Ralph Whitfield

Ralph Whitfield grew up in West Texas and enlisted in the United States Navy in 1977 at the recommendation of his brother-in-law. “He told me it was a good place to go,” Whitfield remembers. “And I wanted to travel and get a car to use for field service for college.” Ralph soon found that the military would give him not only those things, but many other opportunities as well.

“By being a veteran, being in the military, you get to experience things that you don’t experience in everyday life,” he says. “And you get to meet people in a controlled situation but it’s very beneficial in you growing.” The friendships made in the Navy, and the people in general, are two of the main things Ralph misses from his time in the service. Many of those relationships formed then still impact his life today. The Navy taught him brotherhood.

Another advantage to his time in the Armed Forces, Whitfield shares that the Navy also taught him discipline and how to keep things in an orderly fashion. These characteristics are ones that could greatly benefit other citizens, a hope that Ralph has for younger Americans today. “Serving gives you the opportunity to continue your education. It’ll give you time to make up your mind and decide what you’re going to do,” he says. “I miss the freedom of having so many opportunities in front of me. I had a lot of opportunities there for me.”

Retiring from the Navy in 1984, Mr. Whitfield began working for Southwestern Bell in Amarillo as a telephone operator. His work took him to Lubbock and eventually to Dallas. Whitfield found his way to Forney in 2014. “My wife passed away on January 1 this year, but she is the reason we moved here,” he remembers. “She wanted to move from Dallas to Forney because we had the chance to build a house out here and she wanted to do that.”

Adjusting to life without his beloved wife Dorothy is a challenge, but Ralph continues to keep a positive outlook. With continued support from the church Mrs. Whitfield pastored for nearly two decades, Apostolic Spirit Filled Church in Garland, Mr. Whitfield spends most of his time now enjoying his family. He is the father of one son, as well as a grandfather and greatgrandfather.

As with all who have served our Nation, Mr. Whitfield knows the value of his time in the service and how it has impacted the man he is today. “I just hope young people will serve, not only in wartime, but in peace time also because that builds character.”