JOPLIN, Mo. (NEXSTAR) - Inspired by his father, a World War II pilot, Doug Lawson joined the Navy Reserve during the Vietnam War era and was sent overseas in 1969. "You know, my father was a B-25 pilot in World War Two," Lawson said during a recent interview. Lawson came of age as the Vietnam War unfolded, and realized he too was destined for military service. "There was a war going on, there was a draft, and I recognized that I was probably going to go sooner or later," he recalled. "I had friends who were members of the Naval Reserve, and I joined the Navy Reserve."After returning home, he pursued a divinity degree and embarked on a career as a Navy chaplain. Lawson's career would force him to relocate numerous times, including assignments in Hawaii, Camp Pendleton, California, and Sigonella, Sicily. He also served at the Navy hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Although primarily stationed on land, Lawson served aboard the USS William H Stanley and the USS Kitty Hawk, where he made emotional connections with his work. "I had 50 sailors who were new fathers, who had not seen their children. So when we pulled into port, they were the first ones off, you know, which was just an amazing thing," Lawson recalled. "You know, some people don't realize that life goes on, even when the ship's at sea." After retiring from the Navy, Lawson returned to Joplin, where he taught and worked as a part-time hospital chaplain. He has also served on the city council, including a term as mayor. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published