Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Raymond L. Adams, who served in the Signal Corps from 1956-1962 as a clerk-typist.
Raymond Lynwood Adams graduated from Blackstone High School in his hometown of Blackstone, Virginia, in June 1950. He attended Danville Technical Institute until his graduation in August 1952.
Adams joined the Army in June 1956 and completed his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Using the skills gained from Southeastern Signal School’s cryptography course and training at the U.S. Army Armor Center, Adams served as a clerk-typist. He worked at the Pentagon from November 1956 to June 1958 while stationed at Fort Myer, and fondly recalled seeing the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument from his office. When the Soviet Union launched the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, Adams said there was a flood of information coming into the Pentagon. He said it was an exciting afternoon that he might have missed if he had been working his regular night shift.
During his service, Adams received a Good Conduct Medal. He honorably discharged from the Army Reserve at the rank of sergeant in 1962.
After discharge, Adams sat on the board of directors for Epes Transport System and eventually served as president for seven years until leaving the company. He also owned and operated the successful Blackstone Hardware from 1989 to 1999. Adams has dedicated his life to giving back to his community. He has been an active member of Crenshaw United Methodist Church for 74 years and participates in organizations such as Gideons International and United Methodist Men.
Adams currently resides in Blackstone, Virginia, and said has fond memories of his time in the Army. He said he truly enjoyed the people he worked with and continues to keep in contact with them, even 60 years later.
Thank you for your service!
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You flopped the photo of Raymond in uniform so he would be facing inward. Unfortunately, this makes it appear as though he is wearing the Third Army patch on his right shoulder as a combat patch. once he never served overseas or was in combat, that’s a big “Ooops!” . . .
[Editor: Thanks for catching that, Dale.]
Thank you for your service Raymond Lynwood Adams.