Want to sneak off at night? The U.S. Navy company commanders pointed out the hole in the fence at Great Lakes Naval Station.

Jason Donahue of Mendota remembered being flabbergasted when he and his fellow Navy recruits were shown how to make a getaway. But the chiefs had a pretty sound reason for giving the enlisted troops an out.

“Because they didn’t like paperwork,” Donahue said. “They told us, ‘If you’re going to do it right, you do it this way.’”

There were plenty of days in basic training – and many nights aboard the USS Caron – when Donahue wondered exactly what he’d gotten himself into when he signed with Uncle Sam. But by the time he completed active duty in 1995, Jason Donahue was a proud Navy man and somebody who’d never take his freedoms for granted again.

“The one thing I specifically remember is how blessed we are as Americans,” he said. “We take a lot for granted.

“I’ve been to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and in the Arabic world, and the freedom of speech isn’t there. So you came to really appreciate the freedom, but also the price that we have to pay for it.”

He’s proud to have served Uncle Sam and that has permeated into his long stint at the Mendota VFW Post 4079, where he just finished a term as post commander.

But military service wasn’t something Donahue hadn’t grown up dreaming about. It merely seemed like a good option after his girlfriend at Mendota High School delivered big news. Surprise news. Donahue was just 16 years old but got no sympathy from his father, who told him to find a way to support his new family – and fast.

Seeking a way to feed his new family, Donahue contacted several recruiters. The Navy got back to him first. Comically, the Army recruiter never called while the Marine Corps recruiter kept phoning even after he’d completed basic training at Great Lakes.

Or at least it seemed comical at the time. Operation Desert Storm was gearing up and Donahue now thanks his lucky stars that he was aboard a ship in the Persian Gulf rather than camped out in Iraq where the physical dangers were even closer at hand. Otherwise bright, sunny days were rendered pitch-black by the heavy smoke from the burning oil wells – and that was only one of the environmental hazards.

“I wasn’t a very religious man at the time,” he said. “But, you know, I think God moves you in certain directions, even when you don’t know it.”

As it was, he and his shipmates saw plenty of action aboard the Caron. One of Donahue’s duties was launching Tomahawk missiles and patrolling the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. While in the Gulf, the waters were littered with mines the Iraqis had placed in the Caron’s patrolling area.

“We saw first-hand the devastation of the mines when steaming past the Tripoli,” he said. “You might have a month of boredom and five minutes of, ‘What are we in?’”

The young husband and father grew up fast, though his division officer at the time said Donahue hit the ground running.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Neil Drumheller, U.S. Navy (retired) said Donahue boarded the Caron shortly before the ship was deployed in December 1990 in Operation Desert Shield – soon Operation Desert Storm when, in January, combat operations were commenced.

It was a hectic time – the crew of the Caron earned commendations because there was no more than two hours’ down time at any point during the conflict – and Donahue distinguished himself.

“Jason fit right in,” Drumheller said. “He was a good technician. He had a good attitude and all the guys liked him.”

Donahue reveled in the camaraderie of the Navy but also learned to deal square-jawed with the rigors of military life.

“We don’t have the freedoms that the people back home do,” Donahue said “You know, we can’t just quit our job. We’re stuck there. We’d face court martial or, if you’re out to sea, you’d have to swim home.

“You can’t can’t walk away from bad situations. You just got to suck it up and make the best of the situation.”

Phil Harth of Mendota, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, was a schoolmate of Donahue’s in grade school and a teammate in Little League – they reconnected years later through the VFW – and he wasn’t surprised at how openly Donahue speaks of his wartime experiences.

“He’s always been a cool-cat guy,” Harth said. “He’s always been a level-headed guy and good under fire. He just never got shook about anything.”

Donahue’s enlistment ran out in August 1995 but he served another six years in the reserves and returned to his native Mendota. Today, the 53-year-old is remarried and working at James Hardie Building Products in Peru.

Military service has become something of a family tradition. Shayne, the son from his first marriage, professed no interest in a military career but two of his daughters all did.

Eldest daughter Cera and her husband, Jovany, both are active duty in the U.S. Army. Cera is in human resources and Jovany is with the military police.

Middle daughter Halie was medically retired from the Army following an after-hours sports injury. Her husband, Nick Jones, is a military police officer stationed in Fort Leavenworth. Youngest daughter, Rubi, remains at home in Mendota.

“I always encourage them to join the military and it was always, ‘We ain’t going to join,’” he laughed. “And then one day, my oldest daughter decided she’s joining the Army.”

Bill Hunt, past commander of the VFW Post, wasn’t surprised by the effect Donahue had on his children, insofar as he has a knack for reaching out to fellow veterans, too.

Donahue’s sincerity and openness are infections and helped build VFW membership back up after the pandemic, which hurt all social clubs.

“Jason has the type of personality that allows him to interact with all generations of veterans,” Hunt said. “Veterans in general are closed off with regard to our service. Jason is atypical: He’s open, honest and shares his experience.

“Jason is genuine. A good man who cares about his community and fellow veterans.”