Ranger — Gregg Harrell has done everything but live an uneventful life. The local resident, who hails from Valdosta, Ga., had a difficult upbringing.
With his father in prison, his single mother raised her children alone. They were the only minority family in the projects of Valdosta, where they lived for three years.
He later went on to live with his father when he got out of prison. In that time, they had no electricity or running water.
When Harrell was in his junior and senior years of high school, he had a construction teacher who would pay for his school lunch. He allowed Harrell to do some work during the summers so he could earn money.
As a young adult, he went in to the U.S. Submarine Navy. When you’re on a submarine, you’re out at sea for months at a time, so training is key. You can’t just call 911 or someone else to come help you.
One scary situation he recalled was aboard a sub. He was in charge of all the cooks and the supply department. It was about 2:30 a.m. when the 02 generator over-
pressurized.
“When that happens, the generator can potentially explode,” Harrell said. “We had never seen one over-pressurize that much and not blow. It would have basically killed everybody on the sub that night.”
He was the DC/forward man in charge that night, meaning he was in charge of the firefighting team, the flooding team and anything medical for the entire forward part of the submarine. He was responsible for the entire half of the ship.
“I was just trying to get my wits together about it, about what was getting ready to happen and not knowing if this could be the end for all of us,” Harrell said. “That was one of my scariest nights.”
He was just a new chief petty officer at the time.
“When I got in bed, I was just praying to the Lord that I was so blessed that we would get to return home still,” Harrell said. “We still had another month out at sea.”
As a young sailor, he received an opportunity that very few ever get. A message went out looking for a presidential cook. He applied for the job and got it.
The process was not easy, as Harrell had to prove himself, and every aspect of his life was either observed or checked out. The job required going everywhere the president went.
As a result, Harrell has traveled the world. Harrell was in charge of the president’s food, bed linens, room temperature, clothing – everything. President Bill Clinton was in office at the time.
“It’s a lot of responsibilities,” Harrell said. “There’s a lot of security clearances, and you gotta keep a clean nose. They look at your childhood, and there’s a lot of interviews. It’s a very painful process, but it’s very rewarding.”
He did it for five years, knowing that his phone was tapped, everywhere he went he was followed and he had to taste the food prior to giving it to the president in order to prove that it was safe to eat.
He was at the White House from 1992-97. He also served as head maitre d’.
As a result of his service, he earned Sailor of the Year for the White House. His wall is peppered with awards and photos of himself and the president, as well as other high-ranking government officials.
After leaving the White House, Harrell became food service officer for Group 10, a submarine group where he was in charge of food service operations and inspecting all subs on the East Coast. He was also the admiral’s chef at Group 10 in Kingsbay, Ga.
After his service in the Navy, he went on to experience and enjoy other adventures in his civilian life.
Harrell was also a high school teacher for Camden County High School in Kingsland, Ga. After just two years, he earned Teacher of the Year. He was the first teacher since 1957 in the school’s history to earn Teacher of the Year.
Harrell said he was led by the Lord to teach.
“The reason I taught was to give back to the kids who were like me,” he said.
He also fixed sewing machines and owned a custom closet company.
Harrell has proven that a difficult childhood can be transformed into a successful and rewarding life as an adult. Today, he enjoys living in the mountains with his wife, Tanya. They have three grown children.
He also enjoys fixing sewing machines at Bless My Stitches in Murphy.