Last month, we asked the public to nominate veterans they knew who have impacted the community by serving, donating, or shaping the lives of our youth. Three vets were chosen from the nominations to be featured in our November newsletter. Below, you can read about these local veterans who not only served our country but have and continue to serve our community.
Chief Jim Wainscott joined the United States Airforce in June of 1967, during Vietnam, and retired from the USAF in September of 1993, serving for 26 years. Upon retirement, Wainscott was a Chief Master Sergeant. He started his career in the military working as a mechanic on B52s. Towards the end of his career in the active military, he began volunteering his time when the JROTC would come to use the barracks, where he oversaw the barracks while they were there, even speaking for the JROTC, which is where he ultimately was able to learn more about the program. During his transition to retirement from the USAF, he decided that he wanted to work with the JROTC. This led to him coming to Florida to interview with three different schools, look at the locations, and decide where he and his wife Kathy would retire.
Flagler Palm Coast High School was one of the three schools, and he was offered the job with the JROTC at FPC before he even made it back to his home in Kentucky. Wainscott and his wife then retired to Flagler County in 1993, and Wainscott became one of the two instructors for the JROTC program at the high school. He ultimately served 19 years with the JROTC, from 1993-2012. Now, Chief Wainscott and his wife of 57 years this November are fully retired and enjoying their time together. When asked what he remembered most from his days serving the youth of Flagler County, Wainscott said, “You have kids you remember, you remember their accomplishments, and seeing their achievements is amazing. They need to learn that they are important and that they can do anything if they are willing to do the work and make the sacrifices.”
Don Cox is a retired United States Army Master Sergeant who served 22 years as a mechanic and machine shop foreman before working at the DOD. Cox was a Combat Engineer and 44 Echo Machinist. This involved pulling a 40 ft trailer that would open up into a full machine shop that could be set up anywhere the Army needed it to be set up and was equipped to not only repair anything from engines to firearms, but they were also to manufacture parts for anything that was needed, including firing pins for weapons, special tools, essentially anything. After his time in the military, Don Cox became active with the Amvets, which is a national foundation that raises money for many different causes and allows veterans and families of veterans to belong to a group of like-minded individuals. Don Cox has been with the Amvets now for 24 years and just recently stepped down from the Post Commander position after serving the Amvets post of Bunnell for eight consecutive years.
During his tenure as Post Commander, Don has not only grown the Amvets locally but started this local chapter’s charitable giving. When Cox took over, the post was struggling and had no charitable giving. It was his vision that got the local Amvets post involved in the many charities they are now giving to annually. The first time Don Cox was able to donate to the FCSO’s Shop with a Cop program, they gave Sheriff Staly a check for $500; this last Christmas, they were able to donate $4,500. Not only do they support the Shop with a Cop program, but they also provide regular donations to Church on a Rock for their homeless shelter when the weather gets cold, the Giving Tree, Tunnells to Towers, Barracks of Hope for homeless veterans, and they keep a fund available to help families that are struggling. A local caseworker will let the post know when grandparents or families are struggling to make ends meet, and under Don’s leadership, that fund has grown so that not only can they help cover bills for families, but they can provide food and other needs for the children in the area. Don Cox was also crucial in setting up the scholarship fund that the vets hand out each year to graduating students.
The Pay It Forward fund is a special fund that Don had set up to help provide charitable funds around the holidays when many families see financial troubles. Don Cox said, “Amvets is all about the community, and when I stepped up as Post Commander, I was just doing what I was supposed to. I did it because I was able to and because it was the right thing to do.”
Arah “Train” Williams served four years in the United States Army from 1989 to 1993 as a demolition specialist. Demolition Specialists would follow behind the infantry lines until they were needed. They would be called up to the front lines to construct things like bridges over rivers, which they would have to take apart after troops were across or to clear minefields. Williams said, “Basically, we were there to build stuff up and then blow it up.”
Today, Williams owns two local businesses, Scoops and Subs and Toney’s Barbershop. Scoops and Subs opened in 2022, almost three years ago, and Williams was able to purchase the barbershop from the original owner, Toney, when he retired two years ago. Toney’s Barbershop has been open for business for over 30 years, and Williams was proud to purchase it and keep the legacy going forward. Since opening his first business and purchasing the barbershop, Williams has hosted his annual back-to-school event in St. Joe’s Plaza for the second year in a row. Each year, the event gets a little bigger, more kids come out, and they provide more services and supplies to the local children. They handed out between 150-200 packed backpacks, provided 60-70 free haircuts for children before school started, provided new and gently used clothes and shoes, and one lucky little girl won a bicycle. In addition to hosting this event for the kids every school year, Williams is also actively looking to sponsor kids’ sports teams in the area.
