Hartselle Profile 2022

PROFILE 2022

IN HONOR OF THEIR SACRIFICE HONORING MORGAN COUNTY VETERANS AND ACTIVE SERVICE MEMBERS

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PU BLICATION

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ENQUIRER

Amanda G. Scott, CPA

Revenue Commi ssionerof Morgan County, AL I

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The RevenueCommissioner Commissioner is elected by theofpeople Morgan The Revenue is elected by the people Morgan of County for County for a six year term and is responsible for the mapping, a six year term and is responsible for the mapping, appraising, assessing, appraising, assessing, andtaxes collecting of by adthe valorem taxesThe as office levied and collecting of ad valorem as levied government. by the government.

The office collects approximately 62 million collects approximately 70 million dollars annually. dollars annually.

Since my election in 1996, I have endeavored to bring the Revenue Since my election in to 1996, I have bring Commissioner’s office the people of endeavoured Morgan County.toWe now the haveRevenue satellite Commissioner's to the Spring peoplefor ofyour Morgan County. You We now have offices in Hartselleoffice and Lacey’s convenience. may now sateIIiteofficesin Hartselleand Lacey'sSpringforyourconvenience.

You research your property tax data online, view GIS (Geographic Information may nowdata, research your property tax data online, viewthe GIS (Geographic System) and pay your property taxes online.

I hope information on the website is System) beneficial to you. and pay your property taxes online.

Information data, IIt hope the information on this website is beneficial to you. is an honor to serve you.

It is an honor to serve you.

If you are 65 years of age or disabled, you may qualify for an exemption which will result in a decrease of your property tax.

Please call our office for further information.

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Each May, tax delinquent property is auctioned off to the highest bidder in front of the Morgan County Courthouse in Decatur, Alabama.

Tax sale property is advertised during the month of April. T he tax sale will be in May. Go to our website, www.morgancounty revenue.com, to view a list of properties.

How To Contact Us Appraisal Division - 256-351-4694 • Assessment Division - 256-351-4691 Collection Division - 256-351-4690 • Mapping Division - 256-351-4698 Business Personal Property - 256-351-4862 • Board of Equalization - 256-351-4674 Phone: 256-351-4690 - Fax: 256-351-4699 • Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Mailing Address Amanda G. Scott, CPA Revenue Commissioner P.O. Box 696 Decatur, AL 35602

Morgan County Courthouse 302 Lee Street, NE Second Floor Decatur, AL 35601

Hartselle Satellite Office 241 Highway 31, SW Cr estwood Shopping Center Suite 10, Har tselle, AL 35640

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PROFILE 2022

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MILITARY MAN

QUIET HERO Military memories remain for Somerville veteran

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COMMUNITY SERVANT George Hearring counts military years as life-changing experience

Noel Holmes finds his footing in World War II

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ONCE A MARINE, ALWAYS A MARINE Local woman fondly remembers Corps service

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LIVING ICON World War II veteran shares his story to keep past alive

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A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE Fitness journey leads Hartselle grad to military service

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VIEW FROM VIETNAM Army service brings greater challenge than expected

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HEAD START Falkville man gets jump on military career as high school senior

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FINDING HIS WAY Marine Corps proves to be fulfilling path

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FAMILY TRADITIONS Vest men treasure heritage of service

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FROM THE EDITOR

I witnessed a heartwarming exchange between two veterans several years ago. An elderly white man walked up to an elderly black man wearing a gold and scarlet Marine Corp hat and greeted him with a “Semper Fi.” They thanked each other for their sacrifice and service and then parted ways.

Certain colors run deeper than others.

For most of my adult life, I have made an effort to thank veterans and military members for their service and sacrifice.

I know a simple “thank you” doesn’t encompass what is owed to the men and women in uniform, but I try to show my gratitude for all they have done for this country.

When thinking about a theme for this year’s Profile, I reflected on our past issues and tried to think of topics we haven’t touched on since I took this position in 2017. So far, we have featured leaders in our community and school system, students who shine in their academic and athletic endeavors, first responders and more. I thought it was time to feature the people who have served this country both domestically and abroad, who have enlisted in the U.S. military during wartime without fear and those who have made careers out of their service.

In this issue of Profile, we feature two local veterans of World War II. It is an unbelievable honor to get to share their stories with our readers.

We also feature soldiers, corpsmen and airmen who served in the Vietnam and Korean wars and those who are currently deployed.

We hope you enjoy learning more about some of the veterans and active service members in our community.

Please take a moment to thank a veteran, and thanks for reading,

DON'T MISS AN ISSUE! Hartselle Living - March/April Hartselle Living - May/June Visitors + Newcomers Guide - June Hartselle Living - July/August Depot Days Festival Guide - September Hartselle Living - September/October Hartselle Living - November/December Receive Hartselle Living in your mailbox six time a year. Call 256-773-6566 to subscribe!

ON THE COVER Noel Holmes served in WWII, earning both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star during his service. The Morgan County resident is 97.

Turn to page 14 to read his story.

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EDITORIAL REBEKAH YANCEY ALISON JAMES

CONTRIBUTORS RACHEL HOWARD CLIF KNIGHT JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS

MARKETING ANNA BAKER EDDIE JOHNS TERRI HASTON BECKY SPIVEY SHELIA SMITH BARETTA TAYLOR

ADMINISTRATION BETH JACKSON

Hartselle Enquirer P.O. Box 929, Hartselle, AL 35640

Advertising Inquiries 256-773-6566

Profile Magazine is published annually by Hartselle Newspapers, LLC. 4

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CONTRIBUTORS ALISON JAMES, copy editor

Alison James earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Auburn University, graduating in 2012. She began her career in community journalism in Alexander City and Dadeville, followed by a stop in Opelika before landing in north Alabama. She loves sharing the stories – and correcting the grammar of those stories – of the people and places that make north Alabama such a special place.

CLIF KNIGHT, writer

Clif Knight is a Lineville native and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having served from 1953-57. His resume boasts stints at newspapers and media outlets in Alabama and Mississippi. He is a former part-owner and editor of the Hartselle Enquirer as well as former mayor of the City of Hartselle, serving a four-year term from 2000-04. Knight has been married to Geanell for more than 60 years, and they have three adult children, three granddaughters and one great-granddaughter.

JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS, writer

Jennifer L. Williams is an Alabama girl with Louisiana and Kentucky roots who is proud to now call Hartselle home with her retired Army husband and their three children. She stays busy in her community as an ambassador with the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce and as a member of Hartselle First United Methodist Church, Hartselle Kiwanis, Hartselle Historical Society, Morgan County Junior League and Morgan County Master Gardeners.

RACHEL HOWARD, photographer Rachel Howard is a Hartselle native who is proud to own and run a business in her hometown. She graduated from Hartselle High School in 2010.

After working in the nursing field for several years, she decided to pick up a camera – which led her to fulfill her passion of photography. Capturing moments on camera allows her to give the gift of memories, and that makes her soul smile. She is an avid fitness-lover and teaches spin classes as a side hobby. She enjoys singing, slow boat rides with her husband Nick and being a dog mom to Ralphie and Bud.

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Whether you're looking for simple DIY project advice or you need a trusted contractor to get a home energy upgrade done, Hartselle Utilities and TVA EnergyRight® Residential Services have tools and resources to help. Learn what upgrades your home needs to be its most energy efficient and connect with a Home Energy Advisor, either in person or from our smartphone. Register at https://energyright.com/residential/ or call 1-855-237-2673 to schedule your home evaluation.

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One of the best ways to promote energy efficiency is to get kids involved. At TVA.com/kids, students can find out what to do at home and at school to help reduce the consumption of electricity. Learn more about how TVA produces the electricity we use every day, how to protect the environment around us, and even find resources for to help with homework, including Science Fair projects.

(256) 773-3340 • (256) 773-2588 afterhours www.hartselleutilities.org 6

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QUIET HERO MILITARY MEMORIES REMAIN FOR SOMERVILLE VETERAN

BY JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS

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In January 1949, a north Alabama farm boy gained some weight – after being told he was too skinny to enlist – and followed his brother into the U.S. Army.

Over the next 18 months, James Cooper completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and relocated to Fort Lewis, Washington, to train as a tank crewman with the 2nd Infantry Division.

June 25, 1950, roughly 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army crossed the 38th parallel in the first military action of the Cold War era. Cooper soon found himself halfway around the world, where he earned numerous awards and medals, including three Purple Heart medals and a Bronze Star with Valor, by the time he returned to the United States at the end of 1951.

“I joined the Army with plans to stay in indefinitely,” said Cooper, 91, who lives in Somerville, “but I kept getting shot up, so I ended up getting out in 1952.”

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One month after arriving in Korea, Cooper was injured when his tank was hit with an anti-tank round. He was badly burned over his body and head. Despite his injuries, he managed to pull one crewman from the burning tank and assisted in the rescue of two others. For his actions, he received the Bronze Star with Valor and his first Purple Heart.

Not long after recovering from his injuries, in March 1951, Cooper returned to action and was hit by machine-gun fire while outside his tank. He received multiple gunshot wounds to one of his legs – seven rounds in total. He was sent to a medical unit in Japan to recover. For these injuries, he was awarded a second Purple Heart.

By late 1951, Cooper was back in Korea once again. This time, while out in the field, he suffered yet another injury, from an explosion from an unidentified source. Cooper received a concussion from the blast.

For this incident, he received his third Purple Heart.

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I had plans with a good buddy of mine from Florida to go back and fight again in Korea, but I went to Illinois for school, met a girl, and that was the end of that. My buddy did go back without me, and he got really messed up in the second half of the war.

-James Cooper

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Staff Sgt. Cooper returned to the U.S. at the end of 1951. He remained in the Army stateside until the end of 1952.

“I had plans with a good buddy of mine from Florida to go back and fight again in Korea,” said Cooper, “but I went to Illinois for school, met a girl, and that was the end of that. My buddy did go back without me, and he got really messed up in the second half of the war.”

After getting married and settling down in Chicago, Cooper worked in general maintenance, having gone to school for everything from being a diesel mechanic to working in a machine shop. “I’ve done it all,” he said, “and could probably still do it if I could see better.”

Cooper and his first wife had two daughters. He later met and married his current wife, Laurie, and gained a stepson. The couple added three more daughters and three foster children to their brood. “I had five daughters between 1954-1984,” he said with a smile. Cooper and Laurie recently celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary, a few days after his birthday in December.

Cooper said when he retired from general maintenance work, he decided to move back home to be near family. The family now includes dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, many of whom live nearby.

Like so many veterans, Cooper did not talk much about his time in the service until later in life, and he and Laurie joined several military organizations. The couple has remained active in those organizations, including the VFW, DAV, AmVets, the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation and Hartselle American Legion Post 52, to which they transferred when he returned to Alabama in 1992.

“I enjoyed being around other people who understood what I was talking about when I spoke of my time in the military,” he said. “We’ve enjoyed being a part of these groups and plan to remain for a while yet.”

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COMMUNITY SERVANT GEORGE HEARRING COUNTS MILITARY YEARS AS LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE

BY REBEKAH YANCEY

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George Hearring is a community servant. If there is a void that needs to be filled, he can often be found volunteering his time, giving money to an organization or in the trenches himself, working to make sure those needs are met. It’s who he is as a person – and his time in the U.S. Army played a big role in why he is the way he is.

Hearring is U.S. Army veteran, enlisting at 19 years old when the United States was midway through the Vietnam War. He served in Vietnam – in the literal trenches – for 16 months. He served in the military from 1965-74, first stationed at the Airborne School in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, before his deployment.

“I went because I’m patriotic,” he said. “If I had to do it again, I’d do it all over.”

He worked at a communications site in the Cam Ranh Bay in the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone as a radio relay operator carrier.

The Vietnamese DMZ was established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam from July 1954-1976 as a result of the First Indochina War. During the Vietnam War it became important as the battleground demarcation separating North from South Vietnamese territories.

“I saw a lot of action. I even received a few superficial wounds – nothing really bad,” he said, adding many of his fellow soldiers and friends were severely wounded.

“Being in Vietnam gives you a special experience,” Hearring added.

“Vietnam veterans have a special camaraderie with each other.”

After his 16-month deployment to Vietnam, Hearring spent two years in the Panama Canal zone before moving to Fort Jackson, South Carolina to

Being in Vietnam gives you a special experience. Vietnam veterans have a special camaraderie with each other. “I went because I’m patriotic. If I had to do it again, I’d do it all over.

-George Hearring

serve as a drill sergeant for four years. It is that position he said he looks back on with great fondness.

“I was able to teach young men about what life was all about,” he said, “to help them gain experience, understand their responsibility and change their mindset while they prepared for the Army.”

Usually quiet and demure, Hearring said he is glad he has the persona of a drill sergeant, but his “hard” days are mostly behind him.

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Hearring said his service made him a better person. “It gave me a lot of experience. It also put me in touch with folks from all walks of life,” he said. “I had a chance to meet a lot of people, and I stayed in touch with a lot of them for many years.”

While in Vietnam, Hearring said he befriended a group of men from Korea, and they practiced the art of karate together. In the years since, they have lost touch, but he said he is thankful for the connections and friendships his time in the military afforded him through the years.

After his service in the Army, Hearring had several careers, including working as a supervisor for a company that buried cable that eventually transferred him from Mobile to Hartselle in the 70s. What began as a six-year contract led to the Hearrings making Hartselle their home. They have lived here ever since.

Hearring said he didn’t seek out the wide array of community work he is involved in now; most of it fell into his lap.

In 1992 he worked with Cleo Stubbs to initiate S.P.U.D.S., which stands for Summer Program Unionizing and Developing Skills, for children in Hartselle.

Three years later, he founded the Hartselle Morgan County Community Task Force “It got started because of what I saw on the south side of town. There were drugs being sold on the corner, dilapidated houses, drug dealers out and about – so I called a meeting,” he explained. “We decided we wanted to do something about it.” Hearring said his own son was one of the men selling the drugs he was working so hard to rid the community of.

Hearring and other community leaders went before the Hartselle City Council and asked then-police chief Ferrell Vest for help in turning the tide.

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“They listened to us. They started patrolling more. We got a lot of guys off the street. We got a lot of people sent to jail – including my son,” Hearring said.

“We did a decent job, but still there was something lacking. They had trouble with their homework, so we started offering tutoring through the taskforce.

We started with about 30 kids.”

Hearring said what he learned in his time in the Army – and why he enlisted in the first place – plays a big role in why he continues to pour into his community to this day.

“It’s just something in me; I think sometimes it’s in your genes,” he said. “I have four sisters, and our children talk about this and say ‘Daddy, you’re just like your sisters, always doing something, always busy.’”

Hearring has two grandsons who are in the Army – one in the Army reserves.

His youngest daughter also followed in her father’s footsteps and enlisted in the military.

Hearring has been an active member of the Hartselle First Missionary Baptist Church since 1984.

He and his wife Molly have been married for more than 50 years. Together they have four children: April, the late George III, Danielle and Richard. They also have nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

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MILITARY MAN NOEL HOLMES FINDS HIS FOOTING IN WORLD WAR II

BY CLIF KNIGHT

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Cotaco resident Noel Holmes was introduced to World War II in 1942 aboard a troop ship heading for England.

“I was standing on deck watching the movement of waves when I thought I saw a periscope sticking up above the water,” Homes recalled. “I looked again, carefully, and called the sighting to a sailor who stood nearby. He confirmed what I saw and hurried off deck to report the incident to his superiors.

“Immediately, he appeared on deck with a group of teammates, carrying a can of explosives,” said Holmes. “The can was rolled overboard. It made a big splash as they returned to their quarters, and I stood wondering if what I had observed was an act of war against what could have been a German submarine.”

A few weeks later, Holmes was fully involved in the war against Germany, as a squad leader in the 3rd Battalion, 78th Infantry Division.

“We had marched across Belgium and were moving forward into Germany,” he said, recounting one maneuver. “Something unusual was going on in a barn and farmhouse across a large, snow-covered field ahead of us. People were observed inside the barn hiding in a stack of baled hay.

“I was ordered to take two men from the squad and attack and empty the barn,” Holmes said. “We crossed the field, and as we closed in, I whispered IN HONOR OF THEIR SACRIFICE

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A shell burst above the trees, and a piece of it fell on my leg before it hit the ground.

They had to cut out part of the muscle and scrape the bone. I wasn’t sedated and passed out when they pulled out the shrapnel.

-Noel Holmes

Thank you to all who have served to defend our nation and freedom!

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We survived by hiding in a grove of trees. I played hide and seek with the plane’s pilot by hiding behind a big beech tree. When the plane approached the side of the tree I was standing behind, I would move to the other side. We reversed directions on each other several times before he gave up and flew away.

-Noel Holmes

to my companions to kick open the barn doors. When the doors opened, I jumped inside, pulled my gun and ordered the occupants to stand down. They surrendered without firing a shot.

“Now, there were 12 or 13 others who crawled out from a cellar under the house.

They were all carrying brand new P-38 pistols. Had they been hardcore Germans, I wouldn’t be here.

“I guess I was a little reckless, but you know, when I was told to do something, I tried to do it to the best of my ability.”

Doing his best earned Holmes a Bronze Star, although he didn’t know it until his return stateside, recovering from a serious wound to his leg. The wound earned him a Purple Heart medal.

Holmes experienced several near misses from enemy fire while pulling combat duty in Germany. Dec. 27, 1944, two days after his 20th birthday, a German artillery shell exploded in a fox hole just after Holmes vacated it. The force of the blast knocked him unconscious, and he awoke with squad members slapping him in the face.

“When I came to, I didn’t even call the medics. I felt all right, so I just let it go,” he said. “I was 20 years old, and I didn’t even think about it after I got to feeling all right.”

Another time, his squad was attacked from the air by a German fighter plane.

“We survived by hiding in a grove of trees,” he said. “I played hide and seek with the plane’s pilot by hiding behind a big beech tree. When the plane approached the side of the tree I was standing behind, I would move to the other side. We reversed directions on each other several times before he gave up and flew away.”

Holmes sustained the leg injury when his battalion sought cover from artillery fire in a pine thicket near Betzdorf, Germany.

“A shell burst above the trees, and a piece of it fell on my leg before it hit the ground,” he said. “They had to cut out part of the muscle and scrape the bone. I wasn’t sedated and passed out when they pulled out the shrapnel.”

Holmes received treatment for his wound at an Army hospital in Florida before being discharged in November 1945.

He returned to the family farm in the Greasy Cove community, where he farmed for 15 years. After that, he worked at Redstone Arsenal for the Army as a custodial inspector and shipping specialist, retiring in 1988.

Holmes and his wife Marie were married for 69 years before her death in 2010.

They had two sons: Jeff Holmes, of Union Hill, and an older son who died in 2009.

Holmes, 97, remains active in the Cotaco community, living in the same house he built for his family in 1978. He cleans his home, cooks his meals, cuts his grass and drives his own car.

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There is so much diversity in the military, and a lot of things people bicker about in everyday life, you don’t bicker about while you are serving next to the person beside you. Everyone is welcome – differences and all. You really do have to put selfish ambition aside and fight for the greater good of the country.

-Lindsay Kubica

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Lindsay Kubica said she has always had a soft spot for the U.S. military.

Her decision to join the U.S. Marine Corps was made somewhat on a whim, but the wife and mother said at that point in her life, she wasn’t certain what she wanted to do as a profession – and she needed a challenge.

Following in the footsteps of her paternal grandfather – William Cooper McClanahan served in the Army during World War II – Kubica found that challenge in the U.S. military.

Kubica enlisted in 2005 and served in the Marine Corps for the next five years as an aviation electronics technician, working on the EA-6B Prowler Electronic-warfare aircraft.

The decision she made on a whim changed her life.

“I will forever tell everyone that serving in the Marine Corps was one of the best experiences I have ever had,” Kubica said. “There is nothing else like it. The bonds you form between those people you serve with are deep and special for a lifetime.”

Kubica said she also learned valuable life lessons while becoming a Marine, and those continue to impact her life today. “Discipline, integrity, commitment, honor, sacrifice and courage are just a few virtues you learn while training to become a Marine,” she said.

Serving in the U.S. Marine Corps also changed Kubica’s perspective of the world. Her stateside unit supported deployed units. “I think the military changed my perspective of the world by seeing just how grand the United States really is and can be as a fighting unit,” she said.

“There is so much diversity in the military, and a lot of things people bicker about in everyday life, you don’t bicker about while you are serving next to the person beside you,” she added. “Everyone is welcome – differences and all. You really do have to put selfish ambition aside and fight for the greater good of the country.”

Kubica said she met her husband Adam through her time in the Marines.

“My sister-in-law was in my bootcamp platoon so she takes credit for introducing us,” she said.

“Adam and I were not stationed together, but we were stationed at the same base.”

The couple share three children: Seth, Noah and Abigail.

When it comes to whether or not she wants her children to follow in their parents’ footsteps, Kubica said she is torn.

“It isn’t easy being away, and I know it was not easy for my parents having a child that was obligated by contract to be away, but it is so rewarding,” she said. “My parents are proud of me and my service to this country.

“I wish at least everyone capable had to do at least one four-year contract serving in the military,” she added. “We would see so much change and difference in this nation.”

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LIVING ICON WORLD WAR II VETERAN SHARES HIS STORY TO KEEP PAST ALIVE

BY JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS

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Within the span of a few months in 1944, George Mills experienced more than most will in their entire lifetimes.

In July 1944 he landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy, just days after the initial D-Day invasion, and fought his way through the countryside. In late August, he was photographed with hundreds of other troops marching down the Champs Élysées after the Liberation of Paris. In mid-December, he was injured in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge and was taken as a prisoner of war. He remained a POW at Stalag IV-B in Mühlberg for five months before being liberated in the waning days of World War II. For much of his long life, however, few people knew his story.

“Now it seems like that’s all anyone wants to hear about,” said the centenarian, who still lives in the south Decatur home he bought in 1956.

Mills said it wasn’t necessarily difficult for him to talk about his time in the military; he just didn’t think anyone wanted to hear about his experiences.

“So many veterans, they’re not just going to up and talk to you about their experiences,” said Mills. “They don’t feel like you’d be interested in it, and you wouldn’t know what they’re talking about anyway.”

Mills said there wasn’t much interest in hearing war stories when he came home in 1945; he returned to Decatur and his job selling pianos, bought a car, got married, bought a house and continued working until his retirement in 1983. “I didn’t have anyone even ask me about it for 20 years,” he said.

Then, a history teacher at Austin High School contacted him to come talk to her

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students as one of several WWII veterans. That opened the door, and Mills started talking more, sharing his experiences with younger generations.

These days, Mills has a wall of memorabilia in his home and boxes of news articles and letters from people he’s met in his travels. He returned to Normandy in 2019 for the 75th anniversary of D-Day and met relatives of fellow Allies and Germans. He sat next to one of the few surviving members of E Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division, during the ceremony.

Today, roughly 80 years after the U.S. entered WWII, Mills said he is proud to do what he can and share his stories so people remember not just him but the sacrifices made by all those who served.

Those first-hand accounts are becoming increasingly hard to come by. About 1.5 percent of the 16 million Americans who served in WWII are still alive, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

some buddies joined the Army after hearing they would soon be drafted. “I wanted to have some control over where I would go,” he said.

Mills went to Fort McClellan in Anniston then to Camp Livingston in Louisiana for training with the 28th Infantry “Keystone” Division before heading overseas. “I met guys from all over the country there at Livingston,” he said.

His company waited for their call to battle in England – a call that came just weeks after the D-Day Invasion. Mills and other members of the 109th Infantry Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division landed on Omaha beach and proceeded to “clear every little town and street” on the way to Paris, where Mills marched with hundreds of other service members after the liberation of that city in August.

From Paris, Mills drove with his regiment west through France and Luxembourg to the German border, clearing towns along the way. In November 1944, they were involved in a bloody battle in the Hurtgen Forest before heading back to Luxembourg to rest and regain strength.

LIVING HISTORY Born in Spencer, Tennessee, Mills grew up in Decatur and sold pianos after graduating from high school. In 1942, at the age of 21, he and

THEY DID NOT REST FOR LONG Rockets and artillery fire woke Mills Dec. 16, with Germany’s 5th Panzer Division bearing down on their group of just less than 200 men.

Mills said he saw the Germans advancing down the hill toward their headquarters and called in artillery fire that hit its mark, but the Germans kept coming. Mills was injured by flying shrapnel while checking on the ammunition supply and thought he’d lost an eye. “We had six rounds of ammo left, so our company commander surrendered,” said Mills.

As a German POW for five months, Mills said he read aloud from the small Bible his mother had given him – keeping his and his fellow POWs’ minds off their hunger. “When things were quiet, we’d start talking, and inevitably, we would start talking about food – sandwiches, candy and our favorites from back home,” he said. The POWs were surviving mainly on rutabagas and sugar beets meant for German livestock.

When the Russian army started closing in on the POW camp in April 1945, they once again started marching, Mills said. “We walked six or seven days and were in a barn out in the middle of nowhere. There were 230 of us by then – down from about 700-800,” he said. “I heard a tank coming up the road and figured it was a German tank. I finally saw it, and it was a half-track with a command car with it. I saw the star on the side and knew we were good.

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“We took the guards as prisoners and turned them over. It was the 2nd Armored Division.”

Their liberators had two cans of beans and one can of carrots with them. “That wasn’t nearly enough to feed all of us,” laughed Mills, “so we killed the farmer’s cow and raided a potato bin and had a feast.”

Mills’ favorite meal now is his weekly outing to Rosie’s Mexican Cantina with his nephew.

Mills soon found his way back to the States and took a bus bound for Decatur. He arrived at 3 a.m. and drank coffee until about 5 a.m., when he walked the 15 blocks to his parents’ home. “I didn’t want to wake them up too early,” he said.

Mills recalls heading straight to the kitchen to eat the bacon he smelled and to see his English bulldog, Frank, who nearly tore the door down when he heard Mills’ voice.

RETURNING TO NORMAL One of the first things Mills did when he returned was buy a car. “There were not any new cars for sale,” he said, “just used ones, and not many of those.” Mills bought a 1939 Studebaker Commander and went right back to selling pianos, as he’d done before the war. “My job was waiting for me, and I sold pianos for the rest of my career,” he said. “No one really asked me about my time in the service.”

Mills joined several veterans organizations when he returned from the war, since he felt it was “the thing to do,” but he did not get involved with any of them until years later. Once he started opening up about his time in the service, Mills became more involved in those groups, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans, where he found fellow veterans who understood and commiserated with him about his experiences.

“No two wars are alike,” said Mills.

“My war is entirely different from the Korean War, the Vietnam War. Afghanistan is entirely different.

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But the experiences you have – those can be understood by others who have been through something similar.”

Mills said he’s joked with other members of his Purple Heart group who fought in later wars. “I’ll ask them, ‘How many rounds do you figure per kill?’ Some said 20, some said 40, some said 50, 100, 200 – and I said, well, we just used one round,” he chuckled.

These days, Mills enjoys reading about the places he’s been and battles he’s fought.

He also enjoys watching movies and shows based on military history, “but I’m running out of things to watch,” he said.

One of his favorites is “Saving Private Ryan,” – “because it’s all true,” he said. He also enjoyed watching the Band of Brothers miniseries.

Mill said he encourages anyone who has a relative who is a veteran to sit down and talk with them to hear their stories.

“For so many, their family and friends never hear their stories,” said Mills, “and when they go away, nobody knows what happened to them; nobody knows what they went through.””

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A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE FITNESS JOURNEY LEADS HARTSELLE GRAD TO MILITARY SERVICE

BY JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS

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Joining the military was nowhere on Zach Fuqua’s radar when he graduated from Hartselle High School in 2019.

The Hartselle native was taking business courses at Calhoun Community College when COVID-19 hit the country. “I soon found myself dealing with the typical ‘Freshman 15,’ not being as active as I used to be,” said the former high school athlete.

Fuqua said some fitness-related Instagram posts inspired new motivation.

“I had no idea what I was training for, but I found myself comparing what I was doing to the benchmarks set for Rangers – running five miles in under 40 minutes, that sort of thing,” he said. “The next thing I know, I’m at a recruiter’s office.”

“It’s so funny,” he added. “If you would have asked me if I was interested in joining the military in high school, I probably would have turned around and walked away from you.”

With limited exposure to the military – his grandfathers had served but had not really shared their stories – Fuqua said he didn’t know exactly what to expect when he joined.

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“When I got to basic training, I saw all these options out there, and one really caught my attention – airborne,” he said. “I guess I’d always thought, being a Ranger, you had to really train for it, and only special people could go and do it, so I put it out of my mind. But I got to Advanced Individual Training and found that I could in fact do it. I put in for it and was selected to go to Airborne School.”

Fuqua reported to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for basic training and to Fort Lee, Virginia, for AIT. There, he learned to be a “land combat electronic missile 30

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repair specialist. “It’s not as cool as it sounds,” he joked. He next headed to Fort Benning, Georgia, for his airborne training and made his first jump.

“I joined the Army Oct. 5, 2020, and went to basic and various schools until July 2021,” said Fuqua. “I finally got to my unit – the 1st Brigade Combat Team at Fort Bragg – in late August, spent about a week there and then deployed to Kuwait.”

Fuqua deployed overseas in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“I spent about a month there,” he said, “working in a support role. We were

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there to help guard the refugees, but other than that, I worked out and slept.

I’m not complaining at all.”

Back at Fort Bragg, Fuqua settled into his duties with his brigade support battalion. “I’m working on missile systems and have a field exercise coming up,” he said.

In his spare time, Fuqua is also pursuing a degree in kinesiology, taking online courses through the National Academy of Sports Medicine to get certified as a dietician, a personal trainer, physical therapy and strength and conditioning.

“Uncle Sam pays for it, so I might as well take advantage of that,” he said.

Fuqua said the discipline he’s learned while in the military has given him more structure, and he feels more comfortable and confident in managing his online classes.

“The maturity aspect of the military can’t be overstated,” he said. “You are forced to grow up. I feel like I’ve learned a lot of skills that maybe I didn’t have before this. The biggest thing for me is learning how to face a challenge and continue with it – to be persistent. As a kid, I was really inclined to quit something if I didn’t like it, but now I feel I’ve found that perseverance – and finishing something is nice.

“I would recommend the military to anyone – definitely for the schooling aspect of it and the confidence aspect,” he said. “Getting in, getting through training and getting to the position I’m in now – I never thought I could do any of this a year or two ago. I honestly feel like a whole new person.”

Fuqua said he’s had a lot of time to plan things out and take a good look at his future. “As of now, I am planning to re-enlist for at least three more years to take care of school – hopefully get my entire degree paid for,” he said. “I am hoping to get another duty station, maybe go overseas to Germany and get a bonus so I can maybe start a business when I get out.”

He said he also wants to go to Ranger School – “to prove to myself that I can do it,” he said. “That will take a little more time. I’m still pretty fresh to the Army and my unit. With something big like that, you have to prove yourself. You prove to the Army that you’re an asset, and then they’ll spend money on you.”

Fuqua said he has only been home to Hartselle to visit his parents Edd and Jodi Fuqua twice in the past year. He said he’s fortunate, though, in that his older sister, Hannah, is just a few hours away in Richmond, Virginia, and he has visited her on long weekends. “It’s very nice having her so close,” he said.

Fuqua said still keeps in touch with certain teachers and coaches he had in high school, including history teacher Daniel Cooper and track coach Nick Collier. “They saw my potential, especially when I didn’t,” he said. ”I’m extremely thankful for them being able to give me some insights when I went through some tough times in high school.”

Fuqua went to Lyman Ward Military Academy for one semester during high school, but that experience did not turn him to the military path. “I wasn’t making the best of decisions at the time, and who would have known that down the road, I’d be where I am today,” he said.

For younger men and women who might not have direction, Fuqua said he understands, and he encourages them to find their own way – not letting any mistakes dictate who they become. “I’ve heard the analogy that you might be sore from yesterday’s workout, but you won’t be sore forever – basically saying yesterday doesn’t define who you are today,” he said.

In his year on active duty, Fuqua said he’s learned it’s all in your perspective.

“A lot of people are scared of going to basic because they hear these horror stories, but basic training was my favorite school,” he said. “I had so much fun in basic and met some of the coolest guys.

“It really is what you make of it.”

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VIEW FROM VIETNAM ARMY SERVICE BRINGS GREATER CHALLENGE THAN EXPECTED

BY CLIF KNIGHT

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Volunteering for the U.S. Army was John D. Johnson’s way of getting off the family farm in Conway, North Carolina, in 1966.

“Jobs were hard to find,” Johnson recalled, “and I was 17 and fed up with picking cotton and pulling corn. My mother signed the paper that set me free.”

Little did he realize how simple and safe life was back on the farm. With basic training behind him, Johnson had a free one-way ticket to Hawaii – but he was not prepared for the four-day voyage on the open sea.

“I was ordered below deck for cleanup duty,” he said. “It was dark, cold and smelly. Bunks were stacked five high. I took a fifth-level bunk. The ship rolled to the right, and I fell off. I tried again. The ship rolled to the left, and I fell off again. The next time I crawled up, I took along a rope and tied myself in.”

Two years later, Johnson shipped out to Vietnam as a mortar man assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. He and other members of his squad were assigned to ambush patrol missions night after night. His squad would assemble before dark and strike out under jungle cover in search of enemy units, with the aim to destroy on sight.

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Johnson said he remembers one instance when his squad narrowly escaped being seen while on patrol. He said they were lucky to escape with their lives. “They slipped up on us, and all we could do was hunker down and hide until they passed,” he said. “We then called in every bit of firepower we had and knocked them out.”

Johnson experienced fighting in both ground and air assignments during the four years he was stationed in Vietnam. At one time, he was assigned to work with the South Vietnamese Army as a training instructor. “It was lousy duty,” he recalled.

“We lived, trained and fought with them, side by side,” he added.

Later he was a gunner on a Hughey helicopter, responsible for transporting personnel and material throughout the country. It was on one of those missions that the helicopter was hit by gunfire from the ground and crashed into a rice field. The crew, including Johnson, escaped with injuries.

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Johnson said his welcome home after Vietnam left much to be desired.

“A man walked up to me when I entered the airport in Los Angeles and spit in my face,” Johnson recalled. “I was aware the war wasn’t popular with a lot of Americans, but I had no idea things had gotten that bad. I went to the restroom to wash my face and walked out not looking back. Goodbye, Army haters.”

Johnson retired in 1994 with the following awards: Silver Star, Legion of Merit, three Bronze Stars with V device, four Purple Hearts, four Meritorious Service Medals, Combat Infantry Badge, two Air Medals with V device, Air Crewman Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Superior Unit Award, Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards for furthering the aims and ideals of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers in 1996.

A man walked up to me when I entered the airport in Los Angeles and spit in my face. I was aware the war wasn’t popular with a lot of Americans, but I had no idea things had gotten that bad. I went to the restroom to wash my face and walked out not looking back. Goodbye, Army haters.

-John Johnson

Johnson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in ministry and a two-year course in business management in 1987. He also completed the Sergeant Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas, the same year. He qualified as a JROTC instructor in 1990 and completed courses in consoling and theology in 1993.

He was appointed as chief instructor and assistant commandant of cadets for the Senior ROTC program at Central Missouri State University. As rifle team coach, he led his team to win first place in the Pershing Rifle National Competition in 1989.

In 1992 he was promoted to chief instructor and assistant commandant of cadets for the Senior ROTC program at Georgia Southern, Armstrong and Savannah State universities.

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Johnson organized the JROTC at Buckhorn High School in 1993 and served as an LET 1 curriculum instructor, property book officer and rifle team coach. His rifle teams earned several state championships.

He currently serves as pastor of Hartselle Holy Church of Christ, where he has served since 1998.

He is also an active veteran, serving in multiple leadership positions with north Alabama veterans’ organizations. He is commander of Chapter 11 of the Disabled American Veterans of Decatur.

Johnson is married to the former Helen Wright of Hartselle. They have resided in Hartselle since 1991. He has three adult children, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

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HEAD START FALKVILLE MAN GETS JUMP ON MILITARY CAREER AS HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR

BY JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS

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Falkville native Landon Patterson completed basic training and has almost a year with the Alabama Army National Guard under his belt – all before he is old enought to register to vote.

He’s not the typical high school senior.

“I guess I’m pretty unique,” he said. “I’m in the Guard, finishing high school online and working a full-time job.”

Patterson said it’s all about “getting a head start.”

“I figured I’d get things started – get my foot in the door, so when I graduate high school, I’ll already have a year and a half or thereabouts in the Guard and be that much closer to where I want to be.”

Students who complete their junior year in high school are eligible for the Army’s Split Option program, open to those who are joining the National Guard. Through the program, recruits can drill throughout their senior year of high school and begin advanced individual training immediately after graduation. Patterson said he hopes to have a little time between graduation and AIT to enjoy his summer, but he knows it is no longer his call.

Despite having no close family members who have served in the military, Patterson said he’s been interested in military service for a while. He joined Civil Air Patrol as a freshman at Hartselle High School, and “that put me in contact with Col. (Brian) Williams and a lot of other people who helped me on my path,” he said.

He looked into his options and decided the Army National Guard was the way he wanted to go. “The Army has the warrant officer option, and I’m very interested in flying helicopters,” he explained. “It’s also the biggest branch of the military and seems to offer the most opportunities; I know a lot of people who were in the Army.”

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April 1, 2021, Patterson signed up for the Guard – two days after turning 17.

Patterson will serve for at least six years, but beyond that, he said he’s playing it by ear.

“Whether I re-enlist and make a career of it depends on how happy I am when that time comes and what I’m doing on the civilian side of things,” he said.

Patterson recently bought some property on the Sipsey River in the Bankhead Forest and said he plans to start building a cabin there over the next few months. Having such a full plate doesn’t bother him in the least.

“It’s definitely all doable for me because this last semester, I only have one English credit I need to graduate, so I’m taking that one class online,” he said. He said he plans to continue with online classes through Wallace State next year but is still deciding exactly what he wants to pursue as far as higher education.

“Once I build my cabin, I’ll really have to decide how much time I want to spend away from the place,” he said. “I’m kind of thinking I’ll want to have a job I can do from home – maybe something in logistics. Going through the Tiger Launch program and getting in with Cerrowire has shown me that is an option and is very doable.”

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BREEZING THROUGH BASIC Patterson shipped out to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for about a week of what the military calls reception, “which is basically a lot of paperwork and shots” before heading to basic training, which he said was pretty easy.

“The hardest thing for me was being away from home,” he said. “Basic was definitely not as hard as I expected; I hate to say it was a little disappointing.”

Patterson credits his time with Hartselle’s Civil Air Patrol “100 percent” with helping prepare him for the Army.

“Specifically, not only what Col. Williams taught us in the classroom but going to training like the Wing Emergency Services School taught me everything about map reading and navigating and everything,” he said. “So everything at basic training I already knew and was able to help people.”

Once Patterson graduates in May, he will be ready for an eight-week stint at Fort Rucker, in southeast Alabama for AIT, to train as an aviation operations specialist. He said he plans to continue working full time with Cerrowire while taking his college courses online and serving with the Guard.

Patterson said his ultimate Guard goal is to fly Apache helicopters as a warrant officer. He laughs when asked about his family and girlfriend’s opinion of him flying choppers: “I already ride motorcycles; flying helicopters isn’t that much higher.”

Patterson serves his drill weekends in Athens with a recruiting and retention battalion. “I’m not really doing the cool stuff yet,” he said. “I can’t join my regular unit until after I get that specialized training this summer at Rucker.”

For now, Patterson still lives in Falkville with his parents, Mike and Tammy Patterson. His older sister, Lindsey Puckett, lives in Hartselle and has four sons, Dakota, Wyatt, Colton and Weston Puckett – the older of whom are very interested in joining Civil Air Patrol when they turn 12, Patterson said.

“They are another reason I joined the military,” he added. “I know some crazy people who just go out and drink in high school. I’m doing my best to set a good example for my nephews.”.

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FINDING HIS WAY MARINE CORPS PROVES TO BE FULFILLING PATH

BY CLIF KNIGHT

J

Joe Ferguson was fresh out of high school, looking for a good-paying job in his hometown of Enterprise, when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1995.

“I was 19 years old and a part-time grocery store worker,” the 46-yearold veteran recalled. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life; however, I had two things going for me: The Marines needed a few good men, and I had an older brother who was a Marine.”

His brother Michael had these words of encouragement: “If you take the path I took, you won’t regret it. My advice is do what you’re told to do and never volunteer for anything.”

“Basic training was a culture shock,” Ferguson said. “The drill instructor had us bag our civilian clothes, informed us how to use ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ to respond to his commands and assigned each his own living space for the next 12 weeks. Each recruit was required to write his mother a letter and let her know how well he was being treated.”

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Ferguson said activities were structured on a squad level and done at a fast pace. Special duty – such as kitchen patrol, which required a full day of work in the chow hall – was disliked by most.

Not every recruit had to pull kitchen duty, however. Ferguson was one of the lucky ones who pulled light duty.

“When the other guys were working in the kitchen, two or three of us worked in command headquarters,” Ferguson explained. “We cleaned floors, emptied trash and did other housekeeping chores. Plus, we didn’t have to get out of our beds as early as the rest of the squad, and we got back to the barracks before they did.

“We participated in a lot of games and activities that focused on building life skills and habits that are necessary in military life,” Ferguson added. Mental focusing, time management and decision making were a few examples of skills developed.

Following basic, Ferguson was trained as a field radio operator and assigned stateside duty with a field artillery unit. After completing four

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I was 19 years old and a part-time grocery store worker. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life; however, I had two things going for me: The Marines needed a few good men, and I had an older brother who was a Marine.

-Joe Ferguson

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years of active duty with the Marine Corps, he signed on with a Marine Corps reserve unit headquartered in Bessemer.

The Reserve unit was activated in August 2004 for duty in Iraq. It was split, with half assigned to artillery duty and Ferguson’s half assigned to infantry duty.

“My unit was stationed about 150 miles from Baghdad in the desert. The heat was awful in August, and the cold was almost as bad when we returned stateside in February,” Ferguson recalled. “We were on the high plains. All you could see was desert. Sandstorms were common, and you couldn’t escape the fine dirt.

“A lot of our time was spent on patrol, mounted and unmounted, especially at night during the summer,” he added. “The threat of heavy gunfire was something we had to deal with constantly.”

Ferguson’s military service covered 12 years, five on active duty and seven on reserve duty.

He later earned a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in criminal justice, from Bellview University.

His civilian occupation was installer for an internet and television service company.

He and his ex-wife have two daughters, ages 23 and 13. They live in Dothan.

A 46-year-old retiree, Ferguson moved to Hartselle nine months ago and serves as service officer for John F. Thompson American Legion Post 52.”

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FAMILY TRADITIONS VEST MEN TREASURE HERITAGE OF SERVICE

BY JENNIFER L. WILLIAMS

D

Dewey Ferrell Vest said he’s often asked why the former National Guard armory in Hartselle is named for him.

“It’s not,” he explains each time. “It’s named for my uncle.”

Private Ernest Ferrell Vest joined the Alabama Army National Guard in 1941 and served with the Army Corps of Engineers. He died while on active federal service at the age of 19 in Alaska in 1942 – just a few weeks before his 20th birthday.

The new armory had been built on Vaughn Bridge Road in the 1950s, replacing the old stone structure across the railroad tracks directly behind the Depot. The armory was named for E. Forrest Vest in September 1964 by the Alabama State Military Department.

The younger Ferrell’s father, Dewey C. Vest, served for years with the 1343rd Engineer Battalion and was based at the Hartselle armory that bore his brother’s name. The battalion operated out of the armory in Hartselle until 1995, when it became the new home for the 1st Battalion, 203rd Air Defense Artillery, and made history as the first Patriot or “Scud Buster” unit in the reserve component. It was later home to the 152nd Military Police Unit until the armory closed for good in 2012.

The City of Hartselle now owns the property and uses the armory mainly for storage.

FOLLOWING TRADITION With more than 100 combined years of service, the Vest family boasts a rich military tradition in Hartselle. Young Ferrell Vest, however, did not have plans to join – until a class selection at Jacksonville State University changed the course of his life.

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“My sophomore year I needed another history credit,” he said. “My last name is Vest, and in those days, you selected your courses alphabetically.

There wasn’t much to choose from when it was my turn, but I did notice a military history course that looked interesting and that fit with what I needed, so I took it.”

That class opened his eyes to the possibilities in the military, and Vest joined the ROTC program at JSU after receiving a scholarship. He received his commission in the U.S. Army the day of his graduation in 1974. He earned his bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and joined a military police unit.

From there, Vest traveled all over the world with the Army, serving in Germany, Colorado, Kansas, Florida, California and finally in Italy, where he was assigned as the liaison officer for the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe and the liaison officer for the Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces, Southern Command, specifically as an air operations officer. He went to Bosnia-Herzegovina five times during his years there.

Vest rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel before he retired from the Army in 1995.

After moving 14 times in 20 years, Vest said he and his wife of 48 years, Beth, never really considered returning to Alabama – but fate once again had different plans.

“When my 20 years was approaching, we really had our sights set more 46

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on the Colorado Springs area,” said Vest. He had been stationed there years earlier as an executive officer of the 385th MP Battalion at Fort Carson, and he and his family had really enjoyed it. “I received a phone call asking me if I would be interested in the police chief job in Hartselle,” he said. “I said I had never really considered that, but I put in for the job, interviewed once we returned to the states, and then got it.”

Vest served as Hartselle’s police chief for six years, graduating from the Federal Bureau of Investigation during that time in 1997. He left the police department to serve as the city administrator for about a year and a half before transferring to Hartselle Utilities in 2003. Beth turned to teaching after the family relocated to Hartselle and retired a few years ago from Hartselle High.

Vest became general manager at HU in 2005, following another family tradition. His grandfather, Norman Sharrott – who was a World War I Navy veteran – was the first superintendent for the electric department with the City of Hartselle. That department later evolved into Hartselle Utilities. His father, Dewey C. Vest – who retired as a CW2 after 27 years in the military – also worked as an electrician for the City of Hartselle.

D. Ferrell Vest’s brother, Tony, served as the national gas foreman with Hartselle Utilities, and he also retired as an E7 in the Alabama Army National Guard, after serving at the Hartselle armory not only with the Engineering Battalion but also as a platoon sergeant with the ADA. D. Ferrell Vest retired from Hartselle Utilities in 2012, but today he serves on its board of directors. He also serves on the board of directors for the Port Authority in Decatur and is an active member of the Rotary Club and the American Legion in Hartselle. Outside of these activities, he stays busy fly fishing and traveling to visit his children and grandchildren.

“When you leave the military, you do miss it,” he said. “You miss the unit camaraderie.” He said that’s why so many former service members join organizations like the American Legion.

Proud Papa Vest said he could not be more proud of his children. His son Tyler, a 2002 graduate of Hartselle, followed in his father’s military footsteps, enrolling in ROTC at the University of Alabama. He graduated in 2006 with a criminal justice degree and is a major serving as an Observer, Controller and Trainer with the Army’s mission command training program at Fort Leavenworth. He and wife Lauren have a 3-year-old daughter, Hattie Grace.

Vest recently returned from a visit to Leavenworth, and he said it was amazing to see how much things had changed since he was stationed at the post. “I picked up my granddaughter from her pre-school class at an elementary school that was built exactly where our house used to be,” he said.

Vest’s daughter, Caitlin, graduated with an interior design degree from the University of Alabama in 2011 and married Eric Norwood of Hartselle.

Norwood serves as a captain in the Army, a battery commander with the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Caitlin has a successful photography business based in Tennessee. She and Eric have a son, John Eric, who is 4.

Eric’s father, Johnny Norwood, serves as a captain with the Hartselle Fire Department, a position also once held by Vest’s other brother, Larry Vest.

The Vest family has carried forward a proud family tradition in service to their community, state and country.”