As the country celebrated Veteran’s Day on November 11, we continue to honor Alabaster’s veterans who have served with honor in the United States military.
Ron McGriff—U.S. Navy
Ron McGriff grew up in Columbia, Alabama, in Houston County northeast of Dothan. He laughs that Columbia was most known in the area for its one stoplight. After graduating from Houston County High School in 1961, McGriff went to work in construction in Tuscaloosa, working on the team that built Oliver Lock and Dam. After a few years, McGriff thought it was time for a change, and with a “rich family history of military service”—McGriff’s grandfather served in France in World War I, and his father served in the Marshall Islands in World War II—McGriff opted to join the Navy in 1964.
After enlisting, McGriff trained in San Diego, California, and Memphis, Tennessee, as an aviation
electronics technician. McGriff was eventually deployed to Sangley Point in the Philippines during the Vietnam War. McGriff was attached to the flight squadrons stationed at Sangley that flew coastal radar interdiction routes to Tan Son Nhut Air Base outside of Saigon. “I flew as an air crewman, part of a crew of 10,” McGriff says. “Our job was to keep eyes out for the Chinese and North Vietnamese who would try to get arms in from offshore to troops on the ground.” McGriff was at Sangley for six months, returned to the States for six months, and then returned to serve at Cam Rahn Bay.
McGriff remained in the Navy until 1964 attaining the rank of 2nd Class Petty Officer when he left to go back to school. He got a journalism degree from a community college in Dothan and moved to Alabaster with his wife and two daughters in 1978. McGriff worked for Hayes Aircraft Corporation, 1st National Bank, the Daniel Corporation, and finally Alabama Power, from which he retired in 2001.McGriff has always been active earning his private pilots license—“I owned a couple of planes and flew until I was medically grounded,” he says.—and his black belt in Tae Kwon Do, which he also taught.
Today, McGriff is a volunteer at American Village giving tours of the National Veterans Shrine and Register of Honor. “I love volunteering at American Village because of the fantastic people I meet,” McGriff says. “I met two 97-year-old Marines who both came in full uniform for their tour.” He also is active in the American Legion Post 555 where he serves on the team that does flag replacement ceremonies. He is the Sergeant at Arms for the Sons of American Legion and is involved in Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12185. “We provide services and supports for veterans who are in need,” McGriff says proudly. “We provide monetary support and do anything we can for veterans who need help.” He is also an active member of the First Baptist Church of Alabaster.
After a life well lived, McGriff still appreciates lessons learned during his military career. “The number one thing is the discipline,” he says. “And more than anything the camaraderie—we became like a bunch of brothers.”
Pete Peterson—U.S. Marine Corps.
Pete Peterson was born and raised in Eufaula, Alabama, and followed his brother into the Marine Corps. “I could not let him outdo me,” Peterson says, “so
I graduated high school on Tuesday and enlisted into the Marine Corps on Friday. My enlistment began on May 30, 1958.”
After enlisting, Peterson went to Paris Island for basic training then Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for infantry trading, and finally communication training—in Morse Code—in Norfolk, Vir
ginia. Peterson served for three years between the Korean and Vietnam wars. “I was in Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion, but it was over before we were involved,” Peterson recalls.
After leaving the military, Peterson became a jack-of-all-trades working as an Aqua lung instructor and a cloth cutter in a garment factory. “I took a job at Sears Credit and worked there for 25 years,” Peterson says. He ultimately became Operations Manager for the state of Alabama before retiring early. He then worked in the credit reporting industry—working for all of the major Credit bureaus—for about 20 years. He served as the church administrator for Evangel Presbyterian Church for five years and currently serves as a bailiff with the Shelby County court system.
Peterson is proud of his family’s military history—eight family members have served in the Marines, with his grandson currently on active duty—and puts a lot of importance into recognizing Veteran’s Day and what it means. “Our family has paid a dear and burdensome price for our country,” Peterson says. “My wife’s father was killed on Iwo Jima in March 1945. My brother who was 20 years older than me was a tail gunner on a B-29 and went Missing in Action in January 1945—he was never found. My brother who was four years older than me did two tours in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart for his service there. Our Veterans deserve our love and respect for their service and sacrifice. They can never be given enough respect and praise.”
