The military has shaped Crystal Lake woman’s life, from meeting her husband to inspiring her philanthropy

Crystal Lake resident Donna Vestal has made her mark in the community, from contributing to the renovations of the Dole Mansion to helping Fox River Grove-based Girl’s Got Balls food truck get back on its feet after a fire destroyed their business.

“I didn’t have much growing up,” she said. “I just believe in helping where I can help. It’s just one of my quirks.”

Her history of supporting the community through donations and volunteering goes back decades at places like the Raue Center for the Arts and On Angel’s Wings Pet Rescue and Thrift Store.

Serving in the military helped shape her values of giving back and contributing to the community grow stronger, she said.

“It doesn’t cost a thing to be nice,” she said.

Her time in the military also shaped her life: Leaving her native Georgia in the late 1950s to enlist led her to meet her future husband shortly after he returned from serving in Korea – a fateful turn that would extend a multi-generational tradition of military service.

Vestal served as a secretary for the assistant commander of the Navy through the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or WAVES, from 1957 to 1961. She was one of the first WAVE members to work for Naval control and shipping, she said. She loved her experience and strongly believes everyone should serve in some way.

“It was interesting. I think everybody should go. I really do,” she said, “so they can mature.”

Vestal comes from an extensive lineage of military service: her husband, children, uncles and countless other relatives have all served. The tradition continues as her grandson recently entered the Air Force. Her daughter Dana Vestal served in the Air Force both on active duty and in the Reserves for 24 years.

“I don’t know if that’s a DNA thing or not, to tell you the truth,” Dana Vestal said.

Donna Vestal entered the Navy right after high school, wanting to experience life beyond her hometown. She was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, where her future husband ran a bar just outside the station. Joe Vestal, who died in 2020, served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. After moving around the country, they finally settled in Crystal Lake, when Joe started working for Motorola.

Dana, one of their three children, also had the same desire to get away right after high school. She enlisted as a high school senior and started in 1988. At first, Dana wanted to be a Marine like her father but would get seasick. Women were still not allowed to fight in combat in the Army, so she chose to serve in the Air Force.

Dana said she’d imagined the military in her future “since I was in preschool, kindergarten, first grade,” she said. TV shows like “M*A*S*H” and “Combat!” were big influences.

“I never had any inclination to do the college thing. Don’t ask me why, that was just me,” she said.

Dana’s time in the military included a stint as an aircraft mechanic in England and then she flew planes in Washington, California and Georgia.

“I just wanted to get away and I did that,” she said.

Her mother said serving as a woman when she did was “not like it is today.” She was stuck on the base. Decades later, her daughter would jump out of planes and go through vigorous training. During Donna’s service, the women wore only two uniforms: A white dress or a navy wool skirt suit.

“Wearing the same clothes for three years, I did not want to keep anything, and I should have,” she said.

There are plenty of heirlooms and antiques that Donna has kept over the years, including an issue of the Navy Guide, put out on her base, for which she was the cover model. She also has the hat she wore at her wedding and plenty of photos and documents she collected throughout her service. Donna’s friends jokingly call her home “the museum,” she said. She still to this day keeps in contact with two women veterans she served with on the base.

Dana now works for aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and lives in Maryland. Similar to her mom, she hopes younger generations serve in the military to get a career and learn vocational skills.

“I wouldn’t change anything,” she said. “I’d do it again.”