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Edward Honor

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Edward Honor
Born(1933-03-17)17 March 1933
Melville, Louisiana
Died3 September 2008(2008-09-03) (aged 75)
Washington, D.C.
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1954–1989
RankLieutenant General
CommandsMilitary Traffic Management Command
Military Traffic Management Command, Transportation Terminal Group-Europe
37th Transportation Group, 4th Transportation Brigade
24th Transportation Battalion, 124th Transportation Command
36th Transportation Battalion, 124th Transportation Command
Battles / warsVietnam War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (4)
Bronze Star Medal (2)
Meritorious Service Medal (2)

Edward Honor Sr. (17 March 1933 – 3 September 2008)[1] was a lieutenant general in the United States Army who served as Director of Logistics (J4) on the Joint Staff from 1987 to 1989.[2] Promoted to brigadier general in 1979, he was the first African-American general officer in the Army Transportation Corps.[3][4]

Early life and education

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Born in Melville, Louisiana, Honor attended Southern University and A&M College where he joined Alpha Phi Alpha[2] and Army ROTC. He earned a B.A. degree in education in 1954.[5][6]

Military career

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During the Vietnam War, Honor assumed command of the 36th Transportation Battalion in July 1969[4] and the 24th Transportation Battalion in December 1969, both of which were part of the 124th Transportation Command at Cam Ranh Bay.[7] He later commanded the 37th Transportation Group in Germany,[3] Military Traffic Management Command at Transportation Terminal Group-Europe in Rotterdam[5] from 1983 to 1984 and then all of Military Traffic Management Command from 1986 to 1987.[3]

Honor was a co-founder of the African-American military officer mentoring group The Rocks in 1974.[2] He was promoted to major general in 1984 and lieutenant general in 1987.[3]

Later career

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After his retirement from active duty in 1989, Honor served as president of the National Defense Transportation Association until 2002.[2]

Personal

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Honor was the son of Louis and Doretha "Retha" (Jackson) Honor.[2][8]

Honor married Phyllis Virginia Whitehurst[5] (born 24 June 1945) on 13 August 1978 in Alexandria, Virginia. His second marriage to Harlean Redell Copeland[9] (born 27 August 1936) had ended in divorce in July 1968,[8] and his second wife had remarried in April 1974.[10] Honor had a son Edward Jr., daughter Beverly Ann, and three grandchildren from his three marriages.[2]

After his death, Honor was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on 1 December 2008.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Honor, Edward". ANCExplorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Edward Honor Sr". The Washington Post. 13 September 2008. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  3. ^ a b c d Passannante, August (4 July 2018). "Edward Honor Sr. (1933-2008)". blackpast.org. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  4. ^ a b "36th Transportation Battalion" (PDF). U.S. Army Transportation Corps. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  5. ^ a b c "Major General Edward Honor". Army Executive Biographies. Headquarters, Department of the Army. 1985. p. 263. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  6. ^ U.S. Army Register: Active and Retired List. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army. 1 January 1966. p. 267. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  7. ^ "24th Transportation Battalion" (PDF). U.S. Army Transportation Corps. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  8. ^ a b "Marriage Return (for Edward Honor and Phyllis Whitehurst)". No. 78–036299. Richmond, Virginia: Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.
  9. ^ "Marriage Return (for James Short and Beverly Honor)". No. 80–002649. Richmond, Virginia: Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.
  10. ^ "Marriage Return (for Luke Owens and Harlean Honor)". No. 74–012966. Richmond, Virginia: Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.

Further reading

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