Aubrey Palmer was a Vietnam-era farm boy from Washington when he decided that instead of waiting for his draft number to come up he would raise his hand and volunteer for the U.S. Air Force. He enlisted with a friend on the buddy system and left for basic training in November 1970. Palmer went into the air cargo career field after basic training and despite begging to go to Vietnam, was stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington, not far from where he grew up. Taking advantage of his time stateside, Palmer earned his staff sergeant stripes and credited his success to the mentorship he received from his leaders. Palmer separated from the Air Force in 1974 to go back to school. He then worked for Jefferson County, Washington, as an engineer for the next 26 years. Palmer now operates his own farm raising livestock and his grandkids.