Millie retirement read on floor of Congress for 50 yrs service
Millie retirement read on floor of Congress for 50 yrs service
Rodney is born in Rowan County, NC. He attended South Rowan High School and was All County and All Conference football, state finalist in wrestling, and was state track champion in the sprints, being the first ever to run 100 yds in under 10 seconds(9.9) in Rowan County. He later attended college on a football and track scholarship and voted Most Valuable Track. He entered into the Army in January 1970. After running a near perfect score on the Army’s physical endurance testing, he was recruited to attend the 12 week Army Infantry School Non-commissioned Officer Candidate Course at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Upon graduation from NCOC, he was assigned as a platoon sergeant with the 1st Cavalry Division and led a squad of 6 or 10 men on search and destroy missions in the deepest part of the South Vietnam jungle in war zone D. During his first week in combat, Rodney earned the Combat Infantry Badge. He later earned the Army Commendation Medal, and two prestigious Bronze Stars, Valor and Meritorious. Most battles with the VC or NVA were within 25 yards in thick jungle and often outnumbered. He returned home in October, 1971
On request, he speaks to groups on behalf of all the veterans. He volunteers as a local and state veteran advocate and helps many veterans with their VA claims and provides guidance. He and Millie are also involved in cat rescue and has personally trapped, spay or neutered 44 feral cats, at their own expense and returned them to the wild in an effort of decrease the cat population. He provides cat food to needy families and animal rescue non profits. A founding member of Faithful Friends No-Kill Animal Shelter, he raised the donation of 10 acres of land for the shelter. Rodney is a former Lt. with Rowan County Sheriff Dept and has been a sworn deputy with 50 years of full and reserve time service. He has been involved in numerous fundraisers for veterans
Rodney has an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice and another in Business Administration. He is past Vice-Chairman of Rowan County Housing Authority. Past adviser to the Board of Faithful Friends No Kill Animal Shelter. He served 3 years on Rowan Cabarrus Community College Law Enforcement Advisory Committee. Paul E. Harris Rotary Award, Life Member of the DAV and past Senior Vice Commander Chapter 96 and a founding member. Received the 2011 Governor's Award for Volunteer Service helping with veterans and animal welfare. Received the 2011 Humane Society Susan J. Gloeckler Memorial Award for animal welfare. Received 2011 Certificate of Recognition by Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Received 2011 Certificate of Appreciation by Soldier's Angels for military donations. Received 2007 Certificate of Appreciation from North Carolina National Guard Family Readiness Program. Received 2009 Certificate of Appreciation Non-Commissioned Officer Class Memorial placed on the Walk of Honor at National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning
Received 2011 Barringer Award of Excellence from the North Carolina Society of Historians
Received the 2012 Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award for community and veteran service
2016 Senator Richard Burr's 9 member Veteran Coalition Committee
Received 2016 NC Order of the Long Leaf Pine (state highest civilian honor) for 31 years of veteran advocacy
2021 Inducted into NC Military Veterans Hall of Fame
Millie has served as President and Treasurer of Rowan Rotary, recipient of Distinguished Rotarian Award, Service Above Self Award and Paul E. Harris Fellow, Past Chair and Treasurer of Rowan Chapter of Salvation Army, Board member of Salvation Army. Vice President and Treasure of Altrusa, Past Vice Chairman of Rowan Tourism, Vice Chair of Rowan County Rescue Squad board, Past United Way Account Manager and Company Chair, Graduate of Leadership Rowan, past Executive Board member of Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, serves on Board of Directors of Salisbury-Rowan Home Builders Association, committee member Sales & Marketing Executives, board member Capstone Recovery Center and Ambassador for Chamber of Commerce. Millie was entered into the Congressional Record and her retirement read on the floor of Congress by Rep. Richard Hudson
Rodney is retired and Millie, a bank Vice President retired with 50 years service and a graduate of the North Carolina School of Banking. They have 2 married children and two granddaughters
Rodney G. Cress
MILITARY:
January 1970 inducted into U.S. Army
Ft. Bragg, NC: Basic training 8weeks
Ft. Polk, LA: Advanced Infantry Training 8 weeks
Ft. Benning, GA: Infantry Noncommissioned Officer Candidate Course 12 weeks Graduate E-5
Ft. Polk, LA: Phase II Leadership Course 10 weeks
Vietnam: December 70-October 71
Combat squad leader 1st Cavalry 2/7 Sgt E-5
AWARDS:
Combat Infantry Badge
Bronze Star/ Valor
Bronze Star/ Merit
Army Commendation Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
National Service Medal
Expert M-16
Marksman M-14
CIVILIAN:
*NC Order of Long Leaf Pine 2016: 34 years veteran advocate
*NC Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service 2011: Helping veterans and families
*Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award 2012: Helping African American Veterans
*Inducted NC Military Veterans Hall of Fame
*NC Society of Historians Barringer Award of Excellence 2011: 16 months to locate recognize and install marker at Salisbury National Cemetery for Civil War Medal of Honor recipient buried and forgotten there
*Implemented NC first $45,000 county tax exemption for 100% disabled veterans
*Implemented renaming of I-85 Bridge to Yadkin River Veteran Memorial Bridge
*Life member of Disabled American Veterans
*Past Sr. vice Commander DAV Ch. 96 founding member
*Member Senator Richard Burr Veteran Coalition 9 member team 2016
*Numerous meetings on veteran issues Sen. Burr, Sen. Tillis, Sen. Faircloth, Rep. Budd, Rep. Hudson, Rep. Hefner, Rep. Coble, VA staff
*Secured $232,609 from HUD to begin Rowan County first Homeless Veteran Program in 2008 currently has 90 veterans in program through Rowan Housing Authority. Only 3 counties in NC received the award and 100 counties nationwide
*Numerous newspaper articles on veteran issues over 25 years
*Published series of 13 articles on Forgotten Battles of WWII 2014
*Personally raised over 2000 donated books, boxed and mailed to troops Middle East
*Personally shipped 27,000 tubes lip balm donated to troops Middle East
*Multiple speeches county elementary schools on military and veterans
*Multiple speeches at military events across state
*Committee member Vietnam Veterans 50th Anniversary at Charlotte Motor Speedway
*Co-founder Honor Our Heroes/Celebrate America event Cornerstone Church 15 years
*Multiple requests to county leaders on veteran issues and improvements
*Numerous awards from private organizations for military issue
*Personally handle VA complaints from veterans on Salisbury VA hospital
*Worked closely with past 5 Salisbury VA Directors and began military tunnel with artwork at local after school daycare to teach children about military and veterans