By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON / Community Columnist

Gene Rowley, who recently emceed the Vietnam 50^th Anniversary at Harley Davidson, is an Army veteran with roots that date back to the founding of America.

His ancestor Thomas Rowley, great-grandson of the Mayflower’s Samuel Fuller, was known as “The Bard of the Green Mountains,” and was Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen’s spokesman.

“My father and namesake, Eugene George Rowley, Sr., taught me to serve God, family and country, in that order,” said Rowley.

Rowley graduated with dual degrees from Homewood High School and Dover High School where he lettered in soccer at both schools.

While in high school, he was an Eagle Scout and was awarded The Congressional Award, established by Congress in 1979, to recognize outstanding students.

He graduated from high school in 1988 at age 18 and left for infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga. the next day.

After serving in the Army for a few years, he worked, married Mandy Shelnutt, graduate of Thompson High School, and they had three daughters.

Then the terrorists’ attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 hit.

“I had moved to Alabama and was at the recruiter’s office the next day,” said Rowley. “I joined the 20^th Special Forces of the Alabama Army National Guard.”

Rowley served in both Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times and stateside. He was awarded the meritorious service award and many other awards.

From 2010-2014 he flew unmanned aerial vehicles in support of combat operations with a civilian contractor in the most attacked place in Afghanistan, still in the guard.

While in Afghanistan, Rowley learned that the SEC was granting licenses for new radio stations “to serve the public trust.”

After four years in a war zone, Rowley felt it was “time to ship my things home.”

Within 30 days, he resigned from the Army, got a job working from home as a computer security analyst, and applied for an FM radio station.

The non-profit Alabaster, Pelham, Helena known as APH was born on Aug. 1, 2014.

The low power 99.9 FM station mission is to serve Shelby County and other non-profits, “to sound big, be little.”

The all-volunteer station was team built with partner Phillip Pritchard and moved into its 1,200-square-foot building in Alabaster on Aug. 10.

“Gene is passionate about service,” said wife Mandy. “He wants to serve Shelby County and help our country grow in what he has been trained.”