Local veteran receives statewide volunteer award

By Linda Edwards,
The Courier
Some of the most significant efforts in a community can go by almost unnoticed or overlooked by others. But there comes a time when it’s appropriate to point out the man behind so many successful Hardin County projects.
Larry Harrell, a man with two past careers plus 20 years as a local volunteer, prefers to stay out of the limelight. However he is extremely dedicated to making a difference for others.
"I’m not interested in a story in the paper about me. I really want people to know how they can help others," said Harrell. "The children receiving gifts through the Country Christmas program, those who receive cancer treatments at the Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center, the veterans who deserve a support system and honor, the Rotary Club that encourages leadership and humanitarian services, bringing patriotism by displaying American flags through Raise the Flag organization... it’s what I get up every day to do. Anyone can do something to improve another person’s life."
It is almost impossible to track all the volunteer hours donated to the community by Harrell man over the past 20 years.
Because of his generous gifts of time and expertise, Larry Harrell was nominated by the Joseph Hardin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and received the Tennessee Society of DAR’s Outstanding Veteran Volunteer of 2014.
The award was presented on Saturday at Mollie Monday Restaurant, during the local DAR chapter’s meeting.
"I’m extremely lucky to have the time to volunteer," said Harrell. "I’m retired from the Air Force, retired from Boeing, on Social Security and have time to donate to my community."
Harrell has been serving as a volunteer for the Darryl Worley Foundation as executive director for 14 years. The nonprofit organization raises funds to support other local charities. The Foundation donated $1 million and helped raise $2.5 million required to build a cancer treatment center in Savannah.
In addition, Harrell has served as past president of the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce. He has been an officer for the Savannah Rotary as well as an advisory board member for Pickwick Raise the Flag. He is a board member of Hardin County Country Christmas, with Harrell himself helping to oversee the shopping done for some of the local children.
Harrell, a retired United States Air Force major (1959-1979) and Boeing logistics manager (1979-1995), was raised in Hardeman County and graduated from Bolivar Central High in 1958.
He attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for one year.
"I came home and needed to earn more money in order to go back to college," said Harrell. "Then the summer job didn’t pan out, so I joined the Air Force."
After Air Force basic training Harrell completed one year of radio-electronics at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB).
"It’s so interesting that the Air Force got me through college and later graduate school," said Harrell. "It was a good decision to join."
In 1962 Harrell was selected for the Airman Education Commissioning Program and was sent to the University of Oklahoma where he earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering.
After being commissioned Harrell was then sent to Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio. While there Larry continued his education at Ohio State University and the AF Institute of Technology where he graduated with a Masters degree in electrical engineering.
During his tour of duty in the Air Force, Harrell was assigned to Tachikawa Japan as radio maintenance (1960-1962).
He served in Vietnam (1969-1970) as electronics installation officer. After returning he was sent to the Boeing Company in Seattle to work on the B-1 Bomber Avionics development. He was the strategic air command (SAC) representative for the USAF while working for the company.
In 1975 Harrell was detailed to NASA to work on the Space Shuttle Program at Kennedy Space Center. His job was to help NASA transition from Saturn to Shuttle and help with the rebuilding of the Kennedy Space Center. Harrell retired in 1979 from the USAF and for a short time accepted a position with NASA as a logistics manager.
Currently, Harrell is commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2949 in Bolivar. Even though Larry lives in Savannah he still supports the town he grew up in by serving as post commander there. His post is active in the community events for Memorial Day and Veterans Day and during these activities Harrell is the speaker. His post is also active in the Voice of Democracy, a VFW scholarship for high school students as well as the Patriots Pen Essay scholarship program for middle school students.
Harrell’s VFW post received recognition from VFW District 8 for having the post with the most members attending the monthly District 8 Meetings. There are 11 VFW Post that make up District 8 in Southwest Tennessee.
Harrell also is supportive of the veterans in the Savannah area. He attends Post 4606 meetings in Savannah every month to show his support to the local Veterans.
Harrell has helped in getting the word out about the new Veterans Memorial Park currently in the process of being built in Savannah. He did so by taking construction plans to organizational meetings, explaining the plans and answering questions.