Edward Honor Sr. (1933-2008)

Lt. Gen. Edward Honor, 1987
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Edward Honor, Sr. was a former Lieutenant General of the U.S. Army, former president of the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA), and one of the founding members of the ROCKS, Inc. Honor is also a lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Honor served for 35 years as a Transportation Corps Officer and concluded his military career with the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, among others. Honor was promoted to Brigadier General in 1979, Major General in 1984, and Lieutenant General in 1987. Honor was the Transportation Corps’ first African American officer.

Edward Honor Sr. was born on March 17, 1933 in Melville, Louisiana to Louis and Doretha Jackson Honor. Immediately after graduating from high school in Sunset, Louisiana, Honor enrolled at Southern University and later graduated from the institution in 1954 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education.  While at Southern Honor enrolled in the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) and upon graduation was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Transportation Corps. Honor entered active duty in 1954, attending Basic Training at the Armor and Transportation Corps schools. His military education also includes the Army Command and General Staff College as well as the Army War College.

Honor served during the Vietnam War as the commander of the 36th Transportation Group and later the 24th Transportation Group. Honor also commanded the 37th Transportation Group in Germany as a Colonel. While serving, Honor helped to found the ROCKS, Inc., the largest professional military officers’ organization with a mostly African American membership. Honor was instrumental in establishing the National Board and several chapters of the ROCKS, Inc.

Honor’s highest positions of command include Commander of the Eastern region, Military Transportation Management Command (MTMC) from 1983 to 1984, Commander of MTMC from 1986 to 1987, and Director of Logistics, Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon from 1987 until his retirement. After retiring from the U.S. Army in 1989, Honor became the president of the NDTA until 2002.

Honor was known to have had a deep passion for mentoring, and he was renowned in the ROCKS, Inc., Transportation Corps, and throughout the Army for his willingness and skill in mentoring young officers. In fact, the U.S. Army and Transportation Center in 2003 published a biography of Honor titled Mentoring and Leading, written by Richard E. Killblane.

Lieutenant General Honor passed away on September 3, 2008, at 75 years of age. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis, his children, Edward Jr. and Beverly Short, and his grandchildren.