Patriots Day luncheon, veterans parade slated for Nov. 9

The Gadsden-Etowah Patriots Association invites local residents on Nov. 9 to honor those who've given to their country and/or their community, and to recognize veterans, with the annual Patriots Day luncheon and Hall of Honor induction at The Venue at Coosa Landing, followed by the Veterans Day parade in downtown Gadsden.

Doors will open at 11 a.m. and the program will begin at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased from association members, at The Chamber of Gadsden & Etowah County office or the Greater Gadsden Tourism office, 90 Walnut St.

Association President Leonard Kiser said the speaker for the event is retired Army Master Sgt. Howard “Max” Mullen Jr. Mullen served two tours of duty with the 101st Airborne Division "Air Assault" at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and three tours of duty with the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey, Republic of Korea.

His list of accomplishments and honors is long and includes induction into:

• 13 Ranger Hall of Fame, 2013

• Order of Saint Maurice (Primicerius)

• Distinguished Member of the Ranger training brigade 2013

• 2014 International Close Combat Instructors Association

• 2019 Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame

• United States Army Forces Command MG Aubrey “Red” Newman Leadership Award Recipient

The parade will begin at 2 p.m.; for more information, contact Greater Gadsden Tourism at (256) 549-0351.

This year's Hall of Honor inductees are:

Clarence William Daugette III graduated from Jacksonville State University in 1974, then commissioned in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he served 18 years. He became an agent for Life Insurance Company of Alabama — a company founded by his father in 1952 — and he became president of the company in 1979.

Daugette is an Eagle Scout and maintains ties to the Boy Scouts of America; he is a member of The Chamber of Gadsden & Etowah County and the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, where he's a member of the Vestry and a Lay Eucharistic Minister.

He serves on the board of the Greater Alabama Council Boy Scouts of America and Regions Bank of Gadsden. In addition to offices in business organizations. He is the past president of the International House at Jacksonville State University and a life member of the JSU and Auburn University alumni associations. He is a member of JSU's board of trustees.

Daugette is a direct descendant of Edward Rutledge and Arthur Middleton, who were signers of the Declaration of Independence. He presents annual awards honoring his father, Col. Clarence W. Daugette Jr., to outstanding military graduates at both JSU and the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. He sponsored the naming of the Jacksonville State University ROTC office suite in Rowe Hall in honor of his father, who served in the U.S. Army for 40 years and was a decorated World War II veteran.

Retired Maj. Robert C. Rollins was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry in the U.S. Army upon graduating from JSU in 1973. He served as platoon leader, company executive officer, Special Forces team leader, operations and plans officer and company commander in Mechanised Infantry and Special Forces companies, and served 14 years in Special Operations units. His military assignments and training took him to 10 states and many foreign countries, including Germany, Norway, England, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Panama and Okinawa.

Rollins earned a number of military honors, and for 10 years he taught academic subjects, carpentry and an OHSA certification course at the Department of Defense Job Corps Training Center. Since 2020, he has been the president of the Coosa Valley Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. He is active at East Gadsden Baptist Church, writing a daily Bible study devotional on the church Facebook page and teaching an adult Sunday School class. He frequently volunteers his time and personal plane to transport domestic and endangered animals at his own expense to ensure they receive proper care and a good home.

Retired Sgt. 1st Class Frank Clark Godfrey, Jr. served for more than 20 years of active duty in the U.S. Army, enlisting on his 17th birthday, with his parent's permission, and soon found himself in combat operation in the Korean War. He served as an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army in 1960 and returned as an infantryman in 1964. His final assignment was as a recruiter/career counselor in Gadsden. He retired in 1969 and began a career as an accountant with Trambeam Corporation.

He earned a number of military honors and after retirement, made Gadsden his home. He is a longtime motorcycle rider and reportedly the best dancer in Etowah County. He is a member of VFW Post 2760, the Elks Lodge and an active supporter of the Gadsden-Etowah Patriots Association. He has for many years served as the veteran who lays a wreath during the Gadsden-Etowah Patriots Association Memorial Day ceremony.

Retired Sgt. 1st Class Joyce Shelley joined the Alabama Air National Guard 225th Combat Communication Squad in 1975, located in Gadsden, and later transferred to the 226th CCGP. During her 21 years of service, Shelley was deployed to Korea, Italy, Denmark, Greece, Spain and Turkey, as well as numerous exercises stateside. After her military service,, she completed the Alabama State Trooper Academy and worked at the Jacksonville State Trooper Post and the Gadsden Post. She was recruited by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation as a narcotics investigator, working statewide. She taught both at the Alabama State Trooper Academy and at Jacksonville State University Police Academy.

Shelley was one of the first female Alabama State Troopers, and she achieved the rank of lieutenant, district commander in the Jacksonville Highway Patrol Post. She was the incident commander for the F5 tornado in Oak Grove, Jefferson County, in 1998, and incident commander during Hurricane Ivan in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach in 2004. She taught new supervisors at the Trooper Academy, and after retirement, she worked as a U.S. Marshal in the federal courthouses in Anniston, Gadsden and Birmingham. She is a member of the board of the Gadsden-Etowah Patriots Association, currently serving as secretary, and a commander in VFW Post 8600. She served in junior and senior vice president positions for District 2 VFW and was elected state-level judge advocate for the past two years. She serves as the vice chair of the Veterans Memorial Park Association. She has been active in women’s and youth ministries in her church and was president of the Southside Soccer Association.

Retired Lt. Col. Danny M. Thornton enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1970. His 33-year career spanned three branches of the military. In addition to the corps, he served in the Alabama Army National Guard and as an Active Guard / Reservist in the U.S. Air Force. His duty assignments with the USMC included tours in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Okinawa. He served as Combat Engineer in the 226th Mobile Communications Squadron of the Alabama National Guard.

In 1978, he received a business degree from JSU and in 1981, he accepted an active Guard / Reservist position with the 225th Combat Communications Squadron. He was appointed as commander of the 285th Combat Communications Flight, Virgin Islands Air National Guard, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and later assigned to the headquarters, First Air Force, Tyndall AFB, Florida, where he served as chief of counterdrug communications and in a number of other positions till he retired. He accepted a position at Anniston Army Depot in 2003 and retired in 2018 as lead telecommunications specialist. He received many military honors and has served as president of the Coosa Valley Chapter of the Military Officers Association and senior vice commander of VFW Post 8600. He currently serves on the board of the Gadsden-Etowah Patriots Association.

Retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Howard Lee Ranier was a 1953 enlistee in the U.S. Marine Corps. He had assignments and deployments in South Korea, Camp Pendleton and Cherry Point, three tours in Vietnam and was an instructor of the Aviation Electronics School at Jacksonville State University. He served 24 years in the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve and earned numerous military awards.

He holds an Associate of Science in criminal justice and is a certified Navy drug abuse counselor, certified drug rehabilitation counselor and Registered Nurse (20 years at NEARMC). He's a lifetime member of the VFW, a past commandant of the McLaughlin Detachment, Marine Corps League and enjoys participating in the Toys for Tots program. He's a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Military Order of the Devil Dog, and an ordained deacon at First Baptist Church of Anniston. He is active in animal rescue work and has a lifelong association with the Boy Scouts of America.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden-Etowah Patriots Day ceremony, veterans parade Nov. 9