VOM – September 2025
Phillip Farmer U.S. Army / TN Air National Guard 1968 – 1974 & 1980 – 2005 Phillip Farmer was born on Oct. 6, 1949, in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up in Covington where he graduated from Byars Hall High School in 1967. During the height of the Vietnam conflict in
VOM – July 2024
A. Jason Fleming U.S. Army / TANG 1989 – 2021 Born in 1963 in Covington, Tenn., Jason is a 1981 graduate of Covington High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Tennessee at Martin. After college graduation, he began his career
VOM – February 2023
William Bradley Vanstory U.S. Army 2008 – 2015 William Bradley Vanstory was born 3 February 1987 in Memphis, Tenn., and graduated from Covington High School in 2005. As a child, he knew he wanted to be a soldier and practiced almost every day with his G.I. Joe soldiers. He joined
VOM – August 2024
Chad Austin Bohnert U.S. Army 2015 – 2019 Chad joined the United States Army in January 2015 and served in Germany as a Military Police Officer. He was honorably discharged as a Specialist (E4) after three and a half years of active service and placed in the Individual Ready Reserve
VOM – January 2023
Loyd Ray Barnes U.S. Army National Guard 1954 – 1991 Loyd Ray Barnes was born on March 15, 1935, and enlisted in the Army National Guard on April 1, 1954. He completed boot camp at Fort McClellan, Alabama, before returning home to Tennessee to serve his state. Although most of
VOM – May 2025
Neil Andrew Higgins U.S. Army 1984 – 2009 Born in London, England and raised in Jamaica, West Indies, Neil Higgins was commissioned in the United States Army as a Distinguished Military Graduate from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in 1984. Some of his key operational assignments during his 25 years
VOM – September 2024
Billy Thomas Rickard U.S. Army 1962 – 1965 Billy Thomas Rickard, the son of William Rickard, Jr., and Mary Elizabeth Rose, was born Jan. 6, 1945, in Shelby County, Tenn. He was a sophomore student at Byars Hall High School when he made the decision to enter military service, joining
VOM – June 2024
Cory Norwood USMCR / ANG Cory Norwood joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) for three primary reasons: (1) to serve his country, (2) to carry-on his family tradition of military service, and (3) to assist with paying for his post high school education. After four years in the
VOM – October 2016
Warren Richard “Rick” Willers US Army 1969-1973 / US Navy, 1973 – 1993 Our October Veteran of the Month is Warren Richard “Rick” Willers. He was born in Pensacola, Florida, and attended Livingston College (now the University of West Alabama) after graduating from Demopolis High School. During his Junior year
VOM – September 2018
Perry Douglas Ward (Sept. 21, 1935-Jan. 6, 2021) US Army, Korea Born September 21, 1935 in Holcomb, Mississippi, Doug Ward enlisted in the United States Army a year after graduating from high school. After completion of Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he trained to be a Ranger, then