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Military service marks an incredibly defining time in a person's
life. Whether one served for two years or 20, the memories,
camaraderie and pride will last for life.
Sometimes, children
follow in their parents' footsteps and create a legacy of service
that can span the generations.
Such is the case with Air
Force Lieutenant Colonel David Lowery, who works at Tyndall Air
Force Base in Panama City, Florida as the deputy commander of the
Florida Air National Guard's 101st Air Communications Squadron. He
is an eighth generation native Floridian, whose paternal family has
been farmers in northern Walton County since shortly after Florida
attained statehood in 1845.
His Floridian heritage runs deep
as does his military lineage. Lowery is a third-generation National
Guardsman and an enrolled member of the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe,
one of the indigenous Native American tribes of Northern Florida,
through his mother's maternal line.
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U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Lowery recovered this historic photo of his late grandfather, William E. Givens Jr. (top left) with his firing team during a competition in Camp Perry, Ohio, in 1966. (Courtesy photo provided by U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Lowery)
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“To know where you come from and your heritage is very
important,” Lowery said. “Everyone is from somewhere and for
me, the Florida Panhandle is home.”
Just prior to his
eighth birthday, Lowery's maternal grandfather, Retired
Florida Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel William E.
“Bill” Givens, Jr., passed away. Six months later, a
lightning strike caused his step-grandmother's home to burn
to the ground. She lost all of her belongings, save for a
few precious photos other family members shared with her.
While Mrs. Christine C. Givens would rebuild a new home on
the same property, her husband's uniforms, decorations, and
other military documents were all destroyed in the fire.
As Lowery grew older and joined the service himself, he
became more curious about the specifics of his family's
military service—something his elders would rarely talk
about, aside from humbly acknowledging they had served. A
maternal great-grandfather, Private First Class William E.
Givens, Sr. had served overseas during World War I in the
Army Reserves with the 306th Quartermaster Battalion. His
son, William E. Givens, Jr. earned the coveted Army Combat
Infantryman's Badge for ground combat in Europe during World
War II with the 3rd Army.
Rising to the enlisted rank of Sergeant First Class, Givens Jr.
would earn an officer's commission in 1950 before returning to the
Sunshine State. He joined the Florida Army National Guard in May
1955 and served until his retirement in 1974. Lowery's paternal
grandfather, Louis N. Lowery, had also served in World War II as an
anti-aircraft gunner aboard the USS New Jersey (BB-62), experiencing
combat himself in the Pacific Theater. Two uncles would later serve
in Vietnam—one in the Navy and one as an Air Force combat
cameraman—while a third maternal uncle, Army Staff Sergeant Grady F.
Bass, served for 24 years as a traditional guardsman in the Alabama
Army National Guard.
“I had been told my grandfather (Givens,
Jr.) was an avid competitive marksman and had led the Florida
Guard's pistol team,” said Lowery. “I really didn't know what that
entailed, so I began to look online, do some research, and reached
out to the Florida National Guard Historian's Office.”
Lowery found some archived bi-annual reports from the Florida
Adjutant General to the Florida State Legislature and discovered a
picture of Givens posed with his firing team and the Florida State
Flag when they competed in 1966 in Camp Perry, Ohio. Mrs. Alison
Simpson, the Florida National Guard Historian, was happy to help as
well. She would soon uncover a second original photo of the state's
1964 pistol competition team at Camp Perry as well with then-Major
William E. Givens, Jr. as the team's commander.
After Lowery
found the first team photo, he was very excited to share it with his
step-grandmother, Mrs. Givens, who lives in Florala, Ala. “She was
thrilled,” he said. “It really meant a lot to both of us.”
Serving in the National Guard has been very rewarding for
Lowery. His love for state and nation are evident in his voice.
“It's an honor to wear the same uniform as my forefathers and serve
our country,” he said. “But also serve the community where we grew
up and have family roots.”
Lowery walks with a distinct
determination and pride in his step. He knows all the airmen and
NCOs in his squadron by-name and greets each of them warmly while
bragging about the accomplishments of each subordinate.
Even
on his personal vehicle, he proudly sports stickers of the U.S. and
Florida state flags. “It's great to be able to continue that legacy
of service and tell my kids and future grandkids where we come from”
Lowery said.
Lowery's son is a high school senior and plans
to enlist into the Florida Air National Guard and head off to Basic
Training after graduation next year, which will mark yet another
generation of service.
By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Derrol Fulghum
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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