Meet the USFHF

Larry Summers - President

Larry W. Summers is a Veteran of both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. He has extensive knowledge in the construction industry to include memorial design and manufacturing. His passion is Historic Preservation and currently serves as a Commissioner with the Tarrant County Historical Commission, where he is a committee member of the cemetery and archeological committees.

He was reappointed to a second term as a Commissioner for Precinct 2 by Commissioner Andy Nguyen in January 2011. Larry was a charter member of the Kennedale Rotary club prior to transferring to his new “Rotary Home” Arlington Sunrise Rotary.

He is an active member of the North Texas Patriot Guard Riders and lives with his wife Brenda in Kennedale.

Kenneth Cordier - Chairman

Ken Cordier was born in 1937 in Canton, Ohio. He was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Akron on July 16, 1960, and was trained as a Minuteman Missile Launch Officer in 1961, later serving as an instructor in the course before entering Undergraduate Pilot Training in January 1963.

Lt Cordier was awarded his pilot wings on March 6, 1964, and flew F-4 Phantoms with the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron at MacDill AFB, Florida. He began flying combat missions in Southeast Asia with the 45th TFS in January 1965 while deployed to Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. Cordier volunteered for another tour in June 1966, this time flying out of Cam Ranh Bay AB in the Republic of Vietnam.

On December 2, 1966, while flying his 176th combat mission, Cordier was forced to eject over North Vietnam after his F-4 took a direct hit from a surface-to-air missile. He was immediately captured and spent the next 2,284 days as a Prisoner of War before being released during Operation Homecoming on March 4, 1973. After hospitalization, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College and then requalified to fly jet fighters. From 1979 to 1981, he directed the flying operations at Sembach AB in West Germany, and was then selected to command the reactivation of Wiesbaden AB, also in West Germany.

Col Cordier served as Air Attache to the United Kingdom, based at the U.S. Embassy in London, from 1982 until his retirement from the Air Force on January 31, 1985. After his retirement, Ken represented British Aerospace in Washington, D.C., as Director of Military Aircraft. He is a past President of NAM-POWs and the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association.

Col Cordier wears Command Pilot Wings as well as the Air Force Missile Badge, and accumulated over 2,000 flying hours in fighter aircraft during his Air Force career. Ken is married to the former Barbara Leighton of Abilene, Texas, and they have two children-Ann and Louis.

Raymond “Mike” Lambert - Vice Chairman

Mike “Gunner” (as he is called by the PGR), retired after 22 years in the U.S. Navy, served in Vietnam as a Combat Rescue Swimmer/Helicopter door gunner with Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 7. After retiring from the navy, he spent the next 10 yrs as an operations manager for credit card processing centers. Retired once more, he now serves as the Assistant State Captain for the North Texas patriot Guard Riders, ensuring our service men and women receive the honor they so rightly deserve.

Mike was recently Commissioned by Governor Rick Perry as a Admiral in the Texas State Navy.

Bob Sander - Treasurer

Graduated Bucknell University with a degree in accounting and served in the United States Army. Stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana he served in the JAG department and also installed computers on the base.

Bob is a Certified Public Accountant and attended New York Law School. He practiced public accounting for 50 years and still maintains a full tax practice for long time clients. Married to Micki Sander for 56 years, they have 3 children and 5 grandchildren all living in Texas.

He has been involved in the Dallas arts scene as a member of the Board of the Dallas Opera and The Dallas Wind Symphony. As an avid golfer he served two terms on the Board of Governors of the Four Seasons Sports Club. Bob is commissioned as a Commander in the Texas Navy.

Bob is the CFO of Golfline Getaways, LLC a golf travel company developed 12 years ago to provide golfers the ability to travel worldwide to play golf. During the course of building Golfine Getaways, Bob broadcast a golf radio show every Wednesday night for an hour during drive time to discuss all aspects of golf and golf travel.

Bob was the Volunteer Coordinator of Snowball Express IV, assisted in registering families in both 2009 and 2010 and presently is the webmaster for the Snowball Express website.

Dorothea “Joann” Palmore - Secretary

Joann has 16 years of non-profit organization experience. Junior Past Commander of Navy Mother’s Club of America. Her positions with this organization have included Adjutant, Judge Advocate and she currently holds a position as Chaplain. She is also the Texas State Representative of Navy Mother’s Club which is a lifelong appointment.

Marie Campbell - Trustee

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

In her position at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Marie Campbell, currently serves TAPS in both programs and development. Her duties include Director for the TAPS Run & Remember Team, Manager of the TAPS Combined Federal Campaign, and TAPS Program Support. Needing support for herself, Marie became involved with TAPS after the loss of her husband, USAF Sgt. Dee “Soup” Campbell, who was killed with 18 of his Air Force comrades in the 1996 Khobar Towers terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia. She then volunteered with TAPS as a peer mentor to fellow military survivors, began the growth and development of the TAPS Run & Remember Team, and served as a TAPS ambassador educating others on the programs and services that TAPS provides to surviving military families. After nearly 12 years of volunteering for TAPS, Marie became a full time TAPS staff member in 2009.

Marie graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Radio/Television/Film, from Sam Houston State University in 1990, and received her Masters Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2001. Prior to working for TAPS, Marie served for 9 years in the humbling position as a second grade teacher.

Deborah “Debbie” Emard - Trustee

Debbie is a Gold Star Mother, she has a background in banking and accounts payable. She is a member of the North Texas Patriot Guard Riders. She is working with the USO, Snowball Express & several quilt projects for soldiers.

Debbie is the proud mother of 20 year old Army Spc. Jonathon D. A. Emerd, of Mesquite, TX, who was KIA June 4, 2008 when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire and hand grenades. Jonathon was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Debbie is also on the Terrell Veterans Memorial Committee.