Our Veteran's Stories

BLS '67 - Proud of our veterans yesterday, today and tomorrow!!

Here are the stories of those who served

We asked the veterans in our class to share their service experience by answering these questions:

1.  DID YOU ENLIST OR WERE YOU DRAFTED?

2. WHAT BRANCH OF SERVICE WERE YOU IN?

3. WHAT WAS YOUR MOS?

4. WHERE DID YOU TAKE BASIC TRAINING?

5. WHERE WERE YOU STATIONED?

6. WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY OF YOUR SERVICE? 

7. WHAT WAS YOUR RANK?

8. DID YOU RECEIVE ANY SPECIAL TRAINING?

Our classmate DANNY COLE had years of service to our country and his journey is outlined below:

1:   I enlisted
2:   Navy
3:   Navy has no MOS     I was a Yeoman
4:   Great Lakes, IL
5:   Norfolk, Va,   Greensboro, NC,  Atlanta, Ga,  Ft Jackson, Sc
6:   My first duty station as an E-2 was on a Flag Command (2 Star Adm)  that reported to NASA.   We equipped ships to recover Manned Space Crafts that came down in the Atlantic.   After working for an Admiral, I knew that was where to be.  From there, I have worked under or for 7 different Admirals.  Most I call by first name.
7:   YN1  (E-6)  Seabee Combat Badge
8:   Confidential Material Handling/Communications Supervisor (Desert Storm)
4+ Years Active duty and 20 years Reserve.    20 years with the Seabees

Our classmate TOMMY BURNETTE shared his story with us. 

"I enlisted us navy seabees. deployed christmas eve dec 24 1968 thru1969. mechanic. petty officer second class E5. never saw a boat, never turned a wrench. travel extensively around danang, phu bia, hue vietnam. trained gulfport ms. stationed davisville ri. special training? i learned to kill. remorses, im responsible for my best friends death. i didnt listen when they told me to not make friends, just aquaintances. now i have only the latter. im old now, quiet, and only dangerous if you try to hurt me. i hope for 2 things. #1 is that my other hand doesnt fill up first. #2 im still hoping to run across a couple of bullys from smith high school. watching, waiting."

Our classmate PERRY HOLLEMAN shared his story with us.

1.  DID YOU ENLIST OR WERE YOU DRAFTED?  Drafted out of college

2. WHAT BRANCH OF SERVICE WERE YOU IN?  Army

3. WHAT WAS YOUR MOS?  MS-56 Chaplain's Assistant 

4. WHERE DID YOU TAKE BASIC TRAINING?  Fort Jackson, SC

5. WHERE WERE YOU STATIONED?

Darnall Army Hospital Chaplain's Office.    Fort Hood, Texas

6. WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY OF YOUR SERVICE?  Lots of friends from the hospital and Red Cross staff

7. WHAT WAS YOUR RANK?  E-4

8. DID YOU RECEIVE ANY SPECIAL TRAINING?  None outside my MOS

 

Perry Holleman

Our classmate JAY MELVIN shared his story with us. 

Enlisted in the Air Force in '68.  Had a draft notice but decided that, other than British Racing Green on a TR-4, I really didn't care for the color green.

Having said that, I got talked into joining the Army National Guard in '84. Kind of a challenge from a friend. Total time in the military was around 12 years. 

AF Specialty. 81150.  Security Police Dog Handler.  Army MOS 31N20. Communications. 

Basic training.  Texas.

Where stationed.  Too many places to list.  Favorite?  Athens Greece.  Beautiful beaches, good food, wine and beer, interesting city, and pretty girls. what more could a young dude from BLS ask for?

Best memory. Time spent with my dogs.  They, unlike some friends, never got me in trouble.

Rank. E-5.

Special training. Military police, dogs and communications.

"All gave some....some gave all"  Thanks fellow Vets!

Jay Melvin

Our classmate JACKIE PERRY shared his story with us.

1.     DID YOU ENLIST OR WERE YOU DRAFTED?  

I had a 2-A deferment while at Elon University.  When the 1st lottery was done, I was tectonically drafted.  When I graduated, I enlisted the US Air Force so I could have my pick of careers. 

2.   WHAT BRANCH OF SERVICE WERE YOU IN?

                          US Air Force

3.   WHAT WAS YOUR MOS?

I decided to get some experience in my major in college so I was trained as a Disbursement Accountant/Certifying Officer. 

4.   WHERE DID YOU TAKE BASIC TRAINING?

                          Lackland AF Base, Texas

5.   WHERE WERE YOU STATIONED?

                          Pope AF Base/Fort Bragg

6.   WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY OF YOUR SERVICE? 

Since I had a Top-Secret Clearance, I went to the “War Room”.  It was 2 stories underground.  Here is where all military operations were tracked all over the world.  Not unlike the movie “War Games”.

7.   WHAT WAS YOUR RANK?

Sergeant-did not want to give them the 6-year requirement for Commission Officer/Pilot.

8.   DID YOU RECEIVE ANY SPECIAL TRAINING?

Riot Control during base lockdown.Jackie Perry

 

Our classmate WILLIAM (BILL) WILEY provided lots of fun and interesting information about his time in service.

1.  Enlisted, sometime about October 1968.

2. N.C. National Guard, 731 Maintenance Battalion, Greensboro, NC

3. 26D2 Ground Control Approach radar repair

4. Ft. Dix, NJ. Left Greensboro December 5, 1968, one week getting 9 kazillion shots and 1 week doing KP then 2 weeks home for Christmas. They were not ready for our training to begin. Note: My dad and my oldest daughter both had basic at Dix.. not at the same time (pun intended). Dad served in the Army in the Phillipines and Guadacanal. Daughter in SC national guard.  

5. Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Ft. Monmouth, NJ. I have not yet met anyone that served more time in training (for the National Guard) than I did, 9 months, 21 days including a 7-month school. Then back home to Greensboro in September, 1969.

6. Best memory: The last week of AIT, my entire class went to Lakehurst Air Station in NJ to set up a radar set and see it in action. (NOTE: Lakehurst is where the Hindenburg Blimp burned). The class went up in a 4-seat army plane, 3 at a time and landed by communication with our radar on the ground.  Thas is 3 at a time except for 2 guys.  Riddle and Wiley, the day wasn't long enough for everyone to fly so we were scheduled for the next day.  The Army pilot was a Captain with lots of flying experience, he cautioned us to always keep our eyes open for other aircraft while flying.  He also said the Navy was watching us on their radar and we had radio communication with our guys and the Navy.

Well, this is where the fun began....as we were flying, our radio failed... we were up there with no communication...Riddle was in the back seat and I was in the front right of the pilot.  I remember what happened next very clearly.  As you read this think of the SLOWEST southern drawl you have ever heard coming from an Alabamian.  Riddle said in this slowest of slow...... "Captain Suh, I don't mean to alarm you...but there is an aircraft approachin' on our left wang.....  I looked left and (honestly) I saw the pilot and co-pilot in a 4-engine prop plane heading straight for us.  Our pilot put our ride in a 90 degree nose dive and did not pull up until we were a little above the NJ pine trees.  I think I left my finger prints in the instrument panel I was gripping it so hard.

7. I achieved the rank of Specialist E-5, although I never saw a radar set after school.  I was assigned to the signal section in our guard unit.

8. Special training: Y'all gonna love this: Do you remember learning to operate the school movie projectors? I think the librarian gave us about a 30 minute tutorial or something like that.  Well I attended the ARMY version of that class.  During oNe summer camp, I drove from the woods of Ft. Stewart, GA to the main post, a 30 minute drive, 4 days in a row for a 4 hour class in movie projector operation.  I learned to operate a mechanized potato peeler, learned real good how to wash pots and pans, how to maintain a vehicle log book, how to spot paint trucks, how to write lesson plans that were never taught, how to pick dandelions on Ft. Monmouth grounds because the post commander's kids were allergic.  I learned a lot of STUFF that is somewhat worthless in the private world. I learnt me a lot of gud stuff wiff all that spessial trannin I got. On a more serious note, I did qualify expert with the M-14 rifle. And Marksman with the M-16.

My experiences did prepare me to participate in military duty although I never saw or participated in what I would classify as REAL military duty.  I do admire those that did serve in a combat area and I will forever be grateful to those that lost their life in service to this great nation.

William aka Bill Wiley

Our classmate Ron (Ronnie) Simpson sent us his US Army Airborne story:

Ronald W. Simpson

I enlisted the day after we graduated on Sunday

June 12,1967

U.S. Army Airborne

MOS.11cp..Mortors..Paratrooper

Basic @ Fort Bragg N.C.

Vietnam March 1968 to March 1969

Came back to Fort Bragg @ 82nd Airborne

I served with the best and bravest with the 173rd Airborne in Vietnam as a Squad Leader and Tunnel Rat for my Company.Nick name :Sgt. Squeak

SergeantTraining: Paratrooper..Rigging for heavy equipment..Mortors..Infantry.

Ron Simpson

Our classmate Oscar Williamson sent us his unique and heartwarming US Army story:

 I was the only member of the graduating class of 1967 that could vote in the elections because I was 21.  The great thing about going back to Smith and finishing was that I met Sandra and we will celebrate 52 years of marriage this Sepetmber 1st.

1.  DID YOU ENLIST OR WERE YOU DRAFTED?

          Elisted January 29, 1964 Discharged January 27, 1967 and returned to attend Smith High School to graduate

2. WHAT BRANCH OF SERVICE WERE YOU IN?

          Arny

3. WHAT WAS YOUR MOS?

          71H20 Senior Personnel Specialist 

4. WHERE DID YOU TAKE BASIC TRAINING?

          Fort Jackson, SC

5. WHERE WERE YOU STATIONED?

          Fort Jackson, Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Fort Bliss, Texas, DMZ South Korea and US Army Training Center Fort Benning, Georgia

6. WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY OF YOUR SERVICE? 

          Cared for 3 orphans while stationed in Korea who had been adopted (unofficially) by the artillery unit I was assigned to.

7. WHAT WAS YOUR RANK?

          Specialist 5, E-5

8. DID YOU RECEIVE ANY SPECIAL TRAINING?

          How to load and fire artillery pieces.

Our classmate Ron (Ronnie) Martin shared his military service experience with us:

This is Ron Martin and here are my answers to military service

1.  I enlisted after graduating from Guilford College  

2.   Army National Guard of North Carolina

3.   I was trained in artillery

4.   I received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and artillery training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma

5.   My unit was located in Greensboro

6.   No special memories-

7.  Ended my service at rank of E-5

Ronald Martin

Our classmate Richard Smith shared his service story with us:

1.  DID YOU ENLIST OR WERE YOU DRAFTED? Delayed Enlistment so I could graduate college (University of Southern Mississippi) June, 1972

2. WHAT BRANCH OF SERVICE WERE YOU IN? Navy

3. WHAT WAS YOUR MOS? Fire Control Gun, Petty Officer 3rd class (This MOS was about radar control of ships guns)

4. WHERE DID YOU TAKE BASIC TRAINING? Great Lakes Navy Base (just north of Chicago)

5. WHERE WERE YOU STATIONED? Gulfport, Mississippi

6. WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY OF YOUR SERVICE? I enjoyed working on electronics in the Fire Control space. It was vacuum tube technology then, not digital!

7. WHAT WAS YOUR RANK? Petty Officer 3rd Class

8. DID YOU RECEIVE ANY SPECIAL TRAINING? Electronics, electricity, How to operate a Fire Control Director (it looks like a gun turret with a radar dish)

Richard Smith

 

 Our classmate PRESSLEY SPARROW shared his story with us:

1.       Enlisted 1967

2.       Marine Corps

3.       0311 (Infantry)/5811 (Military Police)/5821 (Criminal Investigator)

4.       Basic Training -Parris Island, SC

5.       Stationed - Camp Lejeune, NC; Viet Nam; Quantico, VA; Fort Meade MD; Okinawa, Japan; Parris Island, SC; Kaneohe Bay, HI; Special Agent Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS); Fort McClellan, AL 

6.       Have lots wonderful memories

7.       Retired MSGT (E-8)

8.       Received Military Police and Criminal Investigation training at Fort Gordon, GA. While on active duty obtained BS degree major in Forensic Sciences. Served 22 years 

Pressley Sparrow

Our classmate MARK BELL shared his military story with us:

I left Guilford College after my freshman year and enlisted in the US Air Force in the summer of 1968, I decided it was just a better fit for me at the time.

Basic training was at Amarillo AFB, Texas. The wind never stopped blowing, and the dust seemed to penetrate solid walls and glass windows with ease. By the way, I received my “Greetings from the President of the United States” while I was there. My DI just laughed and said I couldn’t get away from him that easily.

My next assignment was The Tactical Weapons School at Lowry AFB, Denver, Colorado. While at Lowry, I was a member of a slooww mootionn precision drill team, JODI (harder than you think). Denver was a beautiful area to spend that winter, with Boulder to the north, Golden (Coors Brewery) to the west, and the Rockies so accessible.

I completed that school and graduated as a 46201 Weapons Specialist.

The 48th TFW, 493rd TFS at RAF Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk, England became home base for the next three years. As a NATO base, our single objective was to keep the “Cold War” Cold. The base was only 30 miles from Cambridge, and London was little more than an hour away, depending on how fast you traveled.

Official travel took me from northern Italy to Spain, Norway to North Africa. Wherever my squadron went, I went. 

My favorite memories were of travels all over Britain, learning to ski at Piancavallo, Italy. Weekends on the beach Lido di Jesolo, Italy, and another on the Spanish Riviera at Sitges.

I left the Air Force after nearly four years as a Sergeant E-4, and as for special training… Sorry, but I still can’t discuss it.

 

Mark Bell

Our classmate Jerry Cole shared his story with us:

1.  DID YOU ENLIST OR WERE YOU DRAFTED?

                Enlisted Halloween 1969 after 2 yr. at Wingate College with Associates Degree. 

                Was looking to get the GI Bill to pay for next 2 years of   school, and find out the truth about Vietnam

                at the time.

2. WHAT BRANCH OF SERVICE WERE YOU IN?

                Air Force

3. WHAT WAS YOUR MOS?

                Crypto

4. WHERE DID YOU TAKE BASIC TRAINING?

                Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Tx.

5. WHERE WERE YOU STATIONED?

                1st – After basic -  Crypto tech school (1 Year, also at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Tx.)

                2nd - Myrtle Beach AFB  (@2 yrs., took short reup to go to Germany as Permanent Party (Means a pay raise, live off base with additional Pay, Seperate Rats-food money, shipped my car (VW) overseas and back).

                3rd - Stationed in Sembach, Germany (9 mos.) & Wiesbaden, Germany  (15 mos.)

                4th - Shaw AFB, Sumter, SC - 1 yr.  (Total - 2 yrs.)

6. WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY OF YOUR SERVICE? 

                Myrtle Beach 2 years, Germany - 2 years, Paris on New Year’s Eve twice!!!)

7. WHAT WAS YOUR RANK?

                Sergeant  - Highest Rank obtained

8. DID YOU RECEIVE ANY SPECIAL TRAINING?

                1 Year crypto Training (Voice/TTY) after basic

Jerry (Gerry) Cole

 



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