Richard Tyner:
CLASS OF 1977
St. Pauls High SchoolClass of 1977
St. pauls, NC
University of North Carolina Class of 1988
Pembroke, NC
Bladen Community CollegeClass of 1985
Dublin, NC
Richard's Story
I've noticed Classmates doesn't have me listed in my military or other communities, like they did several years ago, so it's time to fill in some gaps. I graduated from St. Pauls High School, St. Pauls, NC in 1977. During my senior year, I raised my right hand to join the Navy after graduation. In July, 1977 I reported for basic training in Orlando, Florida (the base is now closed), and from there the Naval Air Station, Memphis, TN. After a while, I attended Naval Hospital Corps School, Great Lakes, IL, and then Field Medical Service School, Camp Lejeune, NC. In December, 1978 I reported for a year's duty to Naval Hospital, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, serving where needed on the wards,nursery, labor and delivery, etc. In January, 1980, I reported for duty aboard the USS Macdonough (DDG-39) homeported in Charleston, SC, until my enlistment expired in July, 1981. I joined the Naval Reserves after my active duty service, and retired after 20 plus years of service total (close to 21 years). In August, 1982 I began attending Bladen Community College, Dublin, NC for their Medical Laboratory Assistant program, completing that in March, 1984. A tough job market brought me back for another year of study of BCC, and I then tranferred to Pembroke State University (now UNC Pembroke). Ran into some problems during my clinical study in the Medical Technology program, so I went to Pembroke for another class that fulfilled my Bachelor of Science in Biology requirements for graduation, in May 1988.
While at Pembroke in 1988, a recruiter from USDA in Washington, DC stopped to interview candidates. I thought I was applying for a job in the Robeson County area, but the positions were temporary ones (internships) in Washington. The internship became a full time job with the Animal and Plant ...Expand for more
Health Inspection Service, and I served on their safety and health staff in a variety of functions for 20 years. I've now been with the Agricultural Marketing Service for 5 years at this writing (June, 2013) as the safety and occupational health program manager.
Over the years, I've become something of a photography geek (I was the audiovisual guy for my class in the 4th-5th grades at St. Pauls Elem.,so it was bound to happen); and was on the yearbook at BCC and also Pembroke as an adhoc photographer. I also did workstudy at Pembroke's TV station on campus for perhaps a year, monitoring programs and running station ID tapes. Reading, listening to music, walks around Washington (usually with a camera), local history, helping at my local church, and an occassional baseball game take much of my free time. Never married (thought twice that was coming down the road, but...), no children.
Most of my reserve duty time was at the reserve center in Wilmington, NC, assigned to units that would have reported to Camp Lejeune or Cherry Point Naval Hospitals, and also supported the local Marine Corps Reserve unit there, and for a brief period the USS Trippe (FF-1075) unit. Washington, DC area reserve service was primarily with a field medical (surgical support company). During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, I was among a cadre of reservists that reported to Norway in support of a NATO exercise taking place near Narvik, Tromso, etc. above the Arctic Circle. I came home with a bad case of bronchitis from that adventure, which later became pneumonia; periodically I've had bouts of both since then, but not in the past six or seven years (knock on wood).
I make trips back to St. Pauls about every six weeks to two months; both parents and several of my siblings still live there or nearby.
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Reunions
Photos
