Hometown Heroes

Andrew Jackson once said, “As long as our Government is administered for the good of the people, and is regulated by their will; as long as it secures to us the rights of person and of property, liberty of conscience and of the press, it will be worth defending.”

 As our nation’s independence is celebrated, we reflect on those brave patriots that forged the way for us to have the freedoms we enjoy today. These are names that are familiar to us all – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine. However, there are many nameless and faceless heroes of that time and our own.

Some of those nameless & faceless heroes are tied to West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) through working relationships and family relationships. In fact, they are linked to the formation of the Rural Electric Administration (REA) itself through another hero of our nation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As Jackson stated, “government should be administered for the good of the people and regulated by their will.” Roosevelt saw a need for rural electrification to make the lives of farmers and their families easier and he saw that need met. The impact rural electrification had on those farmers far exceeded any expectations they had. Everyday household and farm chores became much more convenient and allowed farms to increase production and rural communities to expand.

REA also played a key role during World War II. Electricity provided by REA helped accelerate wartime food production and service defense plants, Army & Navy installations and airstrips. After the war, the demand for rural electrification grew. Veterans returning home had become used to electric light and power at training camps, on battleships and in Europe, where electricity was taken for granted.

The roots of REA and West Florida Electric have always been patriotic, but the cooperative’s ties to patriotism have become even stronger under the leadership of WFEC President & CEO, William S. Rimes, a retired Air Force Colonel. In fact, from the onset of his leadership, Rimes has made it a priority to recognize the men and women of our Armed Forces as well as our veterans during each event hosted by the cooperative, including the cooperative’s annual meeting, where he has presented the veterans in attendance with flags flown in their honor over the U.S. Capitol. During his distinguished military career, Rimes participated in 54 combat missions in the Vietnam War and was awarded numerous military decorations and awards including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Daniel Rimes, also joined the military and attained great success. He began his career as an Army Ranger then moved into the Green Berets. After being in the Army for several years, he separated from them and moved into the Air Force as a Combat Controller. During his time in the Air Force, he served in Desert Storm. After a 16 year career, Rimes decided to leave the Air Force and accept a position with a defense contractor where he currently teaches pilots to fly un-manned aircraft at Hurlburt Field. He is now also in the Air Force Reserve as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) in an Air Force Special Forces Unit at Hurlburt Field.

However, Rimes is not the only tie the cooperative has to the military. Several of our employees have served in the military and many of them now have sons & daughters or other family members serving our country at home and abroad.

We would like to take the time to salute and thank them now:

John Booker (Manager, Purchasing & Stores) – was a First Sergeant in the U.S.  Army, He served for 20 years before retiring.  Booker was stationed in Europe, Korea, the Pacific and many places throughout the U.S. during his time in the service.

David Brannon (Staking Engineer) – served in the Army for four years and was a Sergeant. Brannon’s sons, Travis and Tyler, joined the U.S. Marine Corps six months ago. The brothers graduated from basic training just one week apart. Travis, 23, always wanted to be a member of the U.S.M.C., but Tyler, 21, surprised his family when he announced he intended to enlist as well. The brothers are both currently stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. They will remain there until March 2011 when they will be deployed to Afghanistan for seven to twelve months.

“I’m very proud of my sons for choosing to join the military. Tyler’s goal is to take advantage of the educational opportunities available through the military and eventually become a teacher or coach. Travis, on the other hand, will probably make a career out of the military,” said Brannon.

Brian Buckalew (Graphic Designer/Printer) – served in the Army for two years and was a bass player in the Army band stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Joshua R. Ellis (Warehouse Helper) – is a Private in the Army National Guard. He is a member of the 144th Transportation Company out of Marianna, Florida and has been serving for four years.

Roger Evans (Mechanic) – served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. He was a Platoon Sergeant and truck driver and had obtained the rank of First Sergeant at the time of his retirement.

Tony L. Howard (Journeyman Lineworker) – served in the Army National Guard for six years. He worked in Transportation. Howard also has two sons who are currently serving our country. Zachary, who is a Senior Airman in the U.S. Air Force and is stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. He is an F-22 Avionics Specialist and has been in the Air Force for five years. His other son, Tony Howard, Jr. is in the Navy and is currently a recruiter working out of Pensacola, Florida. He’s been in the Navy for seven years and has also worked in Aviation Ordinance.

“I’m proud of my boys because I realize that I live in a country where freedom is not free and that I live in a country where I have a right to choose my religion; I have a right to vote and I realize that all this didn’t come free – it came at a price and that price is our men and women volunteering to serve in the military. They weren’t made to join, they did it because they believe in the rights we’ve been granted and I’m proud of my children and all the men and women in the military for defending those rights,” said Howard.

Ty Peel (Vice President Engineering & Operations) – served in the Marine Corps and Air Force Reserve for 14 years. He was an Aircraft Structures and Aerial Gunner during this time. Peel also served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Gilbert Perea (Utility Worker) – was a U.S. Marine who served for four years from 1964 to 1968. He spent one year in Vietnam during the war.

Willie Olds (Meter Reader) – served in the Army & the Army National Guard for a total of three years. He was in the Infantry. Olds also has a son, Christopher, currently stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina. Christopher is a Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corp working as a Personnel Clerk. He has been in the military for almost three years.

Bruce Sorey (Utility Worker) –served in the Army & Army Reserve for 28 years, including a one year deployment to Iraq where he served as a maintenance supervisor. He was a Sergeant First Class at the time of his retirement.

Richard A. Whitaker (Supervisor, Right of Way) – served in the Army and Army National Guard for a total of eight years. He was a Fuel & Electrical System Repairman during that time.

John Thornton’s (Supervisor, Communications) son, Thomas is also currently serving our country as a United States Marine. He is currently a Corporal in the Infantry and is stationed at Camp Pendelton, California. Thomas will be leaving for Afghanistan in October of this year. He was recently chosen by his company commander to meet the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, during his visit to Camp Pendleton in April. Thomas was given a coin by Secretary Gates to commemorate the meeting. He has been in the Marine Corp for three years.

"It is hard for meto put into words how I feel about my son and his dedication and service to our country by servingin the U.S. Marine Corps because I get choked up just thinking about it. Thomas, the Marines he serves along side,and the rest of our military make tremendous sacrifices day in and day out so that we as Americanscan be protected and stay free. They put their lives in harm’s way for us and our way of life and for that we should all be eternally grateful. People ask me everysooften if I have a hero, someone that I admire,I answer them proudly by saying, yes my son Thomas, he is my hero. I thank him and our military for their service,” said Thornton, when asked how he feels about his son’s military career.

WFEC not only wants to thank these special people, but also all of the veterans who live within our service territory. The sacrifices that you and your families have made for the defense of our country may not have always been recognized, but we thank you and salute you now for the many unsung acts of bravery and your steadfast commitment to defending each and every freedom granted to us by our Founding Fathers.

Therefore, remember to reflect upon the brave soldiers fighting for and protecting that freedom as you celebrate our country’s independence with your families and friends this year.