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Show Feature SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY MAY 29, 1996 Welcome home By Barbara Pyles nia. Zullo took a job as a Research Biologist for the City of Daylight was fading as nel Dawna Zullos truck cruised Hope in Duarte, CA. down the road in the direction of Drawn to make a career Kanab. She had spent the day change, she attended the discovering some of the worlds Sheriff s Academy and served as most scenic wonders. Suddenly a Deputy Sheriff for Los Angeles a huge billboard filled the sky. It County. According to Zullo, she said: Welcome Home Dawna. was one tough cop. The young woman managed a In 1973, at the age of 32, the low, drawn out wow. She was adventurous Zullo made her bighappy in the military, and retir- gest career change, and by doing ing was the farthest thing from so she joined an exclusive club. her mind. Whats going on This first-rat- e lady joined the Womens Army Corps, but she here? she said. A year later Zullos destina- did not act on an impulse. She tion was Kanab. There was had always been enforcement. Dursomething about the area that and pro-ladrew her back. She saw a bigger ing the bedlam of Vietnam, unbillboard in the sky, and had a like many others, she supported real feeling of belonging. The those who went off to fight a colonel was hooked. She re- war. As a child when she saluted turned to Los Angeles and made the to Zullo retire. flag that stood for liberty arrangements and arrived back in Kanab March justice for all, joining the 18, 1996. She had finally come service lay dormant in the back of her mind. What really motiborne. About the Army, she said, For vated Zullo to join the Army was 22 years it has been a wonderful a strong sense of patriotism. My marriage. The Army has been family came here with nothing, good to me, and I have been good and had the chance to make to the Army. But Zullo was something of themselves. I reready to strike out in a new ally felt we hadnt given anydirection. It was time to follow thing back. Our family had a debt to pay. my bliss, she said. At first, going into the service Zullo, the daughter of immiPittsin born was put a wedge between Zullo and grant parents, Cathoher and attended parents. However, with the burgh, PA, lic school. (Later, the family passing of time, they became moved to Los Angeles. ) She loved her biggest fans. Because of her scholarly backanimals and at one time wanted to be a veterinarian. Her par- ground and experience as a suents wanted her to be a tradi- pervisor, Zullo received a direct tional Italian woman with lots commission as a First Lieutenof babies. Zullo wanted some- ant. (In 1982, while in the Army, thing different, and made choices she earned an MA in Education from the University of that changed her life forever. Her three sisters married by Southern California.) When the Army dissolved the the age of 18, and went right into the gestation period. When Womens Army Corps, the Army Zullo left the nest, she went to integrated the women into stancollege and earned a degree in dard, but noncombat, army Animal Husbandry from New units. When asked to choose a Uexico State University. She branch, Zullo chose Military Inalso secured a masters degree telligence Military Police. Durin Daily Husbandry from the ing her 1 1 months of specialized University of Illinois. After col- training, she was the only lege there werent many oppor- woman in school. Zullo was soon to find out that tunities in animal husbandly for women, particularly in Califor a job in Military Intelligence was Colo- pro-militar- y, w Oawima of utmost importance. She would spend most of her career fighting a silent war- - collecting, analyzing, and interpreting intelli- gence data. The Lieutenants first assignment was in South Carolina. She was the Special Agent in Charge of the Fort Jackson Resident Office for Military Intelligence. According to Zullo, in those days, e it was all with some counter-espionagand a lot of background investigating. For example, the office would get leads...anonymous phone calls or letters. Maybe a soldier was living way beyond his or her means, overloaded with gambling debts, or having an affair. This made them vulnerable to blackmail by the Soviet Union. Zullo would launch an investigation to see if espionage was occurring. "To make a conviction, especially today, you really need an 8x10 glossy and a soundtrack, she says. An espionage case very often would persist through more than one tour of duty. One person would do the ground work and simply go through a zillion years of bank records... I still think ofit as an enormous puzzle. Many people are working on the puzzle. My portion of the puzzle may not seem important to me, but its not my call. Usually when the pieces of the puzzle came together, the whole picture was revealed and Zullo would say, Wow, I had a part in counter-intelligenc- e, this. She also served in Intelligence Collection in Berlin. According to Zullo, intelligence collection falls into severed groups: human intelligence, signeds and photographic intelligence, and radio interception. Not only did Zullo serve the Army honorably as a Military Intelligence officer, she edso conducted training for military and civilian personnel, including FBI, CIA and all branches of the service. She has prepared briefings for General Officers, Members of Congress and the White Centaur HTP Fence Safe Special-t-ee Strong Cosy to maintain Affordable Offers the appeal ,ST of traditional fencing ""I CUSTOM AND CASUAL CLOTHING TEAMS, CLUBS FAMILY & CLASS REUNIONS RETAIL Centaur Stop and inquire at the Brett Bunting residence 174 W 100 N in Kanab or or call 801-644-212- 4. MAIL ORDER 183 S. 100 EAST KANAB, UT 84741 801) 644-34- 97 p After 22 years in the Army, Colonel Dawna Zullo retired and moved to Kanab. She brought her cat Roadblock with her. Photo by Barbara Pyles. House. Other duties have included supervisory responsibilities for upwards of 150 personnel. She has been responsible for budget preparation involving millions of dollars for personnel and equipment. Los Angeles AFB was her most recent tour of duty. Again Zullo worked in intelligence. Because she fought a silent and said Tm going to like this. And what about sexual harassment in the Army? Sexual harassment was certainly prevalent, says Zullo. It was worse then, because men knew they could get away with it. Today women are better educated about knowing how to make a complaint and how to make it stick. Commanders are alert to the problems, and rewarded for cleaning out their garbage. In the old days sexual harassment complaints were suppressed. Zullo admitted that at one point she had to blow the whistle. Her attorney said the worst thing she could do was win the case, which she easily did. Her reply, Its time to fall on my sword. She acknowledged that winning cost her promotions. It was a matter of dignity, stopping this man. I knew the cost and it was worth every penny. Zullo spoke in favor of women in combat and the drafting of women. We also have the right to die for our country ifwe choose to, she says. "The rigorous entrance examinations, intellectual, emotional and physical, should be applied across the board. So if a woman chooses to serve in the full capacity as a service member and has the abil- war, there are many incidents and places she cant and wont talk about. The habits of secrecy are strong. During her career, polygraphs were routine. I didnt mind them. They were fascinating, she said. Zullo has many memories she can talk about. The evil Berlin Wall is one. She remembers it as vividly as if it were yesterday. Die Mauer was fashioned of cement, reinforced by steel rods, and topped with barbed wire. (The barbed wire was later replaced with huge cylinders.) Its height varied from 5 or 6 feet to more than 20. (The unsightly structure divided Germany for about twenty-eigyears.) Durtour in Zullos Berlin, the ing wall was seldom out of sight and never out of her mind. In her own words, there were lights, people, traffic and then there was the wall ...and the world seem to stop dead. During ity, she should be allowed to, the day there were the vivid col- and certainly the draft should ors in the West and drab colors apply to alL in the East. Zullo continued, Zullo, always poised and in when I left Berlin, I would have charge, did not live your averput it in cement that the wall age Army life. While in the Army, would never come down. When she held many civilian jobs. They it did, I made an effort to go back range from an aerobic instructo see what it was like. tor, to editor of a magazine, from On the light side: During a working in retail sales, to mangolf classic in Berlin, I was re- aging a warehouse, and running sponsible for the security of a restaurant. Arnold Palmer. He knew a MaTime sure did whiz by and be would Zullo after life has taken her places Zullos looking jor him. It never dawned on Palmer she thought she would never go. that it might be a female, she Today, Zullo and her beloved says. After the introductions, cat. Roadblock, are living in the gracious gentleman. Palmer Kanab and loving it. This is a gave me the most beautiful smile whole new life for me, she Said. ht |