Kenneth Wayne Terry
U.S. Marine Corps 1970 – 1991
In April 1970, Kenneth enlisted in the United States Marine Corps’ delayed enlistment program under an “Aviation Guarantee Contract.” He attended Marine Corps Boot Camp at San Diego, Calif., in September 1970 before completing training as an Aviation Ordnance Man in Jacksonville, Fla. After graduating at the top of his class, he was promoted to Lance Corporal and assigned as an Aviation Ordnance Man to the F-4 Phantom “Grey Ghosts” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons (VMFA) 531 in El Toro Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), Calif. Later he was assigned to the VMFA 323 “Death Rattlers” where he was promoted to Sergeant. He earned an additional specialty of Unit Diary Clerk (Administration), while assigned to VMFA-531. When he re-enlisted, his newest specialty became his primary job, moving him from ordnance to administration.
Always a diligent worker, Kenneth applied for and was accepted for the pilot program of the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) in the summer of 1973. He attended “The Citadel” in Charleston, South Carolina, from August 1973 through May 1976 and was promoted to Staff Sergeant while he was a student. In May of 1976, he graduated and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Kenneth served in various administrative billets, both in the states and the Far East, eventually obtaining an assignment with Marine Air Group 42, Detachment Bravo (MAG-42, Det B) in Millington, Tenn. After four years of working with Marine Corps Reserve Units, he was selected for an Advanced Degree Program in May 1985. In 1986 he graduated from Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis, with a Master of Science Degree in Educational Research.
In 1991 while assigned to the Training and Education Center in Quantico, Virginia, Kenneth retired as a Major. Among his various military awards were a National Defense Service Medal, two Meritorious Masts, a Good Conduct Medal, four Letters of Appreciation, a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, seven Pistol Expert Badges, and seven Rifle Expert Badges.
After retirement, he moved to Munford, Tenn., and accepted a job with the State of Tennessee as a Correctional Counselor at the Jackson Halfway House in Jackson, Tenn. There he worked with juveniles in the criminal justice system before transferring to the Tennessee Parole Board as a Parole Officer in Shelby County. In July 1998 , he then accepted a job in Millington, TN, with the Department of the Navy, Bureau of Personnel, Navy Personnel Command. As the Head of the POW/MIA Branch, Casualty Assistance Division, his team performed a unique casualty function directly supporting the needs of family members of Navy and Coast Guard service personnel who failed to return from past wars or conflicts. Although initially starting with unaccounted Navy/Coast Guard service members from the Vietnam War, his overall responsibilities eventually ranged from Civil War recoveries through current combat operations and all conflicts in between, both large and small. Working in consonance with the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office and various other agencies involved in the U.S. Government’s Full Accounting Effort, he was part of an impressive team effort that averaged 100 annual recoveries and identifications of Unaccounted-For U.S. Military personnel between 1998 and 2012. Thanks to today’s advances in technology and DNA research, the annual recoveries and identifications have drastically increased, bringing closure to families who have often waited decades for answers.
Kenneth retired from Federal Civil Service in 2012. He is a member of Hopewell United Methodist Church where he enjoys serving his Church and community. Retirement has given him more time to enjoy his family and friends, as well as time to travel. Kenneth continues to look for opportunities to serve in any way that he can. In his words, “Opportunities, that indeed make life worth living!”
Kenneth was nominated for Veteran of the Month by Bob Willis, the April 2019 Veteran of the Month.