Ron Cepek, of Harmony, talks about his three voluntary military tours in Vietnam to a crowd Tuesday at the Cranberry Public Library as part of the History Roundtable Series.

CRANBERRY TWP — During his three tours in Vietnam, Ron Cepek's perception of war changed considerably. But he doesn't regret his time serving his country.

Cepek, a Harmony resident, spoke about his military experience to an audience of nearly 50 people Tuesday evening in the Cranberry Public Library during the latest session of the History Roundtable discussion series.

This was one of Cepek's first times talking to a public audience. In the past he has spoken to a classroom of students in school, where he is more comfortable.

“I enlisted in the Army to be a soldier … Anyone could be in the Army, but not everyone could be a soldier. I went over with a sense that this was an adventure,” Cepek said.

His time in the Army took him from Da Nang in the northern part of South Vietnam to Tây Ninh in the south and to neighboring Cambodia during the Cambodia Incursion.

During the question period one Seneca Valley student asked what advice Cepek had for a young person entering the military today.

“Just do the best you can. Try to always be proud of what you're doing. And if you have reason to question something, question it,” Cepek said. “And lead from the front.”

A full story appears in the Butler Eagle.