Today is Veterans Day, and we would like to honor those of us who have and continue to serve our country, we are sharing the stories of some of the veterans that are part of the Sani-Matic family in this series, “What it Means to Serve”.

What it means to serve — An interview with former Petty Officer Doug Turner

The USS Shenandoah (AD-44) was the last of the Yellowstone-class destroyer tenders. At 642 ft in length with and 27 ft draft and 85 ft beam, she displaced over 20,000 tons. Doug Turner served aboard the Shenandoah during his 8 years in the United States Navy. As a Petty Officer 3rd class, Doug was responsible for keeping the ship seaworthy and afloat during battle. It was during this time Doug learned and honed his skills as a welder and craftsman.

Doug made 3 deployments to the Mediterranean, spending over a year and a half overseas. He was able to visit several countries in Europe, including France, Spain, and Italy as well as Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. One of his favorite memories of his travels was visiting the Vatican, getting to experience the Pope leading a worship service, and marvel at the beauty of the gold mosaics, statues, and stained glass throughout the famed St. Peter’s square.

Doug’s father was a veteran of the Air Force, which instilled in him the desire and value of serving your country. As a veteran of the Cold War and Gulf War, Doug has a great appreciation for what it has taken to build and protect our way of life. In his words, “The best thing about serving is realizing that we live in the best country in the world….God Bless America!”

We thank Doug for his service, his sacrifices, and his continued support of our nation through the work he does every day at Sani-Matic to help our customers make safe food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products.

Thank you Doug, for your service.