MINERAL WELLS—Mineral Wells ISD and American Legion Post 75 will celebrate its 41st program recognizing the importance of remembering our military veterans on Nov. 11.

We remember both those who have gone to their eternal reward and those who are still with us who fought bravely for the defense of our country.

This year the guest speaker will be a hometown retired U.S. Army retired Lieutenant Colonel. This young man is Lt. Col. Archie Wilmer, III. He graduated from Mineral Wells High School.

He was selected to go to West Point Military Academy where he graduated and served in several capacities before returning to West Point as a math professor. After retirement, he came to Fort Worth and served as a math professor for Tarrant County Community College and other offices.

Lt. Col. Wilmer is married to LaTressia Holliman Wilmer of Mineral Wells and the couple now lives in Keller. Their daughter, Sterling Alexandria Wilmer, lives in Baltimore, Md. She is a registered nurse in mental health.

Lt. Col. Wilmer’s parents are Archie Wilmer Jr. and the late Jeanette Wilmer. He attended Lamar and Travis Elementary schools as well as Lee Junior High School in Mineral Wells. In high school, he enjoyed mathematics, science, music, arts and athletics. He played football and ran track. During his summers he played baseball.

Lt. Col. Wilmer was a member of the high school marching band, the stage (jazz) band, and the symphonic concert band. He participated in drama. He said his favorite subject was (and still is) mathematics.

Here are career highlights of Archie Wilmer, III:

• Bachelor of Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., 1982
• Master of Science, Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., 1994
• Doctor of Philosophy, Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., 2003

Archie Wilmer, III served at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; West Point, New York; the U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey, South Korea; Fort Johnson, Louisiana (previously named Fort Polk); and Fort Cavazos, Texas (previously named Fort Hood). He completed military education at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana; and Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia (previously named Fort Lee).

Among the various assignments he enjoyed in the military, one of the most rewarding was teaching mathematics at West Point where he mentored cadets to develop reasoning power, independence of thought, and problem-solving skills for the Army of the 21st century. As the Program Director for Math Electives at West Point, he supervised over 20 officers and civilians providing instruction in 33 elective courses in mathematics.

In 2010, Archie Wilmer, III retired honorably from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Ordnance Corps after more than 27 years of service. His highest military award is the Legion of Merit. After a successful career in the Army, he entered the education field to fulfill his personal mission to inspire others and change lives.

Lt. Col. Wilmer’s passion is to increase scholar recruitment and retention in STEM fields. He returned to Texas and joined Tarrant County College in 2011 teaching a variety of mathematics courses including college algebra and calculus. For several months in 2017, he served as an Interim Divisional Dean for Business, Technology, and Transportation. Afterwards, he served as an Interim Vice-President for Community and Industry Education.

Lt. Col. Wilmer is also the son-in-law of Clarence Holliman here in Mineral Wells. The Public is invited to attend this community-wide program at Ram Stadium on Nov. 11.

Seating will be on the west side. It will be good to be at the stadium by 10:30 a.m. so pre-ceremony music and activities can be enjoyed. The program will begin at 11 a.m.