Retired State Trooper Hubert L. Hester, age 92, of Decatur passed away peacefully at his home on June 27, 2011
Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 8 at Roselawn Funeral Home. Funeral service will be Thursday, June 30, 2011, at noon in the chapel with Pastor Ken Oldham officiating. Burial will follow in Roselawn Cemetery.
He was born in Guntersville on June 9, 1919, to Mack C. Hester and Lula Norman Hester. Mr. Hester enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 17, 1938. He received an honorable discharge on July 25, 1945. He was an expert machine gunner and sharp shooter during his service in the Panama Canal Zone. He transferred back to the states and was a Military Policeman at Camp Shelby, Miss., when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a Presidential call for volunteers for "A Dangerous and Hazardous Mission" which needed experienced jungle fighters. Hester was one of the 3,000 American Soldiers to answer the call. The unit was officially designed as the 5307th Code Name "Galahad", which later became Merrills Marauders. President Roosevelt said, "These volunteers, all of them, were the roughest, toughest bunch of infantry our Army's ever molded together. Such is the composition of the First American Combat Force to set foot on the Continent of Asia. The colors of the six combat units have been incorporate in the modern day Army Ranger beret flash. He received the Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Theater, Two Bronze Stars and the Distinguised Unit Badge in 1966. For their accomplishments in Burma, the Marauders were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. When he came back home, he joined the Alabama Highway Patrol. He spent time pulling security duty for the Governor George Wallace. He traveled at the Governor's side during the famous "Stand in the schoolhouse door" at The University of Alabama in 1962. Trooper Badge 80 retired in 1972 after 27 years of service. Mr. Hester was a member of Sixth Avenue Church of God. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Louise Scott Hester; son, Stephen Scott Hester; and sisters, Ruby Hale and Corine Lister.
He is survived by one son, Greg Hester (Ann) of Tennessee; two daughters, Linda Jett (Richard) of Georgia and Teresa Phillips (Mike) of Decatur; special friend, Linda Whisenant of Decatur; one sister, Grace Smith of Albertville; grandchildren, Hope Hamilton (James) of Georgia, Alison Miller (Grant) of Trinity, Sarah Phillips of Decatur, Megan Stanton and Michael Stanton of Tennessee; great-grandchildren, Nicole Ridley (Tommy) of Georgia, Jesse Hamilton (Sherri) of Georgia, Cohen Miller, Micah Miller and Eisley Miller, all of Trinity; and great-great-grandchildren, Gavin Hamilton and Alexis Hamilton of Georgia.
Pallbearers will be Alabama State Troopers.
Honorary pallbearers will be grandsons.
Published in the Decatur Daily on June 29, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was the oldest living Alabama State Trooper when he passed away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 8 at Roselawn Funeral Home. Funeral service will be Thursday, June 30, 2011, at noon in the chapel with Pastor Ken Oldham officiating. Burial will follow in Roselawn Cemetery.
He was born in Guntersville on June 9, 1919, to Mack C. Hester and Lula Norman Hester. Mr. Hester enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 17, 1938. He received an honorable discharge on July 25, 1945. He was an expert machine gunner and sharp shooter during his service in the Panama Canal Zone. He transferred back to the states and was a Military Policeman at Camp Shelby, Miss., when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a Presidential call for volunteers for "A Dangerous and Hazardous Mission" which needed experienced jungle fighters. Hester was one of the 3,000 American Soldiers to answer the call. The unit was officially designed as the 5307th Code Name "Galahad", which later became Merrills Marauders. President Roosevelt said, "These volunteers, all of them, were the roughest, toughest bunch of infantry our Army's ever molded together. Such is the composition of the First American Combat Force to set foot on the Continent of Asia. The colors of the six combat units have been incorporate in the modern day Army Ranger beret flash. He received the Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Theater, Two Bronze Stars and the Distinguised Unit Badge in 1966. For their accomplishments in Burma, the Marauders were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. When he came back home, he joined the Alabama Highway Patrol. He spent time pulling security duty for the Governor George Wallace. He traveled at the Governor's side during the famous "Stand in the schoolhouse door" at The University of Alabama in 1962. Trooper Badge 80 retired in 1972 after 27 years of service. Mr. Hester was a member of Sixth Avenue Church of God. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Louise Scott Hester; son, Stephen Scott Hester; and sisters, Ruby Hale and Corine Lister.
He is survived by one son, Greg Hester (Ann) of Tennessee; two daughters, Linda Jett (Richard) of Georgia and Teresa Phillips (Mike) of Decatur; special friend, Linda Whisenant of Decatur; one sister, Grace Smith of Albertville; grandchildren, Hope Hamilton (James) of Georgia, Alison Miller (Grant) of Trinity, Sarah Phillips of Decatur, Megan Stanton and Michael Stanton of Tennessee; great-grandchildren, Nicole Ridley (Tommy) of Georgia, Jesse Hamilton (Sherri) of Georgia, Cohen Miller, Micah Miller and Eisley Miller, all of Trinity; and great-great-grandchildren, Gavin Hamilton and Alexis Hamilton of Georgia.
Pallbearers will be Alabama State Troopers.
Honorary pallbearers will be grandsons.
Published in the Decatur Daily on June 29, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was the oldest living Alabama State Trooper when he passed away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Retired State Trooper Hubert L. Hester, age 92, of Decatur passed away peacefully at his home on June 27, 2011
Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 8 at Roselawn Funeral Home. Funeral service will be Thursday, June 30, 2011, at noon in the chapel with Pastor Ken Oldham officiating. Burial will follow in Roselawn Cemetery.
He was born in Guntersville on June 9, 1919, to Mack C. Hester and Lula Norman Hester. Mr. Hester enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 17, 1938. He received an honorable discharge on July 25, 1945. He was an expert machine gunner and sharp shooter during his service in the Panama Canal Zone. He transferred back to the states and was a Military Policeman at Camp Shelby, Miss., when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a Presidential call for volunteers for "A Dangerous and Hazardous Mission" which needed experienced jungle fighters. Hester was one of the 3,000 American Soldiers to answer the call. The unit was officially designed as the 5307th Code Name "Galahad", which later became Merrills Marauders. President Roosevelt said, "These volunteers, all of them, were the roughest, toughest bunch of infantry our Army's ever molded together. Such is the composition of the First American Combat Force to set foot on the Continent of Asia. The colors of the six combat units have been incorporate in the modern day Army Ranger beret flash. He received the Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Theater, Two Bronze Stars and the Distinguised Unit Badge in 1966. For their accomplishments in Burma, the Marauders were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. When he came back home, he joined the Alabama Highway Patrol. He spent time pulling security duty for the Governor George Wallace. He traveled at the Governor's side during the famous "Stand in the schoolhouse door" at The University of Alabama in 1962. Trooper Badge 80 retired in 1972 after 27 years of service. Mr. Hester was a member of Sixth Avenue Church of God. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Louise Scott Hester; son, Stephen Scott Hester; and sisters, Ruby Hale and Corine Lister.
He is survived by one son, Greg Hester (Ann) of Tennessee; two daughters, Linda Jett (Richard) of Georgia and Teresa Phillips (Mike) of Decatur; special friend, Linda Whisenant of Decatur; one sister, Grace Smith of Albertville; grandchildren, Hope Hamilton (James) of Georgia, Alison Miller (Grant) of Trinity, Sarah Phillips of Decatur, Megan Stanton and Michael Stanton of Tennessee; great-grandchildren, Nicole Ridley (Tommy) of Georgia, Jesse Hamilton (Sherri) of Georgia, Cohen Miller, Micah Miller and Eisley Miller, all of Trinity; and great-great-grandchildren, Gavin Hamilton and Alexis Hamilton of Georgia.
Pallbearers will be Alabama State Troopers.
Honorary pallbearers will be grandsons.
Published in the Decatur Daily on June 29, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was the oldest living Alabama State Trooper when he passed away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 8 at Roselawn Funeral Home. Funeral service will be Thursday, June 30, 2011, at noon in the chapel with Pastor Ken Oldham officiating. Burial will follow in Roselawn Cemetery.
He was born in Guntersville on June 9, 1919, to Mack C. Hester and Lula Norman Hester. Mr. Hester enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 17, 1938. He received an honorable discharge on July 25, 1945. He was an expert machine gunner and sharp shooter during his service in the Panama Canal Zone. He transferred back to the states and was a Military Policeman at Camp Shelby, Miss., when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a Presidential call for volunteers for "A Dangerous and Hazardous Mission" which needed experienced jungle fighters. Hester was one of the 3,000 American Soldiers to answer the call. The unit was officially designed as the 5307th Code Name "Galahad", which later became Merrills Marauders. President Roosevelt said, "These volunteers, all of them, were the roughest, toughest bunch of infantry our Army's ever molded together. Such is the composition of the First American Combat Force to set foot on the Continent of Asia. The colors of the six combat units have been incorporate in the modern day Army Ranger beret flash. He received the Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Theater, Two Bronze Stars and the Distinguised Unit Badge in 1966. For their accomplishments in Burma, the Marauders were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. When he came back home, he joined the Alabama Highway Patrol. He spent time pulling security duty for the Governor George Wallace. He traveled at the Governor's side during the famous "Stand in the schoolhouse door" at The University of Alabama in 1962. Trooper Badge 80 retired in 1972 after 27 years of service. Mr. Hester was a member of Sixth Avenue Church of God. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Louise Scott Hester; son, Stephen Scott Hester; and sisters, Ruby Hale and Corine Lister.
He is survived by one son, Greg Hester (Ann) of Tennessee; two daughters, Linda Jett (Richard) of Georgia and Teresa Phillips (Mike) of Decatur; special friend, Linda Whisenant of Decatur; one sister, Grace Smith of Albertville; grandchildren, Hope Hamilton (James) of Georgia, Alison Miller (Grant) of Trinity, Sarah Phillips of Decatur, Megan Stanton and Michael Stanton of Tennessee; great-grandchildren, Nicole Ridley (Tommy) of Georgia, Jesse Hamilton (Sherri) of Georgia, Cohen Miller, Micah Miller and Eisley Miller, all of Trinity; and great-great-grandchildren, Gavin Hamilton and Alexis Hamilton of Georgia.
Pallbearers will be Alabama State Troopers.
Honorary pallbearers will be grandsons.
Published in the Decatur Daily on June 29, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was the oldest living Alabama State Trooper when he passed away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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