Tuskegee ROTC Hall of Fame inducts 19
November 21, 2017
Contact:
Michael Tullier, APR, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
Col. Anthony C. Aiken Sr. (Army, ret.), Chair, ¶¶Ňő¶ĚĘÓƵ ROTC Hall of Fame
More than 560 years of combined military service, one Silver Star, one Purple Heart, eight Bronze Stars nine Legion of Merit awards, one captain, 17 colonels and one rear admiral — just a few of the characteristics that define the 2017 class of inductees into ¶¶Ňő¶ĚĘÓƵ’s ROTC Hall of Fame.
“We depend on our armed forces to protect our national and global interests, and we applaud the military careers of this year’s honorees and their service to our country,” Interim President Charlotte P. Morris said during the Oct. 27 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “Many of Tuskegee’s seasoned veterans have been trailblazers who have paved the way so that many other people of color could hold key positions in our armed forces.”
Established in 2016, Tuskegee’s ROTC Hall of Fame seeks to honor individuals who have exemplified the attributes of leadership, integrity, moral courage and self-discipline commonly associated with military service. ¶¶Ňő¶ĚĘÓƵ graduates and former students who are or have been commissioned into the U.S. armed forces, participated in the university’s ROTC programs or earned a commission upon graduating, and pursued military service as a career are eligible for induction — provided them meet other rank or meritorious service requirements
This year’s inductees (biographies below), combined with the 67 inductees comprising the 2016 inaugural class of honorees, brings the Hall of Fame’s membership to 86 retired, active and killed in action servicemen and servicewomen.
The Junior Infantry Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, commonly known as ROTC, was established in February 1919 at what was then Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. At the time, all male students 14 years of age or older who were in “good physical condition” were required to enroll in the unit, which included only Army programming. During World War II, the Army Air Corps contracted with then-Tuskegee Institute to conduct primary pilot training for African-Americans — with Moton Field serving as the only site for training black aviators.
In 1946, when the Air Force ROTC was established, Tuskegee was among the original 78 colleges and universities to host Air Force programming. In 2013, the university added Navy ROTC to train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers in the Navy and Marine Corps.
Today, the Air Force, Army and Naval ROTC programs are under the command of Lt. Col. Bryan Gray, Lt. Col. Rusty Rhoads and Capt. Willie Billingslea, respectively.
This year’s class includes:
Col. Harold Anthony Archibald ’65 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee, Archibald was commissioned in 1965 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 1991. During his military career, he earned the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with three bronze oak leaf clusters), the Air Force Commendation Medal (with one bronze oak leaf cluster), and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
Col. Clarence Benham ’62 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Tuskegee, Benham was commissioned in 1964 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 1993. During his military career, he earned the Legion of Merit, the National Defense Meritorious Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Col. Elton Charles Bruce ’74 (Army, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Tuskegee, Bruce was commissioned in 1974 and served in the U.S. Army Adjunct General Corps at the time of his retirement in 2003. During his military career, he earned the Legion of Merit (with one oak leaf cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
Col. Bruce W. Burney ’74 (Army, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Tuskegee, Burney was commissioned in 1974 and served in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps at the time of his retirement in 2002. During his military career, he earned the Meritorious Service Medal (with four oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Army Achievement Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and the Parachute/Air Assault/Expert Field Medical Badges.
Col. William Campfield Jr. ’52 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Tuskegee, Campfield was commissioned in 1952 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 1982. During his military career, he earned the Silver Star (presented by President Lyndon Johnson), the Legion of Merit (with one oak leaf cluster), the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), and the Air Medal (with nine oak leaf clusters).
Capt. Maxie Rocker Davis ’80 (Navy, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tuskegee, Davis was commissioned in 1984 and served in the U.S. Navy until her retirement in 2014. During her military career, she earned the Legion of Merit (with two gold stars), the Defense Meritorious Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with one gold star), and the Navy Commendation Medal (with two gold stars).
Col. Barry Fagan ’77 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Tuskegee, Fagan was commissioned in 1977 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 2007. During his military career, he earned the Defense Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Col. Liston A. Garfield ’74 (Army, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee, Garfield was commissioned in 1974 and served in the U.S. Army Chaplains Corps at the time of his retirement in 2012. During his military career, he earned the Army Commendation Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon.
Rear Adm. Mack C. Gaston ’62 (Navy, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in commercial electronics, Gaston was commissioned in 1962 and served in the U.S. Navy until his retirement in 1995. During his military career, he earned the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with one Gold Star), the Navy Commendation Medal (with one Gold Star and Bronze “V”), the Navy Achievement Medal, and the Navy “E” Ribbon.
Col. Carl Glover ’62 (Army, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology/chemistry from Tuskegee, Glover was commissioned in 1962 and served in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps at the time of his retirement in 1992. During his military career, he earned the Bronze Star Medal, Legion of Merit (with two oak leaf clusters), the Meritorious Service Medal (with four oak leaf clusters), the Air Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), and the Army Commendation Medal (with two oak leaf clusters).
Col. Clarice Golightly-Jenkins ’68 (Army, ret.)
Before earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Tuskegee, Golightly-Jenkins was commissioned in 1967 and served in the U.S. Army Nursing Corps at the time of her retirement in 1993. During her military career, she earned the Meritorious Service Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Presidential Unit Citation, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, and the National Defense Service Medal with a silver star.
Col. Horace Humphries ’64 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee, Humphries was commissioned in 1964 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 1991. During his military career, he earned the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Col. Levaughn Jenkins ’53 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology, Jenkins was commissioned in 1953 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 1982. During his military career, he earned the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Air Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), and the Air Force Commendation Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), and the National Defense Medal (with one oak leaf cluster).
Col. Edward “Eddie” Levelle Jr. ’53 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Tuskegee, Levelle was commissioned in 1953 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 1983. During his military career, he earned the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal (with eight oak leaf clusters), and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Col. William “Bill” Lawrence ’68 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tuskegee, Lawrence was commissioned in 1968 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 2005. During his military career, he earned the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the National Defense Service Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal.
Col. Donald R. Madden ’63 (Army, ret.):
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee, Madden was commissioned in 1963 and served in the U.S. Army until his retirement in 1990. During his military career, he earned the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal (with four oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and the Air Medal.
Col. Irving W. McConnell ’80 (Army, ret.)
McConnell, who holds both a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tuskegee, was commissioned in 1980 and served in the U.S. Army until his retirement in 2011. During his military career, he earned the Order of Military Medical Merit Award, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal.
Col. Walter E. Smith ’63 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Tuskegee in 1963, Smith was commissioned in 1967 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 1993. During his military career, he earned the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with five oak leaf clusters), and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Col. Derrek D. Sanks ’87 (USAF, ret.)
After earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Tuskegee, Sanks was commissioned in 1987 and served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in 2013. During his military career, he earned the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with one Silver and Bronze oak leaf clusters), the Air Force Commendation Medal (with three Bronze oak leaf clusters), and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with valor device and five oak leaf clusters).
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