Meet Joe Alexander

Joe R Alexander entered the US Army as a Private in April 1966.  He graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate and Airborne School in April 1967 after which he was assign to the newly activated Vietnam era 3^rd Battalion 506^th Airborne Infantry 1^st Brigade 101^st Airborne Infantry Division.    

He was a member of the 3-506 from April 1967 through October 1968, which included duty at Ft Campbell and the Republic of Vietnam.  He served in combat with Company A as an Infantry Platoon Leader, Headquarters Company as a Liaison Officer and Company E as the Executive Officer/4.2 inch Mortar Platoon Leader.

 After Vietnam, 1LT Alexander joined the Tennessee Army National Guard as a citizen soldier and served in numerous positions to include Commander of the 1^st and 2^nd Squadrons of the 278^th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

 COL (R) Alexander considers it a privilege to have served his country as a member of Task Force 3-506, 101^st Airborne Division and 278^th Armored Cavalry Regiment.   He displays this by proudly wearing (along with other awards) the National Defense Ribbon, Parachutist Badge, Valorous Unit Award and the 101^st Airborne Division patch on his right shoulder.

 Joe is a graduate of East Tennessee State University located in Johnson City, TN with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology.

 In addition to serving as a volunteer in numerous civilian and veteran organizations, Joe is a Director of the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Association (ETVMA).  ETVMA is a non-profit organization created to honor nearly 6,000 East Tennessee men and women who (beginning with World War I) died while serving in the military during times of conflict.  

 Joe is also a member of the Stephens County Historical Society in Toccoa, Georgia that sponsors a military museum to honor the World War II Parachute Infantry Regiments that trained at Camp Toccoa and Currahee Mountain.

 Joe is co-founder, part owner and Secretary/Treasurer of Off Road Equipment Parts, Inc. located in Alcoa, Tennessee, which buys and sells surplus parts for heavy equipment.    

Joe and his wife, Rikki, live in Knoxville Tennessee near Rikki’s sons Joshua and Matthew Traylor.   Rikki teaches eighth grade in Knox County at West Valley Middle School.   Joe’s son, Gregg and his wife Teresa, live in Roanoke, VA with their children Joseph and Charlotte.   Joe and his father, Ralph Alexander, operate a beef cattle farm near Lenoir City, Tennessee that has been in the family more than 150 years.