ROCK OF THE YEAR
FOR 1981
Major General EDWARD GREER
U.S. Army, Retired
Major General Edward Greer was born in Gary, WV. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science at West Virginia State College and was commissioned a Field Artillery Second Lieutenant in the Regular Army in 1948. He is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College.
During his twenty-eight years of Army commissioned service, General Greer served in a variety of command and staff assignments in the United States, Korea, Germany and Vietnam. His oversea tours included assignments as an artillery battery commander in Germany and command of an artillery battalion in Korea. In Vietnam, he served as Deputy Commander of the XXIV Corps Artillery, and later as the Commanding Officer of the 108th Artillery Group.
In the United States, General Greer served at Fort Riley, KS; Fort Sill, OK; Fort Lewis, WA; Fort Leavenworth, KS; and as Deputy Commanding General at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. His assignments in Washington, D.C. included duty with the Office of the Secretary of Defense; with the Army Staff: Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for personnel and the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence; and with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served as Deputy Commanding General of the Army Military Personnel Center in Alexandria, Virginia.
General Greer’s awards and decorations include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and Army Commendation Medal.
“Big Ed,” as he is affectionately known, retired from active duty November 30, 1976, and resides in El Paso, TX, where he is presently engaged in the real estate industry. Active in civic activities, he and his lovely wife, Jewell, are the proud parents of three grown children.
ROCK OF THE YEAR
FOR 1982
Vice Admiral SAMUEL L. GRAVELY, JR.
U.S. Navy, Retired
Vice Admiral Samuel Gravely was born and raised in Richmond, VA. He graduated from Virginia Union University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves in September, 1942, was commissioned as an Ensign in December, 1944 and served in numerous career-developing assignments during World War II, receiving his release from active duty in April of 1946.
In 1949 Admiral Gravely was recalled into active service for recruiting and officer procurement in Washington, D.C. His military assignments include, Instructor Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, CA; Radio Officer, USS Iowa; Communications Officer, USS Toledo (Korean War); Operations Officer, USS Seminole; Commander, USS Theodore E. Chandler; and Commander, USS Falgout; Staff Program Manager, National Military Command Center; Commanding Officer, USS Taussig; Commander, Naval Communications Command, Office of Chief of Naval Operations; and Commander, USS Jouett.
Admiral Gravely also served as Commandant, 11th Naval District; Commander, Third Fleet; and Director of the Defense Communications Agency.
In addition to numerous campaign and service medals, Admiral Gravely has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Naval commendation Medal with Gold Star and Combat “V”.
He is married to the former Alma Bernice Clark of Christianburg, VA. They have two children, David Edward and Tracey Ernestine. The Gravelys now reside in Haymarket, VA.