Four Georgia Tech Alumni Inducted into Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame

Posted November 9, 2017

The Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame has inducted four veterans who are alumni of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Alumni John Henry Burson III, Vance Snelson Gammons, Sam Nunn, and Peter Talley were among 17 honorees admitted to the Hall of Fame during ceremonies on November 4.

The Hall of Fame, founded in 2013, honors Georgia veterans for heroic action in combat, outstanding achievement while in the service, or for significant local, state, or national contributions after leaving active duty.

Here are details of the four inductees, as provided by the Hall of Fame:

John Henry Burson III — Burson is a Georgia Tech graduate (Chemical Engineering, 1956) a physician, and a former Georgia Tech associate professor of chemical engineering  who served 30 years in the U.S. Army on active duty and reserve status. After retiring, he returned to active status to serve as a military physician, serving four tours of duty in his 70s in Iraq and Afghanistan, including a stint at an outpost that had been shelled by hostile artillery fire. He is also a member of the Georgia Tech Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni and the Georgia Tech Engineering Hall of Fame.

Vance Snelson Gammons — A member of the Georgia Tech Army ROTC program, Gammons graduated in 1958 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. After reporting for active duty, he became a helicopter pilot and volunteered for duty in Vietnam in 1964 and again in 1966. During his second tour, enemy fire struck Gammons’ helicopter, severely wounding him. Despite an extended recuperation period, he volunteered for another tour in Vietnam in 1969. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, 26 Air Medals, and the Purple Heart.

Sam Nunn — The Perry, Georgia, native served with the U.S. Coast Guard on active and reserve status, followed by a long career in public service that began with his election to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1968. He joined the U.S. Senate in 1972 and served four terms. Nunn is now a distinguished professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech. He is also co-chairman and chief executive officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

Peter Talley — Talley (General Engineering, 1940) entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941, serving as a bomber pilot in the Pacific theater. He was awarded the Silver Star with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with an oak leaf cluster, and the Purple Heart. After World War II, Talley attended medical school at Emory University before being recalled to active duty during the Korean War. He served as a squadron leader and flight surgeon during that conflict and retired as a major general in 1974.

For more information about the honorees and the hall, visit http://www.gmvhof.org.