A lifetime of service is what best summarizes Danny Lively.
Danny started life in Greenville, West Virginia, grew up in Miami, Florida, and spent most of his working life in or near Peterstown, West Virginia. His life has been one of service to his country and his community – including some 24 years with the Peterstown Rowe-Jones American Legion Post 145. About 20 of those years as post adjutant.
He joined the Air Force in his early 20s, served as a crew chief on a C-130, and traveled the world during his four years of military service.
“A C-130 is a work horse, used for transporting cargo and troops” he explained.
As a crew chief, he oversaw the maintenance of the aircraft. “I spent most of my time with one plane, but got to work on a number of different C-130’s.”
Danny traveled to every continent on earth: Europe, Southeast Asia – including Vietnam, and Africa. “The only two continents I did not get to see where Australia and Antarctica,” he said.
It was his experience maintaining aircraft that put him in the world of mechanics following his honorable discharge from the Air Force.
“After my discharge, my first job was as a mechanic at “Monroe Motors,” a Ford garage in Union that has since closed its doors. Fixing cars is totally different than fixing a C-130, but I guess it was my mechanic’s background that helped me get that job,” he said.
But it was the pleasure that Danny received when working with youth that took him away from the world of mechanics for good and into a new phase in his life. He changed jobs to become a school bus driver which led to his interest in education and two college degrees: a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in education administration.
One thing led to another and to where he is now.
His degrees steered him to becoming a teacher and then a job as both a teacher and a principal at the Ballard Elementary School (now closed). He later went to the Peterstown Elementary School.
Then it just so happened that Monroe County was having its Spelling Bee contest; Danny was a member of the Spelling Bee contest and so was a young lady named Linda – nowadays known as Mrs. Lively. They now have four adult children and eight grandchildren, after 35 years of marriage.
Toward the end of his teaching career, Danny got a real estate license. “I sold several houses working part-time,” he said.
When Danny joined the Peterstown Rowe-Jones American Legion Post 145, the post had about a dozen members, Danny explained.
“I liked the camaraderie, and being with others who had similar experiences,” he said. “We often rib each other about the military branches. And I enjoy having a support group – when I need help with personal things I know I could ask my friends at Post 145 and I would get it.”
“And I helped when others needed help – it was, and still is, a two-way street,” he noted.
“We all have something in common. We consider community service to be important and have always been involved with such things as awarding scholarships … and candy when the occasion calls for it.”
Shortly after joining Post 145, he learned that the post needed an “adjutant.”
“I didn’t even know what an adjutant was,” he said. He was “volunteered” for the position and remained the adjutant for the next approximately 24 years.
“The job generally was to keep everything in order, including the finances; it was like being an accountant.
But I had a good support base – named Linda – that helped me through it all,” he said.
The Post at one time performed a flag ceremony at local school football games but eventually passed over this job to a younger generation belonging to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
“The post continues to have a high priority on community service,” he said.
In addition to attending monthly Post 145 meetings and activities, Danny likes to attend to landscaping around his Peterstown home and gardening.
“If I had to do it over again, I would do it,” he said.
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