Cousin Edgar, Uncle Harmon and the USAF

Cousin Edgar recently sent me two emails regarding my "Veterans Day 11/11/11" post about family members in the service. I updated that post with the corrected information. I wanted to add his own words with more details and a wonderful story about Uncle Harmon.

Edgar wrote: "Just wanted to say thanks for the tribute to those of us in the family who served in the armed forces.  You may are may not know that our cousins Buford Wooten (US Marines, Viet Nam) and Jim Singletary (USAF, Iraq and Afganistan).  Jim recently retired with 20+ years in the USAF."

His second follow-up about Uncle Harmon:  "Uncle Harmon was a 20+ year veteran of the USAF and very proud of it.  He retired as a Technical Sergeant (E-7).  As a matter of fact he had great influence on me joining the USAF and strongly encouraged me to attend the USAF Office Training School, which I did.  As a matter of additional information trivia, he made sure he met me with Dad at the Pensacola airport after my graduation and commissioning.  He insisted I give him a dollar for his salute to a newly minted Second Lieutenant.  It is Air Force tradition for a new 2nd Lt. to give the first non-comissioned officer who salutes him a dollar.  He wasn't really the first, but I had to give him the dollar anyway."

I so appreciate Cousin Edgar's story and information. To all my family  . . .  sisters, brothers, cousins and others . . . I welcome any stories you have about our family. Send them to me. The more we know about our family, the richer we are.