The following is a list of Veterans from Dora High School. This list will be expanded as names are submitted. If you know of a Veteran that served, please send the name, graduating class or years of affiliation,branch of service, and any additional information to admin@dorabulldogs.com.
The information listed for each veteran is the Class (or last known affiliation with Dora), followed by name, branch of service, and any other additional information provided.
Dora High School Veterans
1930 – Ens. P.E. Gwin, Jr. – Navy
1934 – Johnnie Hiett – WAACS
1934 – Paul Brignet – Army
1935 – Gray Strother Gravlee, Army (1941-1945)
1935 – Capt. Linn Palmer, Jr. – Army
1937 – Lt. John McCabe – Army Air Corps
1937 – Gaines Pendleton Gravlee – USN (1942-1943)
1938-1941 Teacher – Ens. Helen Woodward – Waves
1939 – Milford Cooke – Marine Corps
1942 – Harold McMurran – Army – Story
1942 – Paul Phillips – Army Combat Engineer
1947 – Col, Ed Davis – USAF 1963-1991 (Vietnam: ’71-’72)
1947 – Austin James Wright – Medic – He was drafted while still in high school. After the war he returned back to Dora and graduated with the class of 1947. He passed away September 30, 1990.
1950 – Bradley Word – Army – Germany Sept .1954 to Sept. 1956.
1962 – Thomas Larry Snider – Coast Guard
1964 – Jim McBrayer – Army – 1964-1968, 1st Calvary Div in Vietnam (1965-1966) and in Bangkok, Thailand from 1966-1968.
1965 – Ralph Beavers – Air Force
1965 – Virgil Eugene Childers – KIA, 3/17/1968, Republic South Vietnam. Nicknamed “The Bean”.
1965 – Jimmy Fuller – USAF 1966-1972 – Weapons Specialist – SSgt Stationed in Colorado, Georgia, Florida(twice), Vietnam, California, Thailand.
1966 – Jerry Beersdorf – Navy – Retired
1966 – Bruce Hamrick – Army 1967-1969, 9th Infantry, Vietnam
1966 – Wyla (Merle Taylor) Wilkie – manned teletype machines and worked for the Commanding Officer of the U.S. Naval Station, Washington, D.C. from May 1966 through March 1969.
1967 – Ray Lee – Vietnam
1967 – Jack Morgan – Air Force, May 1968 – May of 1972; Phan Rang Airbase, Vietnam from July 1969 until July 1970.
1967 – RM2 Harold Myers, USN 1969 – 1973, NavFac Eleuthera, USS Ault DD698.
1967 – David H. Roberts – Army, March 3, 1968- March 3, 1970 E5 Chu Lai , Vietnam
1968 – Jackie Alexander – Vietnam
1968 – Roland Mitchell – Army Medical 1969–1972
1968 – Rick Watson – Army Signal Corps, Panama Canal Zone – Obituary
1969 – Joe Brewer – Army – Retired, 24 years. Germany, Japan, Pentagon
1971 – Ric Harden – Navy, Oct. 18, 1971- Sept. 12, 1975, USS Lexington CVT-16.
1981 – Angela J. (Hagler) Ellis Class – Army, Command Sergeant Major (CSM), Retired, July 1982 – October 2006
1981 – Jeffery H. Haddock, TSgt, USAF, Retired (1983-2004)
1982 – Tim Lively Class- Navy for 12 1/2 yrs. active duty and 1 1/2 years reserves. U.S.S Grayling for 4 yrs., active duty recruiter for 4 yrs, reserve recruiter 3 yrs. Interior Communications Electrician First Class, IC1/SS. Active from 12/83-02/91 and from 07/94-11/97.
1984 – Joseph Brian Washington – LTC, USAF Retired (1988-2016), USAFA 1988
1986 – Clifton Dedeaux – Army – Special Forces, Afghanistan
1986 – Aaron Edwards Jr. – Army – Special Forces, Afghanistan
1986 – Sherra Eiland – Army
1986 – Will Mayweather – Navy
1986 – Tim Thorin – Army – Special Forces, Afghanistan
1987 – Kevin D. Cordell – Air Force 1987- now Medically Retired from the USAF. Accomplishments: Served in Operation Desert Storm. Was stationed in Korea twice for a year a piece, one of which was during the 9-11 attacks. Retired from the 325th Air Control Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Florida.
1991 – Kenneth D. Mullins, Major, USAF, (1991-Present), Class of 1991 Currently serving as Chief, Network Operations, U.S. Pacific Command
1991 – Michael Thorin – Spent 6 months in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2004 and 1 1/2 years in Iraq from 2005 to 2006. Afghanistan deployment as a medic, and in Iraq pulling route reconnaissance and convoy security operations.
1993 – Tate Shaneyfelt – Army – Story & Obituary
2000 – Adams Hallman – Marine Corps – 4 yrs – Iraq and Afghanistan
2004 – Chase Moon – Air Force
2006 – Devin Cordell – Marine Corps – 2006-2015, Iraq, SSgt
2006 – Kashius Smiley – Army – Disabled Veteran
2008 – Ian Randall Sanders – Army National Guard – Went to basic training between Junior and Senior year in August of 2007 at Ft Sill Oklahoma. Honor Graduate (top 10%). After graduating from Dora in 2008 went to AIT at Ft Jackson, SC then Airborne School after that at Ft Benning, Ga. Deployed to Basra, Iraq in June 2009 with the 203rd Military Police Battalion of Athens, AL. Returned home June 2010. Then Deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan Feb. 2011 with the 20th Special Forces group out of Birmingham, AL. Returned home Oct. 2011.
2010 – Brandon P. James – Marine Corps – LCpl 2011-present stationed in Jacksonville, North Carolina; Tank Crewman
2010 – Jordan C. Mitchell – Army – SSG 2014-2021 – Operation Inherent Resolve 2017-2018; 1st Armored Division Tank Gunner
Veterans – Require More Info
Do you have more info regarding the below veterans? We have periods served, but we’re missing class dates. Help us out by sending us a quick email!
Afghanistan/Iraq
Daryl Collins He served in the Army from Sept. 1996 until August 2004
Gary Cooper Iraq OII – Army 1st Infantry 33rd Field Artillery
Adam Rich 20th Special Forces- US Army – Afghanistan
Will Roden U.S. Navy from 1987 to 1992
Vietnam
Hershal Brewer USAF 1973-1977, served in Florida, England, North Dakota. USN 1978-1989, Based mostly in Florida, NATO deployment on USS Eisenhower (CVN-69), 3.5 years with USS Saratoga (CV-60). Side note, during my second cruise on Sara, our planes took the Achile Lauro hijackers. 1997 to present, CA National Guard.
Larry Creel was in the navy from 71 to 74. Later, he retired from the National Guard. The navy was active duty, the guard, reserve
James Walter Elenburg – Army – made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in Vietnam. I think they still have the plaque at the High School with the names of the soldier who died in Vietnam.
Greg Phillips served with the 101st Airborne Division in 1969 and 1970. While in Vietnam I was awarded the Silver Star Medal,the Army Commendation Medal,Air Medal and two Purple Hearts(Greg says “didn’t duck fast enough twice”).
Joe Plunkett MARINE CORPS AUG 1968—DEC. 1969 Purple Heart
Billy Wayne Street — USAF from 1966-1969 Staff Sargent Thailand
Ricky Wise- died in Viet Nam – Click here for more info
Korea
Carl Cooper (Army) – Korea
WWII –
Michael E. Stephens (Army) [Deceased]
Paul Taylor (Army) [Lives in Gardendale]
Ulysses Dutton (Army) [deceased]
Horace Victory served in the Army in WWII in the Philippines. He did not get to graduate from Dora due to being drafted before graduation. He was known in High School as “fat lady” because he was 6 ft 7 in tall and played basketball for the Bulldogs.
Ruben M. Dutton U.S. Army WWII he passed away in March of 1996.
Homer Brown-Navy
Arnold Phillips
Harold Headrick
Louis Gray
Glen Johnson
Miltred Victory
Clellan McCrary
Lester Gilliland
Chester Wiley
Howard Crocker
Leo Headrick
A. B.Wiley
Berlin Ballenger
Joe Cashman
Albert Black, Jr.
Dode McLaughlin
Ralph Davis
Tom McCabe
Tom Davis