CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 5 EDITOR'S CORNER Volunteers play a special role in our community BY LORRY WILLIAMS Contact Lorry Williams at lwilliams@cityviewnc.com or at 910-423-6500. Lorry Ron Maury has been volunteering at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum for seven years. 'I just like being around people,' the 78-year-old Vietnam veteran says. W alk into the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville on a Friday morning and odds are Ron Maury will greet you. e Vietnam veteran has been volunteering at the museum for seven years. Friday morning until early aernoon is his timeslot. From behind the desk in the lobby, Maury offers a hearty hello to those who enter the building. "Y'all been here before?'' he asks. For those who answer no, he jokingly asks why not before moving into a brief overview of what the museum offers. He touches on the exhibits, the permanent displays and the Pritzker Simulator, which requires a paid ticket. Don't worry, he also explains how to purchase that ticket. He easily communicates with visitors who have questions or may be waiting for others to arrive before they begin their tour. "I just like being around people,'' the 78-year-old says when asked what he likes most about volunteering at the museum. A native of West Virginia, Maury joined the Army in 1963. at branch of the military is where he spent the majority of his 24 years of service. During that time, he was stationed in Europe, did three tours of Vietnam and was stationed at posts throughout the U.S. He retired as a sergeant first class in Denver then moved to Florida to be closer to his children. When Maury le the military, he tackled other jobs. He was a firefighter, a concrete truck driver and a charter bus driver in the Orlando area. "I used to be a workaholic,'' he says. He was never stationed at Fort Bragg, but he used to stop in the area when traveling from Florida to Pennsylvania. He later had a buddy who moved here and decided it would be a good place to settle as well. He retired from his last civilian job in 2015 and moved to Cumberland County. "When I moved here, I said I have to do something,'' he recalls. "So I raised my right hand, and here I am.'' He's met four-star generals, members of foreign armies, other Vietnam vets and people from places where he served. "You have military from all over the world here, and it's just so cool to meet them,'' he says. He's also settled into the community. A resident of Hope Mills, Maury serves on the town's Senior Citizens Committee and on its vets council. He's also a member of VFW Post 670. "I have to stay busy,'' he says. ere are many others in our community who give freely of their time by volunteering. You can learn more about one of them, retired Sgt. Maj. Ruby Murray, in this month's issue. Murray is a JROTC instructor at South View High School. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden recognized her with the President's Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest designation of the President's Volunteer Service Award program. She earned the award by logging more than 4,000 hours of community service. Murray talks with Jason Brady about the influences in her career and what keeps her going. Volunteers like Murray and Maury play a special role in our community. And we all benefit from their service. PHOTO BY TONY WOOTEN

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