(August 22, 2013)

Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Orr '57 inducted into Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame

SHREVEPORT, LA — Retired Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Orr '57 will be inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame class of 2013 this November. Orr has also been nominated for the Major General Douglas O. Dollar Distinguished Service Award. "It's an incredible, humbling honor to be nominated," said Orr.

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Orr was a cheerleader and a member of Kappa Sigma at Centenary

Orr was a cadet of the first ROTC unit at Centenary and then began his Army service in 1957. After being wounded twice, he deployed to Korea in 1958 serving as a platoon leader and forward observer with the 1st Battalion, 19th Field Artillery. He returned to Fort Sill and commanded a battery in the 1st Missile Brigade. He served as an aide-de-camp to Major General William P. Peers, and then commanded a Little John Missile Firing Battery.

In 1963, Orr served in Germany and then went on to serve in Vietnam in 1968 with the 4th Infantry Division. He was assigned as S-1 Division Support Command for two months and then assumed duty as operations officer, 2nd Battalion, 9th Artillery where he served as interim battalion commander for one month during some of the most intense ground combat in the Central Highlands. Years later he served in the Pentagon in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Research and Development.

His awards include the Soldier's Medal, two Bronze Star Medals with V for valor, two Purple Hearts, three Meritorious Service Medals, eight Air Medals and the Army Commendation Medal. Orr will also receive the Major General Douglas Dollar Distinguished Service Award.

The current chair of Centenary's ROTC Alumni Affinity Group attributes his accomplishments in the military to his experience at Centenary. "I want the college to know that my success is a reflection of the people I associated with at Centenary and still do to this day. Those four years had a major impact on my life and I owe a lot to the college."

Orr's advice for Centenary leaders is simple: "If you want respect you have got to give respect."

Induction into the Hall of Fame will take place November 9 at the Jim Thorpe Events Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at 6:30 p.m.