- May 2, 2024
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When U.S. Army recruiters showed up at the Ormond Beach home of the Postells in 1986, they asked to see George Postell.
Problem was, the recruiters didn't specify which George Postell they were looking for, and because his son wasn't home, it was Army veteran George Postell Sr. who answered the door. The pair laugh about that memory now, but back then, George Postell Jr. had some explaining to do. He hadn't told his parents he had enlisted.
“I didn’t want him to go into service nowhere during that time," Postell Sr. said.
His son nodded. "It was some turbulent times when I went in," he said.
His parents wanted him to pursue college football, having played at Seabreeze High School, but Postell Jr. knew for a long time that he would eventually enlist in the military. If he had to do it all over again, he would.
The father-son duo are two of the featured veterans in this year's Hometown Heroes banner program by the city. Their faces, along with 103 others, will line the Granada Bridge for the month of November.
Postell Sr. received his draft notice in February 1953, near the end of the Korean War. At the time, hewas working as a bellhop in a beachside resort. He left Ormond Beach and went to Fort Jackson in South Carolina, and later to Fort Bliss in Texas where he completed basic training.
“It was my first time away from home and I didn’t know what to think about it," Postell Sr. said.
Though his time in the military was short — he served from 1953-1955 and had been stationed in Japan — he does have fond memories of friendship between fellow soldiers. He had been trained as a gunner.
Decades later, when Postell Jr. joined the Army, he spent most of his time deployed in the jungles of Honduras and Panama. He recalls one instance when a sergeant came up to him and asked him to please call his mother when he returned to the U.S. Postell Jr. was a combat engineer attached to a rapid deployment unit, and they were always ready to be deployed anywhere on a moment's notice.
His mom is very persistent when it comes to her children's welfare, Postell Jr. said.
“She kept calling the base because we had this thing— I would call my mom every Sunday, and I hadn’t called her," Postell Jr. recalled. "She kept calling to find out where I was and they couldn’t tell her.”
So, the very first thing he did when he returned to the U.S. was call his mom back in Ormond Beach and let her know he was okay.
After his four years in the Army, he re-enlisted for another 20. However, due to an injury sustained while training for his jumpmaster certificate, he was medically discharged shortly after his second tour in Honduras.
Both Postells, as well as several members of their family, worked for the city of Ormond Beach. Postell Sr. retired from the city's sanitation department, and Postell Jr. ran the gymnastics program for 24 years. They both participated in the banner program last year. It was an easy decision, seeing as they're both passionate about celebrating veterans and their hometown.
Veterans Day is a day to remember the sacrifices made by the men and women of the armed services, Postell Jr. said. It's about celebrating the belief to stand up for what you believe in.
“I stand behind all the men and women that have served before me and are serving now, and are going to serve," Postell Jr. said. "It’s a great country. It’s worth fighting for.”
Postell Sr. said he served the country with pride, and appreciates the sacrifice made by the military men and women that enlisted after him during turbulent times. Many volunteered and weren't drafted, and gave everything for their country and returned wounded, he added. That needs to be respected more.
“Veteran’s Day is victory," Postell Sr. said.
