American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Melvin Heyward, 75, who was drafted into the U.S. Army after graduating from St. Helena High School in 1968. He attended Basic Training at Fort Gordon, Ga., and Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Dix, N.J.
He was then assigned to duty in Wildflecken, Bavaria, Germany. Dubbed “The Top of the Rock” by American troops, the small post was among the most feared and disliked of all training areas due to its high altitude and extreme weather conditions, sometimes getting to 40 degrees below zero.
In 1970 he separated and returned to Beaufort where he trained at Beaufort Tech (now TCL) in auto mechanics. He worked for 15 years in the auto service bay at Kmart, then at Walmart on Hilton Head Island. In 2015 he retired to St. Helena Island where he still does some auto mechanic work on the side.
Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.