Colonel (Retired) Paul R. Longgrear
(GMVHOF Founder & ROTC Scholarship Program Director – 2013)
Colonel (Retired) Paul R. Longgrear, an Arkansas native, was drafted into the US Army in 1965. He was commissioned in 1966. After spending eighteen months in training, he went to Vietnam with Special Forces and during two tours received a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars for Valor, the Combat Infantry Badge, and was wounded five times. Paul left active duty in 1976 to go into full time Christian ministry. He remained in the US Army Reserve and retired with a combined federal service of twenty-six years. He has been inducted into the US Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame and the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame both located at Fort Benning, Georgia and the Arkansas Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame. Colonel Longgrear is the Founder and ROTC Scholarship Program Director of the Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of
Fame.
Colonel (Retired) Richard H. White
(GMVHOF Director & Chairman of the Board – 2013)
Colonel Rick White, a native of Norcross, Georgia, enlisted in the U.S. Army Airborne Infantry as a Private in 1966. He was commission as a Second Lieutenant through Infantry Officer Candidate School (OCS) in 1967 at the age of nineteen. He soon deployed to Vietnam for a total of twenty-four months in combat serving as a Rifle Platoon Leader and Reconnaissance Platoon Leader in the 4 th Infantry Division and as an Airborne Infantry Company Commander in the 173 rd Airborne Brigade. His numerous awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, Combat Infantry Badge, Senior Aviator Wings, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, and Master Parachutist Wings. He has degrees from Harvard University, Webster University, University of Maryland, and the Army War College. During thirty-one years of service, he commanded two brigades, two battalions, six companies, and three platoons encompassing Infantry, Special Forces, Aviation, and Recruiting. In 1997, he retired from active duty and was later inducted into the U.S. Army OCS Hall of Fame located at Fort Benning, Georgia. Colonel White and his wife, Pamela, make their home in Johns Creek, Georgia. Their family consists of twin daughters, a son, two sons-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and four grandsons.
Colonel Graham R. White
(GMVHOF Induction Ceremony Citation Reader – 2013)
Colonel Graham White, a Georgia native, enlisted in the Georgia Army National Guard as an Airborne Infantryman on his 17th birthday in 1995. Upon graduation from high school, he entered the US Military Academy where he played football and graduated in 2000. His major units of assignments to date are: 82nd Airborne Division (two), 75th Ranger Regiment (four), 2nd Infantry Division, and 25th Infantry Division (two). He has commanded an Airborne Infantry Rifle Platoon, a Ranger Platoon, an Infantry Rifle Company, a Ranger Company, a Ranger Reconnaissance Company, an Airborne Infantry Battalion, a Ranger Battalion and an Infantry Brigade. So far, he has had 11 combat deployments totaling 43 months in combat divided between Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, he is the Chief of Staff of the 25 th Infantry Division. His numerous awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantry Badge. Colonel White is a charter member of the Georgia Military Veteran’s Hall of Fame.
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) John Paul Jones
(Chief Financial Officer)
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) J. P. (John Paul) Jones, an Alabama native, was drafted into the U.S. Army in August 1969. He received his commission in July 1970 as a Signal Corps officer. In April 1973 he branch transferred to the Army Finance Corps, in which he served until January 1993. His assignments encompass duty with both the 3d Infantry Division and the 1st Infantry Division as well as post in the United States, Germany and Korea. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster as well as others. He is a Certified Public Accountant. J.P. recently completed tenure as the Executive Administrative Manager for the just completed Hartsfield-Jackson Development Program at the Atlanta airport. Following those duties, he assumed the role as the Project Accountant for an international engineering and consulting company that is the Program Manager for the next expansion at the Atlanta airport, ATLNEXT.
First Sergeant (Retired) Marshall C. Huckaby
(GMVHOF Chief Operations Officer – 2018) (GMVHOF Inductee # 89)
First Sergeant (Retired) Marshall C, Huckaby, a native of Warner Robins, GA, began his Military Service with the U.S. Navy in 1961, serving four years. After his discharged from the U.S. Navy, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving three combat tours in Vietnam, retiring from the Army in 1981. His awards include four Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars for Valor, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. His Federal Civil Service includes working with the Veterans Administration, the U.S. Customs Service, and is a Charter Member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is a 1980 Graduate of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, has a BS Degree from Troy State University and a Master of Public Administration Degree from Georgia Southern University.
John David Blair, USMC
(GMVHOF Member – 2019) (GMVHOF Inductee # 50)
John D. Blair, a native of Canton, Georgia, enlisted into the United States Marine Corps in 1966 and served four years up to 1974. During this period John spent 13 months in combat with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines.
His awards include the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat Valor device, the Vietnamese Service Medal with four Stars, the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with Device, and for a heroic act of valor while serving as an infantry squad leader, John was awarded the nation’s third highest military award – the Silver Star.
A current member of the Marine Corps League, Detachment #1311, John was inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame in 2019 for his act of valor. He is currently serving as the Vice President of sales for PTS Financial Services.
Tommy Clack
(GMVHOF Sustaining Membership Program Coordinator – 2020) (GMVHOF Inductee # 2)
A native of Decatur, GA, enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1966, graduated from Artillery Officer Candidate School (OCS), served in Vietnam in 1968-69 as a Forward Observer with C Company, 2 nd Battalion, 27 th Infantry “Wolfhounds”, 25 th Infantry Division, was severely injured on 29 May 1969, becoming a triple amputee and retired medically as a Captain. He spent twenty-two months in military hospitals and the Atlanta VA Medical Center, surviving thirty-three surgeries. Tommy then became employed in the arena of helping Veterans and their families obtain their earned state and federal benefits and graduated from Georgia State University with a B.S. in Urban Administration. He retired in 2012, with forty-seven years of military time, staff-assistant to the Director of the Atlanta VA and then field manager/VSO with the Georgia Department of Veterans Service. For 50+ years, he has volunteered with multiple
organizations serving Veterans, military members and their families. Since 1971, he annually speaks at 100+ engagements around Georgia and throughout the U.S. He was raised in the outdoors and still shots, hunts and fishes year-round. In 2015, the Safari Club International selected him as the “Path Finder” of the year for serving as an example of disabled people enjoying the outdoors. Tommy was inducted into the Artillery OCS Hall of Fame and the Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame in its very first class in 2013. Tommy has one son, one daughter and four grandchildren.
Colonel Craig Everson
(GMVHOF Secretary – 2021)
Colonel (Ret) Craig Everson, a Florida native, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1988 as a Signals Intelligence Morse Code Interceptor. While stationed at Fort Irwin, he was accepted to the Green to Gold program and subsequently graduated from California State University in 1994 as the Distinguished Military Graduate and an Active Duty Military Intelligence Officer.
His major units of assignments include the 2 nd Infantry Division, 82 nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, 3 rd Special Forces Group, Defense Attaché Office Abidjan, and various Joint Strategic Intelligence assignments. His last assignment prior to retirement was as the Central Command (CENTCOM) Intelligence Directorate (J2X) Division Chief responsible for Human Intelligence, Counterintelligence, and Sensitive Activities in the CENTCOM Area of Operations.
Colonel Everson spent four combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as led a Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) from the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan during the Ivorian Civil War.
Among his awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (four Awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two Awards), Army Meritorious Service Medal (two Awards) and Master Parachutist Wings. His foreign awards include the Ivorian Order of the Lion as well as Venezuelan and German parachutist wings. Colonel Everson has Master’s Degrees from Webster University and the Naval War College. Craig and his lovely wife Monique make their home in Clayton, GA. Their son Kyle is an Active Duty Army Captain and Doctor at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and their daughter Jessica is a Nurse who resides with her husband and son in Canada.
Sergeant Major (Retired) Sarita Y. Dyer
(GMVHOF Parliamentarian & Facebook Coordinator – 2022) (GMVHOF Inductee # 151)
Sergeant Major (Ret) Sarita Dyer served nearly three decades of faithful service to our country. Sarita went onto a very productive and exciting career while serving in a multitude of leadership positions across the globe. Also, a two-time Bronze Star award recipient and Combat Veteran serving in four combat campaigns. Sarita achieved the highest enlisted rank of Sergeant Major with culminating assignments serving as a Congressional Fellow for U.S. Senator of New York, Senator Kristin Gillibrand and a Legislative Liaison for Secretary of the U.S. Army. She worked arduously to earn a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science; a Master of Science in Environmental Management and a proud alumni of The George Washington University where she earned her second master’s in Legislative Affairs.
Awards:
Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (two), Meritorious Service Medal (four), Army Commendation Medal (six), Army Achievement Award Medal (eleven), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal w/star, Saudi Liberation of Kuwait Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Citation, NATO Medal (two), Army Overseas Service Medal (five), Good Conduct Medal (eight), Army Staff Identification Badge, Drill Sergeant Identification Badge,
U.S. Army Chemical Corps Order of the Dragon
Special Duties:
Army Congressional Fellow ’14; Legislative Liaison to Secretary of the Army ’15-’16; Female Engagement Team Officer in Charge (Operation Enduring Freedom) ’13; Force Protection Sergeant Major (Operation Iraq Freedom / Operation New Dawn / Operation Enduring Freedom) ’09 -’13; 3 RD Infantry Division Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Senior Advisor ’09-’13; Senior Drill Sergeant ’01-’04.
Currently, Sarita resides with husband, Command Sergeant Major (Ret) Kerry Dyer, in McDonough, GA where she enjoys motherhood to four adult children and two grandchildren. She continues to serve her community as a member of the American Legion Post 516, Local Veteran Service Organization Board Member, a Mentor for Veteran Treatment Court, and previously served on her community’s HOA Board member (6+ years). Her hobbies include shopping, cooking, exercising, and cheering on the Pittsburg Steelers.
Colonel (Retired) John W. Thompson
(GMVHOF Deputy Director – 2023) (GMVHOF Inductee # 145)
John Thompson is Director, Risk Management for Cox Enterprises, a leading communications, media and automotive services company. He joined Cox Enterprises in July 2017 after retiring from the U.S. Army where he rose to the rank of Colonel, serving and commanding in a variety of conventional and special operations assignments. Over his thirty year career he commanded at every level from company to brigade with his last command being the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment – The Night Stalkers. His strategic assignments include Joint Special Operations Command, The Pentagon, United States Forces Afghanistan and Defense Coordinating Officer FEMA Region IV. He is a Combat Veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and several classified contingency operations.
Thompson is a graduate of University of North Georgia, the Military College of Georgia, and holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame and as a board member of The Warrior Alliance. Thompson was inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame in 2021 along with his father Captain Robert A. “Bo” Thompson (Killed in Action, Republic of Vietnam on 9 August 1967), who also is a 1962 North Georgia College alum. John is the proud son, husband, and father of two children and grandfather of four grandchildren.