By Jamie Strickland
For Brad Palmer, retirement from the military didn’t mean the end of service — it simply marked the start of a new mission.
After 17 years in the U.S. Army and 11 in the National Guard, he continues to dedicate his time to those who’ve worn the uniform, leading numerous efforts to support veterans through organizations like the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), the American Legion and various advisory boards, committees and councils.
Whether he’s advocating for legislation or building new stair railings for veterans in need, his mission remains the same: serve those who served and put resources in the hands of those who need them. Now, in recognition of his tireless efforts, he’s being presented with the 2025 Johnston Now Honors Veteran Service Award, though he insists he’s just doing his part.
After 28 years in the military in reconnaissance and infantry, deployments to Saudi Arabia, Iraq and other regions, and attaining the rank of Sergeant Major, Palmer doesn’t believe there was anything remarkable about his service.
“There’s nothing really special about my service. I did what everyone else did when they raised their hands,” he said. “I have a great uncle with a very, very storied career in the military. I got home from Desert Storm, I was young, I think I was 23, and my dad had a welcome home party. I walk up to my uncle and we’re talking, and he says ‘Do you feel special?’ … I said ‘no,’ and he said ‘good, because you’re not. Hundreds of thousands of men have done exactly what you’ve done, you’re nothing special. But I’m glad that you made it home OK and I’m proud to call you a fellow veteran.’ And that stuck with me my whole career.”
After Desert Storm, Palmer worked his way through college and joined the National Guard. Earning his master’s degree and National Board Certification, he spent time as a teacher at Clayton High School and in Martin County.
“The National Guard kept calling me back for short stints to go to schools or do instruction at the infantry school,” he said. “I made a joke to my First Sergeant that they should leave me alone and let me be a guard member, or give me a job. Well, they gave me a job and I spent the next nine or 10 years on active duty.”
Palmer comes from a family with a long history of military service including his father, uncles and cousins, and a grandfather who used his skills to help, though not as a soldier.
“He was deemed too valuable to the war effort. He was a chemist, and a lot of the bombs that were dropped in World War II, he helped design,” Palmer said.
His father had always set an example of giving back and serving the community, and when Palmer retired and put down roots with his wife Christine in Clayton, he decided it was time to do the same.
“I started out getting active in the VFW, then I joined the American Legion. I started a career in the financial services industry and I joined the chamber,” he said. “I just jumped into the chamber with both feet. I got on committees, I helped out with the Harvest Festival as the task force leader for their military and first responder area.”
Palmer is the current president of the Johnston County Veterans Advisory Board, Chairman of the Clayton Chamber’s Veteran Outreach Council, Post Commander of VFW Post 5886 and Chairman of the Johnston County 250 Veterans Subcommittee. He’s a member of American Legion Post 346 in Four Oaks, serves on the Johnston County Veterans Council and is a lifetime member of the 30th Infantry Division Association. He’s also known for quietly doing handyman projects for many local veterans in need.
Why does he do all these things?
“You’re doing your part to carry on for the guys that didn’t make it back, what they would do,” he said. “That’s part of it. What kind of legacy am I leaving if I just sit on my hands and do nothing?”
Palmer says everything he does is in conjunction with people around him working toward the same goals.
“There’s so many other people in the county that I can think of that do just as much,” he said. “The people who work behind the scenes never ask for any kind of recognition, and that’s the true form of giving.”
Palmer currently serves as a mentor to veteran small business owners and advocates for legislation that would relieve the property tax burden for disabled veterans. In North Carolina, only veterans deemed 100 percent disabled get a tax break. “I’d like to see the property tax credit based on percentage of disability,” he said.
“Federally, like all veterans, I’m advocating for more timely care,” he said. “More resource based care, such as care in the community. You have veterans that live a long way from VA clinics or VA hospitals.
“I think one of the number one needs is knowledge. There are so many veterans that have no idea about the Thank a Vet Program or that don’t know what the Veterans Service Office does, don’t know that the VFW Post might have a relief fund. The biggest thing is just getting the word out.”
Palmer wants to spread the message to younger veterans, too.
“There’s a huge age gap, most of the guys I work with on the council or the advisory board are 25 or 30 years older than me. So where’s that next generation that’s gonna step up and keep the VFW running and the American Legion?” he said. “I’m not criticizing them … you’re raising kids, you got a job, you got a lot going on… but I say just join. Even if you can only make one meeting a month or one meeting a year. The goal is to get (veterans) down the line to step in and keep this going.”
