JOPLIN, Mo. (NEXSTAR) - Inspired by his father, a World War II pilot, Doug Lawson joined the Navy Reserve during the Vietnam War era and was sent overseas in 1969.

"You know, my father was a B-25 pilot in World War Two," Lawson said during a recent interview. Lawson came of age as the Vietnam War unfolded, and realized he too was destined for military service. "There was a war going on, there was a draft, and I recognized that I was probably going to go sooner or later," he recalled. "I had friends who were members of the Naval Reserve, and I joined the Navy Reserve." After returning home, he pursued a divinity degree and embarked on a career as a Navy chaplain.

Lawson's career would force him to relocate numerous times, including assignments in Hawaii, Camp Pendleton, California, and Si

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