Title

Oral Histroy with Ann Hoshal

Creation Date

February 12 2026

Description

Ann Hoshal was an Army National Guard reservist. Joining the Army in 1995, she completed her training at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland for Heavy Vehicle Repair. She then joined the 109th Light Equipment Maintenance Company, or LEM, stationed in Duluth, Minnesota. After her initial battalion was disbanded, she transferred to the 134th Forward Support Battalion.
During her service, she worked on tanks such as the M1 Abrams, specializing in laser‑targeting systems and heavy‑weapons operation. She also earned certification on the M2 Browning .50‑caliber machine gun.
In 2005, she deployed to Iraq, serving in Baghdad as a truck commander on a convoy. During one mission, she manned the .50‑caliber machine gun because the assigned gunner had fallen ill.
She eventually became a Staff Sergeant but chose to give up her rank to avoid being deployed a second time. After a difficult divorce and financial strain, she rejoined the military, but ultimately left the service through retirement in 2015, completing over 20 years in the National Guard.