965, he attended Northern Illinois University for two years and enlisted in the Marines August 27, 1967. In December 1967, following his combat training, he flew out of MCAS El Toro, Calif. with 250 Marines on a jumbo jet for Vietnam. The stewardesses treated them extremely well. However, Ted said he will never forget getting off the plane at Kadina AB, Okinawa, Japan. “You’re rather somber when you get off the plane and then the s**t happens. You are muscled on buses, destination Camp Hansen, Okinawa.”
Although most of the Marines were sent to the staging battalion for Vietnam, Ted went to HQs Bn, 3rd FSR, Casualty Admin Section, as an inventory management specialist. He handled the admin for Vietnam casualties. Two casualties he sent home were high school classmates. He twice volunteered to go to ‘Nam because he felt he was missing his part as a Marine and his job was depressing. He was never sent. In December 1969, he flew back to Pomona, Calif. and was mustered out of the Marines. He flew back to O’Hare Airport in Chicago in uniform. Again, the stewardesses treated the Marines like gold, although the passengers on the plane wouldn’t talk to them. He was confronted at O’Hare by a physically beautiful, long-haired, bell-bottom-wearing, baby-carrying woman, who spit in his face and called him a killer. That was his welcome home.
He was a bouncer/bartender at Butch McGuire’s in Chicago for 1.5 years. In June 1971 he attended Western Illinois University in Macomb. Ted was president of the WIU Veterans Club. In the club, were the Peach Blossoms: Marines dressed in combat boots, green military socks, purple skirts, and grey sweatshirts with names such as Peachy and Chastity, with red wigs and a toilet plunger for a baton, used for drinks. Ted would hire them to usher at home football and basketball games, wearing gold blazers and purple WIU insignias added to their already colorful attire.
In 1972, he was awarded a bachelor of science in physical education, with minors in U.S. history and law enforcement administration. After WIU, for eight years, he taught physical education and history, and coached varsity swimming at Argo High School; taught elementary school in the morning; and drove 18 wheelers in the Summer.
In 1980, Ted started working for Certified Grocers Midwest. He started as superintendent in the warehouse division, teaching drivers and warehouse personnel. He wrote the standard operational procedures manuals, used as guides for teaching and supervisors. In 1981, he was made vice president of Human Resources (H.R.) In 2001, Ted went to work as senior H.R. manager for Fed Ex National. He had 10 regional H.R. managers, payroll, and benefits, reporting to him. He retired in 2011.
Ted traveled extensively to Europe when at Certified Grocers. He called one trip starting in Italy with his son, Andy, 16 years old, the “G string trip.” Andy brought his new guitar but broke the G string in Italy .“So here we’re going all through Europe going places, ‘(asking) got a G string?’” They found one in Greece.
Speaking of his veteran experience: “I was proud to be in the Marine Corp, that is key. I worry about everybody because of what I did. I was glad to come home, proud to be a Marine, and proud of our country, other than our politicians’ giving up on us.”