Veteran Salute: Training for desert combat around the country

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Living in the little apple for over four decades now, Army Veteran Ida Ditto prepared the next wave of service members for desert combat ahead of conflict in the middle east.

When she was about to hit 30-years-old, Ditto signed up for the military after being inspired by a service member she admired.

“I was talking with a friend of mine and she had recently gone through basic training," Ditto said, "I liked what I heard, and was thinking maybe I should do that. I had two children at that time, and I could use a little extra income too.”

Her duty with the Army sent her to trainings across Washington and Texas in all kinds of desert locations.

“My duty at that time was what they call 0-5 Charlie, which was basically Radio Teletype Operator," She said. "So when they would radio to us that they had an incoming chopper with casualties my job was to pass that along you know on the teletype and be ready for them when they came in.”

Transferring that vital information accurately and succinctly across units was essential on the battlefield.

“When you in a military combat, two of the areas they try to take out is your hospital and your communication," Ditto said. "I was in both of those, working out of the hospital and then being military for communications. I knew that we’d be some of the front people that they would try to take out."

Unexpectedly put into a leadership position within her unit as a Squad Leader, the Army veteran exceeded expectations, receiving a medal of achievement for her work and instruction.

“When they called me up and the Major was saying that I had performed well enough, and that the Major that was in charge at that time was very impressed with the way that I worked," She said. "When they awarded me the medal, I was kind of like one to open my mouth going wow.”

Originally form South Carolina and Tennessee, Ditto married a fellow servicemember and the pair transferred to Manhattan following his return from Korea. She fell in love with the little apple community, and has called the sunflower state home ever since.