Ex-mayor Oliver, 82, dies
Former Russellville mayor and retired U.S. Army National Guard Major General Troy Oliver, 82, a 1961 graduate of Belgreen High School, died Saturday.
He attended Russellville First Baptist Church. He and his wife, Brenda, had four children, Sharon, Jonathan, Laura Beth and Mason, and several grandchildren.
Oliver managed his manufactured housing business while navigating National Guard duties. He retired in 2000 and stayed busy with his farm and family.
He was a member of the Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5184 and American Legion Post 64.
Over the course of his military career, he rose from lieutenant to captain to major to lieutenant colonel, colonel, brigadier general and finally major general.
His military decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation and Army Achievement medals, Bronze Star with valor, Combat Infantry Badge, Legion of Merit and MeritoriousServiceMedal, along with the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star, Honor Medal 1st class and Campaign Medal. Local VFW Commander Randy Mancell describes Oliver as having been “a great man who served his nation and community with honor and dignity” and “a leader who would do anything for his troops.”
Mayor David Grissom served on the city council when Oliver was mayor of Russellville from 2008 to 2012.
“I appreciate his service to our country and to the city,” Grissom said. “My prayers are with Brenda and his family.”
OliverattendedFlorence State College (now known as the University of North Alabama). His degree was in accounting, economics and military science.
At that time, the situation in Vietnam was heating up, and two years of ROTC were required. When he graduated college at 22, Oliver, along with fellow senior ROTC students were sworn in as second lieutenants.
He went through basic training to become an infantry officer, in addition to airborne school for parachute training. After that, he began training recruits.
A week before deploying to Vietnam in 1966, he married Brenda, who had just graduated high school. Due to the timeline, they had to delay a honeymoon, but six months later, she made her first plane trip and met him in Hawai’i.
He was in Vietnam through August 1967 and was promoted to first lieutenant while there. He, as infantry platoon leader, landed in Vietnam with 44 men under his command.
Known by the call sign “Hillbilly 6,” he and his soldiers conducted nighttime ambushes and daytime patrols in what he once described as nearly constant combat.
Oliver was deployed with the 2nd Battalion (based in Lai Khe at the site of a Michelin rubber plantation), 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division.
