Michael Knox

Air Force veteran has a heart for local military

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY

PHOTO BY CLIFF WILIAMS

Michael Knox gave his heart to Tallassee’s VFW 10 years ago, after taking a boat ride on the Tallapoosa River with Lisa, his wife of 16 years. Lisa grew up in Tallassee, and when Knox’s adventurous military career came to a close, his wife and he decided to settle down in Tallassee.

“My wife grew up here. When she was a little girl, she remembered going to the VFW with her dad who is an Air Force veteran. We now live right next to her parents on the river in a house we built. One day back in 2009, we were out on a boat, and I noticed the VFW building. My wife told me what it was. Long story short, I stuck my nose in one day and have been with them ever since,” Knox explained.

Knox had an extensive career with the Air Force and was part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. He served in the Gulf War with the EOD team before retiring out of MacDill Air Force Base. “I disarmed explosive devices in the Gulf War. I’ve worked on real nuclear weapons. I grew up in Central Europe, and I’ve gotten to do some really neat stuff over the years,” Knox said. comfortable. Our secondary mission is to support our local community. It tends to get lost in the mix. We do a lot of things for our community, and I think we do them well, especially for such a small town,” Knox said.

While serving his country proudly, Knox married Lisa, and they had two daughters, Michaela and Meagan. Michaela lives on the river with her family near her parents’ house and teaches school at Dadeville Elementary. Meagan lives near Tampa and is attending nursing school.

Following his retirement from the Air Force, Knox took a position with SCS, an environmental engineering firm.

“I get to work out of a home office most of the time. I travel all up and down the East Coast, and my official title is a regional quality advisor. I get to help solve problems and help make sure our people have what they need. If they have issues, I help them solve them. If they need training, I help with that. I’ve been doing that for over 16 years now,” Knox explained.

Along with his day-today job, Knox holds the Quartermaster position for the Tallassee VFW. He first came into the position a year ago, following his predecessor, Bill Lewis, who held the position for nine years.

“I was being groomed for the position and probably would’ve been doing it in another year or two, but Bill Lewis passed away unexpectedly last year around Christmas. I took over out of necessity after his loss with nobody to show me how to do it. I’m learning as I go,” Knox said.

As Quartermaster, Knox handles the financial side of the nonprofit. Reporting earnings and taxes is crucial to the upkeep of the organization.

The VFW assists veterans with financial, legal and medical services, among a slew of additional types of aid. Knox hopes to show others the organization isn’t just a bar.

“There’s a constant battle that I think all of the VFWs nationwide face, which is to not have a negative perception. Our goal is to support veterans, and the atmosphere of a bar is where most of our guys feel comfortable,” Knox explained.

The connection between Tallassee and the VFW grows stronger as the organization adds more community involvement to its repertoire. Currently, the Tallassee VFW raises funds for scholarships for Tallassee and Reeltown students. Knox hopes next year to include Wetumpka and Eclectic in the mix.

The branch also supports local churches, along with The Learning Tree, through monetary and food donations. Food drives are coordinated by the VFW for special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

After retiring from the U.S. Air Force, Knox joined the local Veterans of Foreign Wars club, where he helps to support veterans and build community.

“I’m responsible for all accounts payable. I handle all of our licenses and permits while also taking care of the financial reporting for our branch. I basically pay all the bills, take in the money and look after the bank account,” he explained.

Prioritizing the budget is important to Knox and the rest of the VFW’s members. Along with taking care of and welcoming in veterans, Knox also believes it’s important to support and connect with their local community.

“Our primary mission is to support veterans, and the VFW is an environment where a lot of the veterans feel

“The list goes on and on. We participate and support Bikers Against Child Abuse, Tuskegee Veteran’s Home and Operation Combat Bikesaver, to name a few. We also do a charity drawing. It’s called the Queen of Hearts, and it happens every Thursday night. It’s when a lot of the people show up,” Knox said.

Though Knox has only held the position briefly, he’s making sure the VFW’s missions are upheld. He hopes to continue being part of the organization as he lives out his life in the small town that captured his heart.

“We’re going to live here for the rest of our lives. We’ve bought property on the river and built a house out here. My youngest daughter and grandchildren live here. We’ve got extended family that live down there in that area with us. Both sides of our family are down there with us. It’s just a little paradise. We love it,” Knox said.