Edward Honor

Edward Honor
Edward Honor
Born	17 March 1933; Melville, Louisiana
Died	3 September 2008 (aged 75); Washington, D.C.
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1954–1989
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	Military 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 / wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Defense 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

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

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

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

Personal

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

^ ^a ^b "Honor, Edward". ANCExplorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Edward Honor Sr". The Washington Post. 13 September 2008. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Passannante, August (4 July 2018). "Edward Honor Sr. (1933-2008)". blackpast.org. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
^ ^a ^b "36th Transportation Battalion" (PDF). U.S. Army Transportation Corps. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Major General Edward Honor". Army Executive Biographies. Headquarters, Department of the Army. 1985. p. 263. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
^ 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.
^ "24th Transportation Battalion" (PDF). U.S. Army Transportation Corps. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
^ ^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.
^ "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.
^ "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.