Honoring Our Heroes

Staff Sergeant Preston Frazier Jr.: Age 67

Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Preston Frazer Jr. served 17 years in the U.S. Air Force. His Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) was fuel specialist in which he sampled the fuel for everything requiring fuel at an Air Force base. He also worked in electrical maintenance of flight simulators and counter measures. He received the following medals, awards, citations and decorations: Air Force Commendation Medal and Good Conduct Medal.

SSgt Frazier was born October 8, 1956 to his parents, Preston Frazier and Aldonia Edwards, at Alton, IL. He was one of 14 children. As a youth, he had the nickname of “Buster”. He dropped out of high school when he was in the 10th grade and worked at fast food restaurants. He learned to play the piano at his church which led to a successful career in musical performance. He started playing the piano at the First Metropolitan Methodist Church at Alton, IL. He has the gift of being able to play by ear. His first time to be paid to play the organ and lead the choir full time was at the Pentecostal Church of God at St. Louis, MO, for two years. Next, he played at the Church of the Living God at Kansas City, MO, for three months. He worked for a brief time at fast food restaurants at Champaign, IL., and while there he earned his GED.

SSgt Frazer volunteered to serve in the U.S. Air Force at Chicago, IL, in September 1978. He completed Boot Camp at Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), TX. His first assignment was at Chanute AFB, IL, where he completed eight weeks at a technical school where he learned to be a fuel specialist. He was then assigned to serve at Little Rock AFB, AR, working with maintenance of the base’s fuel stations for four years. He then was transferred to Blytheville AFB, AR, that operated under the Tactical Air Command and Strategic Air Command. There he was trained in electronics on flight simulators. SSgt Frazier was deployed to three Pacific area U.S. Bases namely, (1) Kushan Air Base, Korea for one year, (2) Kadena Air Base at Okinawa, Japan, the largest U.S. military installation in the Asia-Pacific region and the largest wing in the Air Force for four years and (3) Andersen Air Force Base, Guam for two years. At all three bases, he worked in maintenance of the fuel stations at the bases. SSgt Frazier’s final military assignment was at Maxwell AFB, AL, working with the base’s fuel maintenance 1994-1996. He retired from military service December 31, 1995.

SSgt Frazer and his wife, Gwendolyn, have been married 43 years, and they have three children and four grandchildren. Since his military retirement, he has worked as a musical vocalist for the past 27 years. He plays a keyboard and sings performing at numerous locations at parties, weddings, conventions assisted living facilities, etc. in AL, FL, GA, IL and other states. He also plays at funerals at Carter Funeral Home at Union Spring, AL, and at funerals for veterans at the National Cemeteries at Montevallo, AL, and at Ft. Mitchell at Phenix City, AL. He has been the Minister of Music at Bethel Baptist Church at Tuskegee, AL, for the past nine years. He also has a job cleaning swimming pools. Whenever he has time that he is not engaged in his musical performances, he enjoys flying drones and riding an electric bicycle.

SSgt Frazier’s conclusions about his military service are: “It meant pride of being able to serve my country, “the pride of job security to support my family and the opportunity to see other places in the world how people live in other places. It gave me an opportunity to be stationed some place else every four years. I was able to play music of different denominations at chapels at each place that I was stationed.” He would like people to remember him as a joyful and giving person.