{"id":2504,"date":"2016-06-21T11:03:45","date_gmt":"2016-06-21T16:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/pressrelease\/?p=2504"},"modified":"2016-06-21T11:03:45","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T16:03:45","slug":"vietnam-veteran-serves-up-sandwiches-stories-at-hohenfels-subway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/pressrelease\/?p=2504","title":{"rendered":"Vietnam veteran serves up sandwiches, stories at Hohenfels Subway"},"content":{"rendered":"

USAG BAVARIA \u2013<\/b> Every day, Willie Alexander is in constant physical pain.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Yet the 74-year-old <\/span>reports for every shift at the Hohenfels Exchange Subway restaurant<\/span><\/a>, eager to serve and put smiles on the faces of the Soldiers and military families who eat there.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou get up in the morning, you look in the obituary column, and if you\u2019re not in there, you go to work,\u201d Alexander said. \u201cThat\u2019s my slogan. That\u2019s what keeps me going.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And Alexander has indeed kept going. The Vietnam veteran, who suffers from the effects of Agent Orange exposure sustained during the war, has not taken a day off in 15 years \u2013 his only missed shifts have been due to hospital stays.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s always here way before his shift starts,\u201d said Andrea Everette, area manager for Subway concessions. \u201cHe never calls out sick. I\u2019ve never see him in a bad mood. Even when he has pain in his leg or hip, he\u2019ll still come in smiling, with a kind word for everybody.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Born in 1941, Alexander joined the Army in 1964. After his first Vietnam deployment in 1968, he volunteered for a second tour in 1969. After retiring as a Sgt. 1st Class in 1984, Alexander opted to stay in Germany rather than return to the United States.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do it for the Soldiers,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m a military man, so any job I can get to keep me being around the Soldiers I\u2019ll love. The pay is not great, but even if it\u2019s just making a sandwich, I try to make a difference in those guys\u2019 lives.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A beloved figure at the Hohenfels Exchange, Alexander has earned the nickname \u201cMr. PX\u201d for his love of the Exchange, which he recalls as an ever-present source of relief in Vietnam.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciated being able to get into a town and there\u2019s an AAFES there,\u201d he said. \u201cThat kept me going. When you\u2019re out in the jungle, there\u2019s nothing but C-rations. AAFES had everything that would remind you of home. You could buy a TV or a record player and take it back to your little hutch.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander\u2019s patronage of the Exchange continues to this day, with electronics and movies among his favorite products. Kicking back after work and watching a movie, he said, takes his mind off the pain.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter what road the military sends you down, look back and the Exchange is behind you,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s my belief.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And while his time in battle and the effects of Agent Orange exposure have left both physical and emotional scars, Alexander is never afraid to share stories with Soldiers eager to learn about the experiences of prior generations\u2019 warfighters.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of guys don\u2019t like to talk about it,\u201d Alexander said. \u201cbut if you hold it in it\u2019s going to get next to you, so I do.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Everette said Alexander is so beloved customers often ask for him when he\u2019s not there, and his co-workers care for him like a relative, frequently checking in with him at his home to make sure he\u2019s OK.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWillie is just such a nice person,\u201d she said. \u201cIn the summertime, when he comes in to work a late shift, he stops at the Express and brings ice cream for the girls here. When he\u2019s here in the store, he\u2019ll buy cookies for us.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just that type of person.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

— 30 —<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service goes where Soldiers, Airmen and their families go to improve the quality of their lives through goods and services provided. Exchange earnings provide dividends to support military morale, welfare and recreation programs. The Exchange is part of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors, responsible to the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force through the Chiefs of Staff.\u00a0 To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at <\/span>http:\/\/www.aafes.com\/about-exchange\/public-affairs\/press-releases.htm<\/span><\/a> or follow us on Twitter at <\/span>https:\/\/twitter.com\/ExchangePAO<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Media Notes:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Conner Hammett, 214-312-2714 or <\/span>hammettc@aafes.com<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\t

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