Salute to VeteranS VICTOR W. BURNETTE
About this section InsideNoVa is honored again this year to be able to recognize a number of veterans and active-duty service members from Prince William County and surrounding communities in our annual “Salute to Veterans” section. The write-ups and photos in these pages were submitted by InsideNoVa readers to honor and remember their family members and friends. The submissions have been lightly edited for style and grammar. As we honor all veterans this weekend, we recognize that these write-ups represent only a tiny percentage of the veterans and active-duty service members who live in or are from our community, and we salute all those veterans and thank them for their service. We also thank the advertisers who made this section possible. – Bruce Potter, Publisher
JOHN SLOAN Age: 91 Hometown: Manassas Branch of service: Army Highest rank: Lieutenant colonel Years of service: 20 Other details: John Sloan graduated from West Point in 1955 and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. He served in Korea and Vietnam and taught European and Russian history in the Department of Social Sciences at the U.S. Military Academy. While deployed to Vietnam, he served in the U.S. Age: 81 Age: 54 Army II Field Force Headquarters Hometown: Bristow Hometown: Haymarket in Long Binh as an engineer intelliBranch of service: Army Branch of service: Marine Corps gence officer (1967-68), tracking the Highest rank: Lieutenant colonel and Air Force progress of construction projects Years of service: 20 Highest rank: Technical sergeant across the country. Upon returning Honors received: Legion of Merit, Years of service: 20 from Vietnam, he spent much of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Honors received: Two Bronze Stars remainder of his career studying Honor graduate FA Basic Course, FA of Valor, among other awards. the Russian language and history, Career Course, selected for master Other details: A retired combat becoming a recognized expert on studies in Computer Science. veteran with a distinguished career the Soviet Army. In 1976, he retired as Other details: Served in Korea, Viet- spanning 20 years of military service a Lieutenant colonel. Col. Sloan is the nam and Germany; was a member of split between the Marine Corps and embodiment of service to country, C&C Info Systems Study Group and Air Force. Specializing in special oper- and family. He served in the Army Professional Development of Officers ations, he ascended to the elite units faithfully in multiple positions during Study Group; selected to serve as within the Joint Special Operations his career. Also with his wife, raising ADP Action Officer, OJCS Pioneer in Command, undertaking numerous four children (two of whom are also the Army. Selected to become first deployments to Afghanistan and West Point graduates); and sacrificing single-tracked field grade officer pav- Iraq. After retiring from the military, his personal wealth by paying college ing way for highly qualified technical he became a local firefighter/paratuition for his 15 grandchildren. Col. specialty officers to have successful medic. He and his wife also founded a Sloan has lived in Manassas since careers. nonprofit, Making Everything Good, 2007, is a member of All Saints Caththat helps first responders, veterans, olic Church and always enjoys and the military, their families and the attends the Manassas parades. local community.
JOHN MAGNUSSON
ERIC PROVOW
Age: 67 Hometown: Woodbridge Branch of service: Army Highest rank: Lieutenant colonel Years of service: 26 Honors received: Bronze Star Other details: Served in Operation Desert Storm. Lt. Col. Burnette served across the United States, Korea and Germany. He is a survivor of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and the only survivor of his team. After serving 26 years in the Army, he served Prince William County as the Woodbridge Senior High School Army JROTC Senior Army Instructor for 12 years before he retired in the summer of 2023. During this time, he helped several teens get into West Point, get ROTC scholarships or go to a college of their choice. He was the voice of a father for kids that didn’t have dads at home. He worked nights and weekends serving to help the teens in Woodbridge excel and grow up with aspirations to be better citizens. He served as a foster parent for 10 years. In addition, he convinced his three daughters who graduated from Prince William schools (Potomac and Forest Park) to go to college and join the service, and all three are Army officers continuing in his footsteps. He also serves as a deacon at The Life Church, where he has been a member for over 23 years.
CORTEZ GRIER Age: 27 Hometown: Alexandria Branch of service: Army Highest rank: Sergeant Years of service: 8 Honors received: Arcom with a combat device air assault school badge Other details: Served one tour in Afghanistan in 2018. Has no family military background but decided to leave his job at City Hall in Dumfries to serve his country.
INSIDENOVA.COM • NOVEMBER 2024 | SALUTE TO VETERANS
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