Published: July 21, 2009 12:10 am      

FAMILY PRIDE

Poplins hold fast to military heritage

ARGILLITE — Members of Tom Poplin’s family have served their country “with courage, honor and pride” during more than eight decades of military service.

“It goes several generations back to Moses Stepp during the Revolutionary War,” said Poplin, 69, of Worthington, explaining Stepp’s headstone is in the Inez area. “He enlisted for three short periods in the Revolution and fought Indians and Tories in the west Carolinas and east Tennessee.

“Legend tells that he was captured by the Cherokees and tortured by nailing his ears to a tree. He tore loose and escaped,” Poplin said, pointing out an illustration of Stepp with his ears nailed to a tree included in the family’s collection of historic documents.

Since his father, Foster Poplin, served in World War II, 10 members of the family have received 16 honorable discharges. During his time growing up in the area, Poplin said military service represented an opportunity for a young man.

“At that time if you didn’t work for the railroad or Armco Steel, you didn’t have much of an option,” Poplin said, explaining he enlisted before his name showed up on the draft list and stayed on the family farm for an extra year to help with tobacco and timber before going into active duty.

“My brother told me not to join the Air Force,” he said with a grin. “The Navy looked more adventurous. I was concerned the Army would get me somewhere and leave me.”

Poplin said he and his brothers Delmas and Paul enlisted because of the threat of being drafted, but mostly “because we wanted to get our lives started.” Delmas joined the Air Force, Paul signed up for the Marine Corps and Tom joined the Navy. Their brother David also joined the Navy and their youngest sibling, Leslie, signed up for Air Force duty.

They were followed by their grandsons, Mark Walker, who served in the Navy, and Thomas Jr., who is still an active member of the Air Force, and preceded by Francis Ward, who was a Union soldier in the American Civl War. The latest generation of the Poplin family to serve in uniform is Maryshea Nelson, who still serves in the USAF.

“In many ways it all started with my dad. He set the standard. He was six-foot-two. He was fair. He was respected and he respected you. My oldest brother Delmas also set a high standard. When your turn comes, you’ve got to keep the bar high — you can’t slack off,” Poplin said.

Poplin worked in the Navy’s aviation branches, initially working on a P2V airplane and later serving as an air crew member aboard the U.S.S. Independence and the U.S.S. Eisenhower. His travels included destinations in the North Atlantic, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Turkey.

“Back then the Cold War was the big thing,” Poplin said, adding he and his fellow air crewmen were treated well while serving their country.

“We were spoiled brats,” he said with a hearty chuckle. “They gave a single man everything he wanted except money — we made about $30 a month — that didn’t leave much for beer and women.”

Spain, he said, was likely his favorite destination.

“The atmosphere — the beaches ... I liked going down to the beaches. They loved Americans and we loved them. It was very relaxed in public and I loved the weather there,” Poplin said.

Greenland, he said, was his least favorite place.

“Greenland is colder than Iceland is, really,” he said, remembering a day when he had to work in conditions 46 degrees below zero while “dressed like space men.”

Among his most challenging missions, Poplin said, was working on the deck of an aircraft carrier at night. Among the most rewarding jobs, he said, was working as a flight engineer preparing aircraft for flight, and then monitoring the aircraft’s systems while flying. His experiences included a crash landing with an airplane whose nose gear didn’t lock into position, as well as a few fires and the loss of friends.

“If you spend 2,000 hours in the air, things are going to happen to you,” Poplin said. “But, for the most part, I enjoyed it. For the most part we tend to remember the good times.”

Poplin said today’s soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines and Coast Guard face a different set of challenges than his generation.

“For one thing the money is so much better, but the challenges are also greater. Today, they often don’t know who the enemy is,” he observed.

Poplin retired in 1980 as a senior chief petty officer and initially settled in Florida before coming back to Greenup County to be near his family.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@

dailyindependent.com or

at (606) 326-2651.