Veteran Service Award winner works hard to serve his fellow veterans

By MIKE BOLLINGER

Tom Britt has lived in Johnston County since 2008, and he has spent those 15 years working to serve his fellow veterans in multiple ways.

Because of that service, Britt is the recipient of the Johnston Now Honors Veteran Service Award.

“Once you’re a veteran, you’re a veteran for life. If I’m able to do it (help veterans), I’m going to do it. We’ve lost too many veterans I was friends with.”

Britt served in the U.S. Army from May 27, 1966 until May 26, 1969. He was a Specialist 4 when honorably discharged.

For the first year and a half, he served at a base in Northfield, Minn. “We were in the middle of a cornfield. It was supposed to be secret, but people knew we were there,” Britt said.

He was a computer operator on the Nike Hercules System, which was a surface to air missile system used for medium to high altitude air defense. “The Nike Hercules system became obsolete, and the base closed,” Britt said.

When that closure happened, Britt received orders to head to Bamberg, Germany to serve with a howitzer unit. While there, he was the driver for the battery commander. “I had top secret clearance, and they needed someone with that clearance to be the battery commander’s driver because he carried the code book. I kept his Jeep ready to go and was available whenever he needed to go somewhere,” he said.

Britt says the best thing about his military career is not something he accomplished while in service. “I met my wife (Eleanor) crossing a bridge in Northfield. We’ve been married 55 years. She went to Germany with me. She’s my biggest asset and my biggest supporter,” he said.

The Britts stayed in Minnesota until he retired, then they moved to Johnston County. It was not long after that his veteran service began. “I was at a church program in Four Oaks and Gertrude Beaver, who was the American Legion Auxiliary president, asked all the veterans to stand up. I did, and she cornered me after the program and I joined the American Legion,” he said.

He has served six terms as president of Four Oaks American Legion Post 346. He is now in his second term as finance officer. He led the post’s Memorial Day program this year and oversees all the financial aspects of the post.

Britt is a member of the American Legion Riders group based in Dunn. The American Legion Riders provide motorcycle escorts for the remains of service members from airports to cemeteries or funeral homes.

He has been riding motorcycles for more than 60 years. “I had a motorcycle before I had a driver’s license. I had a baby Harley I bought when I was 14 years old with babysitting money,” Britt said.

Eleanor is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, and Britt helps with the auxiliary’s bargain house. “They take donations, and they sell what they get and then donate to help veterans. Every penny that comes in goes to help a veteran in some form or another,” he said.

He is now serving his second three-year term on the Johnston County Veteran Services Advisory Board. “We assist veterans with any problems they might have and help them to get things they need,” Britt said.

In addition, he has served as president of the Johnston County Veterans Council, which is made up of the various veteran services organizations in Johnston County. That group has representatives from organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the Marine Corps League.

As a volunteer with the State Employees Credit Union Hospice House, Britt works to have a program for veterans when they enter hospice care there. “We recognize them as a veteran and give them a certificate and a U.S. flag and the flag from their branch of service. We sing “America the Beautiful” and say a prayer over them. A lot of that is for the families,” he said.

Britt has also recently completed training to volunteer at UNC Health Johnston in Smithfield to visit veterans when they are in the hospital.

In addition to his military service, Britt has earned another title. At a town council meeting, then-Mayor Linwood Parker appointed him as the “General of Four Oaks” to recognize his work with veterans.

“I love my small town,” Britt said.

Not only does he love his town, but through his work his love for his fellow veterans is evident. “I love my fellow veterans — period,” he said.