TOPEKA (KSNT) - E5 Specialist Carl Antes has quite a unique enlistment story. Growing up on a farm near Atchison with only one other person in his class, he was pretty isolated. That all changed in high school, when he met three lifelong friends: Bud, Phil and Ron. As the group was facing the draft, Uncle Sam made the first move. “Bud, he was drafted, but the rest of us wanted to be a little independent," Antes said, "so we wanted to tell them when we were gonna go. So we all enlisted at the same time.”  Antes' work experience set him up for a different track compared to the others.   Veteran Salute: Taking point and scouring tunnels in Vietnam “Having experience working with the Kansas Department of Transportation," Antes said, "by the way Phil was instrumental in getting me a job there in the Summer. Maybe my name on the alphabet was before his, so I got selected and didn’t have to go into the infantry.”  With the others assigned to the infantry, the four made their way over to Vietnam. Antes was put on a different task, building roads with the 554th Engineer Battalion. “Our mission was to get these convoys through from Saigon on up north, delivering all sorts of supplies as quickly as possible so they were not exposed to the enemy that much," he said. Driving a three-quarter-ton truck through swamp like conditions, Antes and his battalion pushed ahead, literally paving the way for Highway 1. “You went out there and you knew where you had left off the day before," Antes said, "you were lining up the road down the best part of the right of way to pick out where to pave, and also watching these convoys that were coming through all the time you had to get out of the way so they could get through. That was the most important part - for them to get through to those people.”  Veteran Salute: Getting one’s sea legs in Vietnam Serving at the same time overseas as his friends had its benefits, like occasionally bumping into each other. “It was my job to build the roads, and it was just a luxury to be able to connect with them periodically," Antes said. "For Ron just to show up, and then Phil to meet me. These guys I want to recognize and honor them for their service. All three of them are gone from Agent Orange.”  After their service ended, the four reunited once more - living together and finishing school at Emporia State University.