Real Family Heritage

Well I asked for a family/friend writer, and man did I get it. This article has me completely astounded. Written by Uncle John shortly after achieving his 80th Birthday This is the way to kick off Black history, with real history.

EVOLUTION OF AN OCTOGENARIAN
John B Tyree
I was born to William Dabney Tyree Sr. and Rosa Etta Tyree and named John Tyree at Carswell WV on 17 January, 1931. Later, my name became John B (initial only) Tyree. My mother compromised with my father who desired my name to be “John the Baptist”. My mother belonged to Mt Hermon Baptist Church at Carswell WV and my father belonged to Lovely Zion Baptist Church at Bottom Creek WV, places within three miles of each other, adjoined to the Township of Kimball WV.
There were nine siblings in the household as I grew up. My mother birthed seven girls by her first husband and seven boys by my father. I was the baby; the seventh son. Five girls and four boys were living at my birth. One of my sisters died at my age of two, leaving nine siblings.
We were poor by today’s standards but we didn’t know it. My father worked in the coal mines (Koppers Coal Company) at Carswell WV. We had pigs and chickens and the five boys always helped our father make a garden on the side of the mountain. We fed ourselves and the neighborhood through our garden.
My mother taught me to read and write before I started school at age five. My early childhood was golden, except I had a (White Boy) bully to contend with. My normal play of the day consisted of rolling hoops, shooting marbles, riding bicycles, playing “Cowboys and Indians”, sword fighting, climbing trees, going to the woods (walking in the mountain areas), walking around with tin cans hooked onto my shoes, shooting cap pistols and BB guns, making and playing with kites, making and playing with whips, riding wagons and sleds down hilly places, picking berries and apples and peaches, playing with toy cars and dump trucks, and following the horse drawn cart that delivered household burning coal to the families in the neighborhood. Oh! By the way, I nullified (rendered ineffective) my bully. I liked going to the grocery store every day and he lived between me and the grocery store. Whenever he saw me going to the store he would fight and beat me to turn me around. One day I had gotten sick-and-tired of his blocking me and I whipped the snot out of him. I haven’t seen him since. I didn’t involve myself in too much devilment as a child. I learned a lot about life through observing others and avoiding ill consequences and by leaning always to the right.
Church going was a major part of my childhood. My mother was the Secretary of Mt Hermon Baptist Church as long as she lived from my birth. She took me to church with her on every occasion of a church event. I generally assumed janitorial tasks (making and maintaining the fire in the potbellied stove, sweeping the wooden floor, bringing and setting water for the Pastor, etc.). At age five, I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior.
By age eleven, I developed a “crush” on a girl of my dreams in my neighborhood that lasted until the seventh grade when I fell in love with Bettye Jean Hairston. She was the daughter of the Coach and Biology teacher of Elkhorn High School where we both attended in the seventh grade. She did not become aware of my affections until we met in college. In our freshman year of college, we became lifelong sweethearts.
During my high school years, I was elected Class President, played an upright bass horn in the marching band, sang in the Male Chorus and Glee Club, achieved a “B” rating (always thinking that I had learned more than the “A” students), was nominated to attend “West Virginia Boy’s State” (I did attend and was elected Governor of Boy’s State), and received a music scholarship for college. While at Boy’s State, I absorbed the teachings about state government and life relationships with one another in order to build up each others abilities to succeed. My receiving and practicing the principles of leadership that were given to me greatly enhanced my confidence, deportment and presentment.
My music scholarship finance was only a college starter. Upon graduation from High School, I went to work in the coal mines for three months. That work was necessary to supplement my college costs. ‘Never want to work in a coal mines again!
I attended West Virginia State College 1948-1952 at Institute WV (Near Charleston WV), now named West Virginia University. This was a “Land Grant College”, requiring Armed Forces draft eligible students to take ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Course) to avoid being drafted for the war. I majored in Music and English in college, took ROTC my last two years, finished academically in the top third of my class, graduated and was given a Regular Army Officer Commission above a US Army Reserve Commission on 1 June 1952.
I was married to Bettye Jean Hairston, 19 August 1952, in Northfork WV. A very short time after we married, I entered US Army active duty at Fort Sill, Oklahoma 1 September 1952. I possessed an envied status as a Regular Army Officer in the Field Artillery. Although I was a Second Lieutenant, Regular Army, my esteem was comparable to a US Army Reserve Major. That was the year of a massive RIF (Reduction in Force) of Army Officers. Many army personnel had dual status (i.e., Reserve rank of Colonel – Permanent rank of Corporal; Reserve rank of Brigadier General – Permanent rank of Sergeant). Some officers that had been RIF’d had committed suicide. Most Reserve Officers acted and reacted as though they were walking on eggs. The RIF caused them to revert from their Reserve status to their Permanent status. Many couldn’t swallow that pill. By military law, a Regular Army Officer could not be RIF’d.
After completion of the BOC (Basic Officer Course – covering tactics and fire direction), my training was extended to Field Survey, Communications, Artillery Field Observation, and Mess preparations. My commissioned officer unit assignments included a Field Artillery Observation Battalion; two Honest John Rocket units; the FAMSEG (Field Artillery Missile Systems Evaluation Group); and the USMTM (US Military Training Mission) to Saudi Arabia which included Army, Air Force, and Navy Elements. My duty assignments included Survey Officer, Communications Officer, Mess Officer, Officer of the Guard, Executive Officer, Battery Commander, and Chief of Lacrosse Missile Section of FAMSEG. While I was in Saudi Arabia, I was the Supply and Liaison Officer to the US Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia. This duty encompassed being the Controller of the Army, Air Force, and Navy Airlines for scheduled flights over the dessert, rendering supplies and maintenance to the Station Elements throughout Saudi Arabia.
During my time in The Artillery, I attained the rank of Major in the Regular Army; I pioneered the army’s Honest John free flight rockets, and pioneered and evaluated the army’s Lacrosse guided missiles.
In 1967 the Army determined that it had too many ranking Officers, both regular and reserve above their rank quota, on active duty. It was time for another RIF. The Congress changed the law to include Regular Army Officers in the RIF. There were no specific selective criteria for the RIF and I got randomly selected. I was then a Major with over fifteen years of service, was the Headquarters Commandant of the Fort Bragg Army Training Center, and had created and established the Family Reception Center for the Army Training Center. The RIF’s law offered me three options: 1. Be Honorably discharged and receive a mustering out pay equivalent to two times your current months pay times your number of years service, the amount not to exceed $15,000.00; 2. Revert to a permanent Enlisted Rank (Pvt to SSgt – grade to be determined by the Dept. of the Army); or 3. Accept an appointment of Chief Warrant Officer II and continue on active duty for twenty years retirement service. I calculated; qualified for $37,000.00 mustering out pay, dared not to chance being given a decent enlisted rank, and decided to accept the appointment to CW2. I went to Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, VA, graduated, and went to Vietnam as a Supply Technician. Six months later, while in Vietnam, as a CW2 with over fifteen year’s military service, I was put on the CW3 promotion list. Was promoted to CW3, came back to the states, stayed in an Engineer Unit for eleven months, went back to Vietnam, came back to the states, went to Germany as a V Corps Supply Officer, came back to a Signal Battalion in the states, went to Germany as a VII Army Division Supply Officer, and six months into my tour was promoted to CW4 (then the highest rank of Warrant Officers). My esteem at that time was comparable to a General officer. I was dubbed “Super Chief”.
During my tenure in the military service, I was decorated with several ribbons for distinguished service to include, The Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters.
Having completed twenty-nine years, seven months, and 21 days of military service, I retired as a CW4 in the 35th Signal Group, at Fort Bragg, NC, 31 December 1981. Two months later, I was advanced to the rank of Major 04, my highest rank held during my service, with pay for thirty years military service.
Overlapping my military service, since 1967, I have been a major role player in the institution and continuity of the Gospel Service at Fort Bragg. I have helped caused sustaining effect of the Gospel Service from Heritage Chapel, to Butner Road Chapel, to Faith Chapel, to COSCOM South Chapel, to Old Division Heritage Chapel, to Division South Chapel, to Wood Memorial Chapel.
I currently work in the Army of the Lord, reporting for duty daily, hoping one day to receive a starry crown and walk around heaven praising God eternally.
At age 18, with 62 years experience, God is not through with me yet!

God has blessed us through Uncle John

Maybe, now there will be another family member to chronicle our heritage.