DeKalb couple who serves together stays together

DeKALB – DeKalb residents Mike and Karen Giuliano not only served their country willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, but they also found love along the way.

It all started at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where Mike was teaching a traffic safety course.

Mike and Karen both recalled what it was like seeing one another for the first time.

“Mike was actually the instructor of that class, and I was a student in one of his classes,” Karen said. “That’s the first time I saw him.”

“First time I saw her, too,” Mike said. “She was pretty.”

Karen enlisted in 1978 and served until 1985. Mike enlisted in 1977 and retired in 1997.

Karen said that in retrospect, she knew it wouldn’t be long before their paths crossed in the Air Force.

“Come to find out, we both lived in the same dorm,” Karen said. “I lived on the third floor. He lived on the first floor. So we knew of each other, but we didn’t hang out together. We kind of traveled in different circles.”

Fast-forward to October 1979, when Mike and Karen both attended the same dorm Halloween party. They dressed in 1950s-era costumes.

Most of all, I’m proud that I got a beautiful wife and family. That’s the most important thing. But as far as the career goes, I’m happy with that. I miss it. … It was quite the ride, but it’s over, and it’s a different stage of life. So you’ve got to do something. We’re putting our time in here trying to help other veterans.”

—  Mike Giuliano

Karen recalled that she and Mike ended up talking to one another and made plans to go on a date.

“It was history from there,” Karen said.

Mike and Karen continued dating as their love for one another grew over the next couple of months.

By December the same year, they were engaged.

In June 1980, Mike and Karen were married in a small church reception in Matthews, Indiana.

The wedding venue at a United Methodist church served as a link joining Karen’s past to her future.

Karen came from Indiana growing up in the United Methodist Church, and Mike came from Illinois growing up in the Catholic Church.

The next day, the Giulianos had another reception in Chicago for Mike’s family and friends who couldn’t make it to Indiana for the wedding.

“We had a typical Italian reception,” Mike said. “We had a gay old time.”

The Giulianos almost were faced with a significant separation during their time in the Air Force, but things ultimately shook out in their favor.

Karen said that during their time in service, she and her husband rarely were away from each other for months at a time.

“I was in accounting and finance in the military,” Karen said. “His course of direction changed, and we were facing a separation. I did what was called a ‘palace chase move’ into the Reserves. I had to volunteer for what they call cross-training. So I’d be doing a different job from accounting and finance. I trained in air cargo. I loaded the aircraft, drove forklifts and built palettes.

“But other than that, I paid bills for the Air Force.”

The Giulianos wouldn’t always be that lucky, however.

Karen said it was a challenge when Mike was working overseas.

“You were called upon [for] long hours,” she said, talking to Mike. “You had to do what you needed to do. You let me be in charge of things at home. We were still a team under the same umbrella of authority. You were the top authority. But you trusted me to take care of the things at home. It was challenging when you were in Iceland. It was challenging when you were in Turkey. You were gone for three months.”

Mike said he is proud of what he accomplished during his time in the service as a fighter pilot.

“Most of all, I’m proud that I got a beautiful wife and family,” Mike said. “That’s the most important thing. But as far as the career goes, I’m happy with that.

“I miss it. … It was quite the ride, but it’s over, and it’s a different stage of life. So you’ve got to do something. We’re putting our time in here trying to help other veterans.”

Karen touted her ongoing work at American Legion Post 66 helping local veterans.

It’s there that Mike works as a chaplain, and Karen serves as one of the trustees.

“I am very involved,” Karen said. “I help make a lot of decisions. I am on one of the boards that, you will say, we run this place. We work very closely with the commander. … My husband and I are also on the honor guard. We do military funerals and honor those veterans that have passed. That’s a really big thing we do.”

In trying times, the Giulianos typically turn to their faith in Christianity for guidance. They currently attend church services at Kishwaukee Bible Church in Sycamore.

Mike said that the key to his and Karen’s marriage comes down to commitment.

“We said ‘I do’ that day, and we are,” he said.

Karen shared that sentiment.

“We’re a team,” she said. “It takes a lot of team work. He would be gone for long periods of time sometimes. I would be home with four kids. … It was harder to keep in touch with him. It was a trust on his part to know that I was handling things at home and that he didn’t have to worry about anything at home. We were a team, and we are a team.”

Karen acknowledged that it didn’t take long before she and Mike wed, but she said she’s happy to be celebrating 43 years of marriage and is looking forward to the years to come.

“There is truth in the saying ‘When you know, you know,” Karen said.