Greenman a Navy veteran in sea of Army veterans
Bob Greenman (Record Photo/Nick Sellers)
By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer
MADISON – Though Bob Greenman’s father and grandfather served in the United States Navy, Greenman didn’t ponder much about personally serving until he attended Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga.
Greenman lived in Washington, D.C. with his parents until the age of 13, when they were relocated to the Florida Keys.
There wasn’t a school within 50 miles for Greenman to attend, so in 1955 he was sent back to the mainland to attend military boarding school.
“It was kind of exciting, really,” Greenman said. “But, I was extremely homesick.”
The military academy offered courses for all branches of the military, but Greenman made up his mind before long that he wanted to “go Navy.”
So, after he graduated high school, he took advantage of a nomination he had received to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
After graduating there with a Bachelor of Science, Greenman was commissioned as an Ensign.
His first assignment was on the USS Shark, a submarine. Greenman served on several different subs, including the USS George Washington, USS Flying Fish and the USS Archerfish, as a Junior Officer.
In 1978, Greenman was given an assignment on the USS Omaha as a commanding officer, his first such job. He spent four years on that submarine and also served as a commanding officer at the Naval Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Fla.
The last three assignments Greenman had with the Navy dealt with various points of command with the Navy’s Chief of Staff.
“I had responsibilities on the Pentagon with work related to submarines,” Greenman said.
He retired in 1991 as a Captain. Greenman worked several jobs before transferring to the engineering department at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant on the banks of the Tennessee River in Decatur. He retired in 1999.
Now, Greenman spends time helping recruit youth to the Navy, going to area high schools and serving as a member of Rep. Mo Brooks’ Service Academy Nominating Committee.
He has been married for 46 years and has three children.
“It was a great ride, and I was honored to have done it,” Greenman said.
If you would like to nominate someone to be featured as our Veteran of the Week, please call The Madison Record at 256-772-6677.
