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\u201cThere was a company of trapped Marines on the river near Cam Lo, and we had to make an ammunition drop. We had a ceiling of only 500 feet, and the mission had to be completed at night,\u201d Pendergrass said. \u201cOur helicopter took many shots, and the next thing I knew, I was being taken to an aid station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey performed a 15-20 minute operation on me, and I was then transported to Da Nang Hospital. I spent the next 30 days there until I was returned home to the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pendergrass received a Purple Heart for being wounded in combat and five air medals for flying in over 100 missions. He also received a marksman medal, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once he returned to civilian life, he made it his duty to serve his family and the public with the same honor and devotion he demonstrated in the military. His parents were good, hard-working people, and he and his wife, Marie, brought up their children with the same strong values his parents had taught him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWithout fail, my father is always helpful to others. He is truly selfless and moves throughout life with a quiet kind of purpose, willing to act without receiving recognition,\u201d said his daughter, Kelly Hutcheson. \u201cHe puts others\u2019 well-being over his conveniences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She recalled the many years her father, her two uncles, Jerry and Jimmy, and her grandfather, Ernest, ran Pendergrass Supply. It was a hardware store and lumber company that originated as a company that made concrete blocks. She grew up in the store. Her mother worked in Huntsville, so after school, she stayed there in the afternoons until the store closed and her mother returned from work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt sounds miserable, but those are some of my favorite childhood memories. I watched my grandfather, dad, and uncles greet the morning customers with a cup of coffee and the latest talk of weather and family,\u201d Hutcheson said. \u201cMy dad treated everyone with respect, kindness, and care for their current project needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI rode with him many Sundays to open the store on his day off for a homeowner with a burst water line or other home emergency. He never complained. Pendergrass Supply has been closed for a year now, and people still comment on missing the service the Pendergrass family provided.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After Pendergrass retired, he and Marie built their own aerial advertising business, Air Ads Work. Pendergrass flew a Steerman bi-wing plane with a banner attached, and Marie did the ground work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was a lot of work, buckling each individual letter together to create a message,\u201d Hutcheson said. \u201cMom would lay it out on the ground, set up the pick-up poles, and have everything in place for Daddy to fly over and carefully snag the banner with a special hook to drag it into the air. It was amazing to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The couple worked together in their aerial business for 16 years, flying banners for birthdays, anniversaries, elections, and other events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raised by a mother and father who led by example, Hutcheson also described her parents as compassionate people who loved unconditionally and who encouraged their children to explore their own individual interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For most of her life, she wanted to be a veterinarian, but she ended up becoming a speech-language pathologist. When she finally realized her heart\u2019s desire, she took a step of faith and opened Ruffin It Dog Resort. She designed the kennel for families like hers who needed a safe place for their canine family members to stay while they were away on vacation. Her vision became a reality, providing the community with opportunities for boarding, grooming, doggy day care, and a self-service bathing station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hutcheson, her father\u2019s advice for a good life would be to pursue their goals, find a career or job they enjoy, and be kind to others. That is exactly what she did and intends to continue doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want my clients to feel as if they are valued and appreciated,\u201d Hutcheson said, \u201cand I realize each day my father\u2019s influence on me and my business.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FOR 50 years, war veteran Joe Pendergrass did not speak of his time in Vietnam. The horrors of war were too difficult to dwell on. Most people didn\u2019t want to hear about it anyway. Vietnam was perceived as a different kind of war back then. Pendergrass enlisted in the Marines in 1965 and served until […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193,"featured_media":26033,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[69,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fayetteville","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Submitted-2-1024x683.jpg\")
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