FRANKLINTWP — William Molczan, 82, served in the Marines during World War II and became a Pennsylvania state trooper after returning home.

"I think it's a natural transition from the military to the police,"he said. "Both are very disciplined."

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Molczan said, the state police had at least a 50 percent enlistment of World War II veterans, whatever their reasons may have been.

As time takes its toll on these retired veterans, their numbers diminish. Ten remain who made their careers in the division of the state police known as Troop D, the section that includes the Butler headquarters and satellite locations in Beaver, Lawrence, Mercer, and Armstrong counties.

The veterans meet with other Troop D retirees the second Wednesday of each month at Michael's Restaurant on New Castle Road. They keep in touch with one another, discussing current events and swapping old stories. The men all agree it's the fellowship that keeps them coming back, despite their ages.

"We're all in our 80s at least," William O'Brien said. "But we really enjoy seeing each other and talking. In the barracks, we were like a family because you ate there, slept there, and everything else. If you weren't on duty, you were in the barracks."

O'Brien, 89, of New Castle became a state trooper in 1945 after serving for more than three years in the Air Force. He was also a trooper before the war, completing 37 years of service in all.

"Ihad an admiration for the job and the people who did it," he said.

William Balchunas, 87, of Kittanning, echoes O'Brien's sentiments.

"Iliked the discipline of the state police," he said. "The structure was like the military was."

Balchunas was enlisted in the Navy and was serving as a radio/gunner in Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attacks. He said he woke up to the sounds of gunfire and windows shattering at the barracks. Had he been working in the hangar at the time, he said he wouldn't be here.

He worked for 28 years as a state trooper, with 12 of them as a detective in Armstrong County.

Nick Skillman, 83, transferred skills gained during his Air Force service to his service in the state police. Having served as a mechanic specializing in hydraulics and propellers and later teaching school for those same skills, he became an aviation investigator for the state police, investigating crashes among other things during his 38 years.

He admits it was "dumb luck" that he found himself enlisted in the state police. A friend of his was already a trooper and suggested he take the tests.

John R. Holoman, 84, of New Castle, also worked in the crime division of the state police, retiring as a sergeant with 34 years of service.Like Molczan, he served in the Marines.

Holoman said in his time, troopers were always at the barracks, which isn't the case today. He pointed out it was also common for troopers to serve in many different locales then.

Relocation is something Bert Korieth of Mount Chestnut is familiar with, having served in all of Troop D's substations during his nearly 30 years of service.

"I relocated every six months," he said. "It was like clockwork. That's just the way it was back then."

Korieth, 84, served in the Air Force as a forward observer, directing air support before an injury from shrapnel forced him into an early discharge from the service.

Korieth also worked in criminal investigation, and also gave driver's exams and served as a fire marshal for the state police.

He said while the state police offers a newsletter and hosts periodic meetings, the meetings these gentlemen take part in are the best way to keep in touch.

All the men agree they enjoy getting together, talking about old times and keeping in touch with one another.

The meetings are available to all Troop D retirees. But members of this group share an additional bond, having served in World War II.

The men talk about the differences in police work with some of the younger retirees who attend, many of whom are veterans of the Korean War and Vietnam. They talk about differences in today's state police force compared to the force in the past. Molczan points out that former servicemen continue to become state troopers today, and will likely continue.

Although service to the state police ended for each member of this group at the age of 60, their service to each other also shows no signs of stopping.