The people's voice of reason

Honoring Our Heroes

Captain Nimrod Thompson Frazer (92)

Captain (Cpt) Lt. Nimrod Thompson Frazer served three years in the U. S. Army including the Army National Guard and the regular Army with service in Korea during the Korean War. His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was Tank Platoon Leader. His military decorations, medals, badges and commendations included the Silver Star given for his gallantry in action, a Presidential Unit Citation and the Parachute Badge. He received a letter of appreciation from Kim Dae-jung, President of the Republic of Korea.

Cpt Frazer was born in Montgomery, AL, December 10, 1929 to his parents, William Johnson Frazer and Margaret Frazer. He attended schools in Montgomery and in Wilcox County, AL, graduated from Wilcox County High School in 1948. He attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL, and left college in December of 1950 to join the Alabama National Guard when it was called to active duty. After Basic Infantry training at Fort Jackson, SC, he attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Knox, KY. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on February 14, 1952 before assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division and the 44th Tank Battalion at Fort Bragg, NC. He volunteered for Korea and served there for ten months with the 140 Tank Battalion.

After leaving the Army, he served in the Army National Guard in the Special Forces. He was discharged September 20, 1953 and then returned to service in the AL Army National Guard. Returning to civilian life, 2nd Lt. Frazer used the G. I. Bill and resumed his studies at Huntingdon College and graduated with a B.S. Degree in Business in 1953. He resumed his military service rejoining the AL Army National Guard and was promoted to Captain in the 20th Special Forces. He also used the G.I. Bill in attending Columbia University and then in earning a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University in 1956.

Cpt Frazer has had a long and successful career in investment banking, continuing even until now in 2021. He began his career working with the brokerage firm, Sterne Agee and Leach, followed by working with Thornton, Farish and Gauntt, an investment banking firm. In 1976, he cofounded the investment banking company, Frazer Lanier Company, with Clifford Lanier, Jr. Then, in 2008, Cpt Frazer formed a real estate brokerage, The Jobs Company LLC, in which he continues his success located in the historic Union Station building in the heart of Montgomery, AL.

Cpt Frazer and his wife, Lee Martin Frazer, have five children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is modest and is hesitant to talk about his achievements and honors. He received an honorary degree, the Doctor of Humane Letters from Huntingdon College May 14, 2000, which is given to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. He was recognized as a Senior Warden by St. John's Episcopal Church in 1996. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Alabama Historical Commission and the Mary Ann Neely Historic Preservation Award from the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery, AL in 2018.

The Daughters of the American Revolution awarded him its highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor. The University of Alabama named him to the Alabama Business Hall of Fame, and Marion Military Institute named him to the Alabama Military Hall of Honor.

Cpt Frazer's conclusions about his military service are, "The Army taught me how to manage people and to lead people." His family has a rich heritage of patriotic service to their country. His brother served valiantly during WWII, and his father, Sergeant William J. Frazer, served with the 167th Infantry Regiment with the 42nd Division during WWI earning a Purple Heart at the battle of Croix Rouge Farm in France.

Cpt Frazer has written two books about WWI. He described the Rainbow Division's heroism in his book, Send the Alabamians: WWI Fighters in the Rainbow Division, published in 2014, and The Best World War I Story I Know, published in 2018, describing the grit and determination the 35th, 1st and 42nd Divisions doughboys. In addition, he has provided the funding for the acquisition and erection of sculptures of two WWI soldiers: the Rainbow Soldier and the Return from the Argonne, at the Union Station in Montgomery where Alabama Infantry in the 31st Dixie Division and mostly African-American soldiers in the 366th Infantry Regiment of the 92nd Division who fought in the Argonne had departed from this train station to join the Rainbow Division. He funded another such sculpture of WWI Pilots, the Daedalous, which was erected at Maxwell Air Force Base, and there he was awarded the Legion of Honor, France's highest honor, August 27, 2017. This medal was given because of his efforts to keep alive the memory of French and American soldiers who fought and died in WWI and for commissioning a memorial to the Rainbow Division near Chateau Thierry. He funded the Jim Butler monument of the Rainbow soldier at Croix Rouge Farm at Fere en Tardenois in France.

# end #

1st Lt Norma Lynn Lundy (82)

1st Lt Norma Lundy served two years, nine months and 23 days in the United States Air Force. Her Military Occupational Specialty Code was Staff General Duty Nurse.

1s Lt Lundy was born March 4, 1939, to her parents, Alfred Eugene and Margaret Berney in Knoxville, TN, and she was reared with a family of four brothers. During her first five years, the family moved to Birmingham, Atlanta and Montgomery while her father worked as a typewriter repairman. After WWII, her family moved to Montgomery where she was reared and educated. She attended Chisholm Elementary School, Capitol Heights Junior High School, Lanier High School and Robert E. Lee High School. Her family then moved to Memphis, TN, where she graduated from White Station High School in 1957.

At Memphis, a friend took her to visit St. Jude's Children's Hospital and this visit had such a dynamic impact upon her, she decided to become nurse which resulted in her achievements in pediatric and geriatric medical care. She graduated from Jefferson Davis Hospital School of Nursing at Houston, TX, in 1964. For one year, she worked in pediatric research at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston where she took care of two sets of Siamese twins and many other children including newborn babies who carried the Rubella virus. After working at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, she enlisted in the U. S. Air Force February 13, 1966. Her decision was based upon her many years of having an uncle who was serving in the U. S. Air Force visit her family and share his experiences of traveling worldwide.

1st Lt Lundy's three-month basic training was at Gunter Air Force Base (AFB), AL, followed by assignment at Amarillo AFB, TX, where she worked in a variety of medical areas. While there, she met her husband, John Lundy, and they were married 23 years. They had two children and three grandchildren. He was also an officer in the Air Force, and they were deployed together to Wheelus Air Base, a United States Air Force base located in British-occupied Libya and the Kingdom of Libya. At one time, it was the largest US military facility outside the US. It had an area of 20 sq. miles on the coast of Tripoli. They lived in a WWII trailer measuring eight feet by 35 feet on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea.

1st Lt. Lundy became pregnant and then delivered a baby in a U. S. military hospital in Weisbaden, Germany. Because the military at that time would not allow females in the military to remain in service if they had children while serving, she was forced to resign from military service December 3, 1968. With tears in her eyes and a quiver in her voice, her reflections upon her are military service are, "I knew that I could make a contribution to the well being and to the lives of the people who serve. Once I discovered nursing, it was a natural avenue that I could go do that. When I took care of those Airmen torn up from serving in Vietnam and the pilots who crashed in the desert in Libya, I knew that I was doing good for the country. I was inspired to be a nurse without even thinking about the fact that it could be my avenue to go and see the world. I got to see all of the Middle East. Holland, Germany and Spain. I was interested in other cultures and how people lived."

After leaving Libya, 1st Lt. Lundy's husband was transferred to Malmstron AFB, at Great Falls, MT, for four years followed by assignment to Little Rock AFB, AR, for four years, and then to Sheppard AFB, TX, TDY in the summer of 1974. While in AR, she received a B.S. Degree in Gerontology from the University of AR at Little Rock. Her husband's next assignment was to Elmendorf AFB, AK, for 10 years. This move to Anchorage, AK, proved to be a major turning point in 1st Lt Lundy's life because this is where she resumed her career in the medical field and started working in community care for the aging. She worked for the city of Anchorage as the Director of Senior Citizens Programs.

Using a federal grant of $10,000, she completed certification as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner from the University of Washington in 1985. 1st Lt Lundy's 13 years in gerontology encompassed first working at Anchorage' Pioneer Home, one of five Pioneer Homes serving older adults in cities in Alaska. She worked with a gerontologist-physician for 12 months. She opened a private practice and served as a nurse practitioner at the nursing home, Mary Conrad Center. She served as the Medicaid Commissioner for the state of Alaska and opened a new nursing home in Anchorage. She did what needed to be done for senior adults in Anchorage for seven years.

1st Lt. Lundy went to Kauai, Hawaii, to teach staff at Wilcox Hospital how to take care of nursing home patients for three months. She went to Honolulu and became the Vice President of Long Term Care for the State of Hawaii. This was a private corporation for a lobbying group for all of the hospitals and nursing homes in Hawaii. She traveled to every Hawaiian Island and taught geriatric nursing at each nursing home for a year. In 1991, she returned to Kauai working as nurse practitioner at Wilcox Hospital Long-Term Care, but Hurricane Iniki struck Hawaii. It was the most powerful hurricane to ever strike Hawaii. She was involved in the evacuation of 90 nursing home patients and their care, and for six weeks, there was no running water or electrical power.

In 1995, 1st Lt. Lundy moved to Pensacola, FL, to work as the geriatric nurse practitioner in the skilled nursing unit at the West FL Hospital for two years, and this permitted her to come to Montgomery, AL, to care for her terminally ill mother on the weekends. Then she traveled for six months across America visiting friends, and she remained in San Diego for one year. She returned to Hawaii working as the resident case manager at the assisted living facility, The Ponds at Punalulu, on the northern shore of Oahu. She then worked for Wilcox Hospital at Kawaii in quality medical review, and then she worked setting up four out-patient clinics as project creator and director for chronic disease retiring in 2004.

1st Lt. Lundy spent several months traveling across America and then went to England where she lived six months at the Tara Kadampa Buddist Center at Derbyshire where she shared in cleaning, teaching classes, sewing and meditating. She moved to Atlanta, volunteering at the Atlanta Area Agency on Aging, followed by working part time there for four years. She dealt with aging disability resource managing four years retiring completely in 2010. She then moved to Pennsylvania to assist in caring for her grandson for five years. She moved to Pensacola for five years and then back to Montgomery where she now resides.

The remarkable woman has significantly contributed to the improvement of medical care for the elderly and has provided leadership in medical facilities wherever she has been.

# end #

Staff Sergeant Ronald Urquhart (62)

SSG Ronald Urquhart served in the United States Army on active duty for three years and in the Alabama Army National Guard for 21 years. His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was radio teletype operator while in the Army and field lineman in the Army National Guard. His medals, awards and decorations include: Marksman (Rifle) and Marksman (grenade).

SSG Urquhart was born in LeGrand, AL, June 23, 1959, to his parents, Howard and Gussie Mae Urquhart. He was reared in Ramer, AL, and leaving high school, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army at the age of 17.

SSG Urquhart's military service began June 7, 1977, and he completed induction at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, followed by eight weeks of Basic Training at Ft. Gordon, GA. He completed a 12 week self-paced course in radio-teletype operator in seven weeks. He served at Ft. Hood, TX, including a three-month TDY deployment to Stuttgart, Germany, until he was discharged June 6, 1980.

After about one year, SSG Urquhart reenlisted in military service and in the Alabama National Guard. He served two weekends monthly in the Montgomery, AL, area and two weeks each summer mostly at Camp Shelby, MS.

SSG Urquhart earned his GED in 1985 and then used the G.I. bill for one year at Alabama Christian College (Faulkner University) in preparation for later becoming an x-ray technician. During this time, he was working at night as an aide in the x-ray department at the Baptist South Medical Center in Montgomery, AL. At this same medical facility, SSG Urquhart completed two years of training to be a registered x-ray technician in 1990 and continued working there. Next, in September 1993, he worked in giving CT scans at the Montgomery Cancer Center. In 1995, He completed further training for one year at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, TN, to become a licensed radiation therapist. He has worked as a radiation therapist for almost 28 years at the Montgomery Canter Center. SSG Urquhart's conclusions about his work with cancer patients are, "I love it. I get to meet a lot of people. When I go to work, I know that I am getting to help a lot of people. It is so rewarding to see people when they return saying that they are well."

SSG Urquhart and his wife, Cheryl, have been married for 33 years, and they have two children and one grandchild. They enjoy traveling and also watching movies at home. They have been members of the United Faith Christian Church in Le Grand, AL, where he has served as a deacon. He exercises by jogging and walking daily.

SSG Urquhart's reflections upon his military service are, "It was a pleasure to serve. I learned a lot of things in the Army. It helped me to grow up real fast as I was very immature when I enlisted. The camaraderie and friendships helped me to learn to depend on other people. If I had to do it over again, I might change a few things, but I would have definitely made the military my career. I have no regrets. Being in the military gives benefits such as being able to use the Maxwell Air Force Base, the VA Out-Patient Clinic and insurance discounts for veterans. Looking back, I can say that I am proud to have served in the military."

#end#

Petty Officer 1st Class Lynn W. Jinks, Jr. (100)

Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1) Lynn W. Jinks, Jr. served five years in the United States Navy during WWII. His occupational specialty (MOS) was Navy Air Controller. The flights of incoming and outgoing aircraft from U.S. naval bases were controlled by Tower Operators. PO1 Jinks was involved in U. S. Naval combat to liberate islands from the Japanese in the Pacific Theater.

PO1 Jinks was born January 10, 1922 in Union Springs, AL, to his parents, Lynn W. Jinks Sr. and Clarice Peddy Jinks. He was reared there and graduated from Union Springs High School in 1939.Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he volunteered for military service and served in the United States Navy at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, FL, at the Naval Air Station in Long Beach, CA, and in the Pacific Theater on the Palawan Island in the Philippines during WWII. The battle to take the Island from the Japanese was at a hostile site with a Naval task force of cruisers and destroyers from the 7th Fleet. He worked in the control towers as a control tower operator at the Naval air stations and bases. He was discharged in 1946.

Using the G.I. Bill, PO1 Jinks graduated from the University of Alabama Law School, became a member of the Alabama Bar Association September 15, 1949 and practiced general law in Union Springs, AL, for 50 years including assisting the Bullock County prosecutor for several years retiring in 1991.

PO1 Jinks was married to Beth P. Jinks for 53 years until she passed away. They had three children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He has been a member of the Union Springs United Methodist Church. He and his wife, Ruby R. Jinks, have been married 33 years. She served as his Office Administrator in his law practice office for many years. After his retirement, they moved to Montgomery, AL, where they have lived for 26 years.

PO1 Jinks' conclusions about his military service stating, "I was proud to serve." His wife, Ruby, adds that she would like future generations to remember him as being a good person.

#end#

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/18/2024 08:08