Editor’s note: The Journal’s Unsung Heroes series spotlights a local veteran each Monday from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. If you would like to nominate an Unsung Hero, email news@journal-news.net.

MARTINSBURG — Shepherdstown native, Larry Dunn has been in the West Virginia Air National Guard since the winter of his senior year of high school in 1987. After enlisting, he went to basic training in July 1988 to be a member of the 167th Tactical Airlift Group of the West Virginia Air National Guard.

His military service and career have spanned 30 years prior to retirement, and he continues to serve as the Emergency Management Specialist at the Department of Veterans Affairs full time.

After basic training, Dunn went to fire school and graduated in October 1988, did drill weekends for a year and then began to work at the 167th as a full-time firefighter.

Dunn’s interest and passion for firefighting came from his up bringing.

“I was a volunteer firefighter in Shepherdstown growing up, and it was something that then just came naturally,” Dunn said.

Dunn said that in 1990, he deployed for Desert Shield and Desert Storm stateside.

“I was gone for about nine months. I did a couple of months in North Carolina at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. During this time there was a big group of us firefighters which made history. In December of that year, we were the first group of Guardsmen presidentially activated since the Korean War from the 167th,” Dunn said. “We then went to Hurlburt Field Florida for about 5 months.”

It was upon his return from deployment that Dunn met his wife, Karin. They have been together for 30 years and have two children, Frannie, 27, and Adam, 25.

“The families are the true heroes by holding things together while their loved one serves. Without the support of my family and a select group of friends, I would never have been able to accomplish all I have,” Dunn said.

After leaving full-time at the 167th in 1997, Dunn began to work for the federal government doing Emergency Management.

“I was with the Federal Aviation Administration for 18 years and have been at the VA for almost 6 years doing Emergency Management,” Dunn said. “My career with the Guard was a bit convoluted, because when I left the full-time position in the guard fire department, I no longer had a guard position, so I had to find a new job in the guard. I moved to the safety office and became a ground safety technician as a traditional Guardsman and did that for five years.”

Dunn said that in 2002, he got a job that has been his favorite in his military service.

“In 2002 I became what turned out to be the best job I had in the military, which was First Sergeant for the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at the 167th and I was there for six years doing that. After becoming First Sergeant in 2002, I deployed three times in that position — twice to Germany and once to stateside,” Dunn said. “I then took a position at headquarters as a Human Resources Advisor for three years and then went back to the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at the 167th as a Medical Administration Technician and then finished my career there and retired as a Senior Master Sergeant in 2017.”

Dunn said the humbleness among most veterans is a prevalent trait and that he remains humble as well regarding his service.

“One of the big takeaways that I got from the military was the desire to improve myself,” Dunn said.

In conjunction with the Community College of the Air Force, Dunn also attended Shepherd University. He received his Fire Science degree, his Medial Administration degree and his Fire Science Safety degree.

“I also got my bachelor’s degree, which the guard helped me pay for through AMU in Emergency Management and there was a program through the University of Charleston for my MBA which I finished up in 2016. The Air National Guard has been very good to me,” Dunn said. “It is one of those things where I did a lot of training, and I got a lot of certifications. What I gave to the Guard, they gave me back and that that’s one of the big things with the military, you get back as much as you put in.”

Dunn said that all his training taught him self-reliance and how to be a self-starter.

“It all helped me get things accomplished and strive to be better,” he said. “I have been asked after I retired if I miss it. I miss the people, the friendships, and the comradery.”