Meet Wally Phinney Jr.: Veteran of the Week
Hey there Beaufort folks! Have you met the admirable and inspiring local personality, Wally Phinney, Jr.? Known endearingly in our town as “Wally”, he’s a proud veteran and our pick for ‘Veteran of the Week’! Allow us to tell you a bit more about Wally’s remarkable journey.
A True Soldier
Looking at him now, 87-year-old Wally hails from a family of military folks. Being the proud son of a Marine father, Wally attended school on Parris Island. His sense of duty led Wally to sign up for the United States Army in 1957 when he started at Clemson University in the Army ROTC. After wrapping up college in 1962, Wally went to Fort Benning, Georgia for Officer Training.
From there, he landed his first assignment as an Infantry Company commander at Fort Jackson. Later, Wally got assigned to vibrant Hawaii and then Vietnam near Cu Chi, from where he led a 40-man platoon on combat operations on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in the delta. A daring assignment indeed!
All Around the Globe
After this adrenaline-filled stint, Wally came back to the states and served at Fort Dix, New Jersey, before finally getting some well-deserved classroom time at Signal Corps School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. After polishing up his communication skills, he got assigned to the Area NATO Headquarters in Izmir, Turkey for three years. Then we find Wally playing the professor to students at Morehead State University in Kentucky, where he taught ROTC. Promotions just seem to follow our man Wally, as he was promoted to Major during this time! He then headed back to Vietnam near Saigon to work at the major radio relay station for the whole country, an assignment that earned him a Bronze Star. Bravo!
Final Tour and Retirement
Unstoppable as ever, Wally then took up the role of an instructor at the Combat Communications School at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and went on a year of duty in Korea, unaccompanied. Wrapping up his overseas giant military tour, Wally’s final assignment was back home where he instructed at the Signal School at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Then in 1982, after over two decades of being a soldier, Wally hung up his uniform and put on the hat of a retired Major.
New Beginnings and Legacy
If you’re thinking that retirement would mean slowing down for Wally, think again! Being just as enthusiastic as he was on his global military missions, Wally served as a substitute teacher for Beaufort County for five years. Meanwhile, he also earned a Coast Guard qualification as a charter boat captain and ran a charter service for 34 years, all while moving 17 times, as his wife fondly recalls!
Nominations for ‘Veteran of the Week’
Got a nomination for our ‘Veteran of the Week’? Drop an email to jechubb1@gmail.com where Wally’s story was kindly compiled by John Chubb of American Legion Post 207. After all, we owe these great folks a grand salute, don’t we?
