Imagine signing the papers, the suspense building each day. When will you leave for basic training? You’re excited but nervous. The day arrives, and your excitement turns to dread.
Time to get off the cattle truck at basic. Drill sergeants scream in your face. You start to regret it, but remember, you chose this.
Thomas Myers wanted to become an Army soldier.
DAHS art teacher, Mr. Myers, enlisted in the Army on March 16, 1986.
The day he arrived at boot camp was a completely new experience. He wasn’t used to this lifestyle, but they enforced the rules very sternly as soon as he arrived.
“One of the scariest moments was getting off the cattle truck at basic for the first time, and drill sergeants were all in your face. It was physically demanding, and every minute of the day was structured,” Myers said.
Myers was at Fort Sill, in Oklahoma, for basic training. His experience in boot camp was very different from the civilian world.
He had to deal with all the mentally draining, exhausting exercises. For example, he had to do lots of running, push-ups, stress tests, rucking, and team-building activities.
“Basic and AIT, I served in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I spent the next three years in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii,”
He went to Japan, Korea, California, and the Big Island of Hawaii for training.
Myers was lucky that his battalion never deployed overseas because keeping in contact with family and friends would have been difficult.
“Our tour ended right before Desert Storm in 1990 started. We did go to Japan, Korea, California, and the Big Island of Hawaii for training,” Myers said.
Myers got lucky that his deployment ended before the Gulf War, which is also known as Desert Storm; he served his time and is proud.
One of the best feelings was receiving care packages and letters when he was deployed. He loved looking at the things he received from home because he had been gone for three and a half years.
“I had a core group of soldiers with whom we spent time together. One, in particular, was a Cajun boy, from New Orleans. His nickname was Gator, 6’3”, 230lbs. Great guy. Blake Ronk from Oklahoma.”
Fast forward to after Myers’ time serving, and he is now an art teacher at Dallastown Area High School.
He has been teaching for 30 years; his first four years were at Central, and then he switched to Dallastown for the last 26 years.
“I have taught Art Fundamentals, Art Major I, Drawing I, Painting I, Sculpture I and II, Ceramics, Graphic Design I and II.”
It’s hard for Myers to choose a favorite class, but his favorite types of art vary. He enjoys graphic design, junk sculpture, spray painting, non-traditional materials to paint with, and non-representational paintings.
“My husband was in the Air Force, so when Tom is talking about the military, I can understand mostly what he’s saying,” Kohler said.
So what sparked his interest in the arts? The military is actually what led to it.
He gave many presentations about artillery to dignitaries, such as generals. He also painted a couple of large murals. And that is exactly where his interest in the arts started.
He liked to draw all his life, but started to think deeper about it, and thought he could make a living from art.
Once he went to art school, he realized I loved helping and teaching people.
“My impression of him has been the same since the beginning; he’s always agreed to my ideas and super supportive and encouraging,” Kohler said.
Myers’ story is more than a journey from soldier to teacher, it’s a powerful reminder that purpose can be found in the most unexpected places.
What began wth fear and uncertainty on the steps of the cattle truck became a path of strength, connection, and creativity.
The Army taught him discipline but unlocked a deeper passion that would guide him for the rest of his life.
Now in his art classrooms, he shares that passion with every student he meets, proving that even after the battlefield, there’s still a place to serve, to inspire, and to create something meaningful.
