September 2020

Veteran of the Month, September 2020
Drill Sergeant Larry W. Bussey

Larry W. Bussey is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and a graduate of Luther Judas Price High School in Atlanta. Reverend Bussey is also a graduate from University of New York in Albany, New York with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and Master’s Degree from University of Phoenix in Organizational Management. Presently taking classes in Theology and Religion. He is a member and Associate Minister at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church in Atlanta under the Leadership of Rev. Dr. Gregory A. Sutton, Senior Pastor.

Reverend Bussey’s military career in May of 1970 in the United States Army where he served in Vietnam as a Military Policeman where he did two tours during the Vietnam Conflict where held the rank of Staff Sergeant, duty position as an Operation Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant. Upon returning to the United States he attended Drill Sergeant School and graduated as a Military Police Drill Sergeant after this tour of duty as a Drill Sergeant he was assigned duties as a Military Police Investigator in the Criminal Investigation Division.

His military awards include the Vietnam Service medal, Vietnam Campaign medal, 2 Army Accommodation Medals with (2) oak leaf cluster, Overseas service ribbons, 2 Army Achievement medals with (1) oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct medal (4th Award), National Defense Ribbon, Professional Development Ribbon, Non-Commissioned Officers School Drill Sergeant badge (This we will Defend) and Sergeant Morales Non-Commission Officer Award, Non-Commission Officer Academy General Douglas McArthur Distinguished Leadership Award and Meritorious Unit citation awarded by President Richard Nixon.

Reverend Bussey continues to serve his community in the capacity as a Law Enforcement Officer with an Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County. He resides in Jonesboro unincorporated. He is married to Mae Bussey, father of 5 adult children, 10 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. He continues to serve his community as a member of the Clayton County Board of Zoning Appeals and holds the position of the Vice Chair and serves a volunteer Chaplin with the Clayton County Sherriff’s Department.

His educational experience was working with the Clayton County School System as an In-School Suspension Facilitator and later with Lincoln College of Technology as a Criminal Justice Instructor. He became the Criminal Justice Program Chair and then was promoted to the Evening Supervisor/Dean of Students. At Mackie Brown College he was the Academic Director of Criminal Justice/Paralegal Studies, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and later he became the Campus President.

Past organizations include: Governor Task Force on Gangs, Past President/Co-Founder of the Georgia Association of School Resource Officer’s Inc., member of the University of Georgia Law Related Education Consortium, Athens Georgia, member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., and Master Mason Samuel T. Daniels Lodge # 109 Mannheim Germany, Georgia member of the Georgia Chapter of National Organization Black Law Enforcement Executive (NOBLE). Recipient of Georgia Assembly House of Representative House Resolution # 2029. Subject matter expert with Georgia Cold Case Investigate Research Institute, and a member of the Atlanta Chapter of Tuskegee Airman Inc. and holds the position of 1st Vice President of the Chapter. Torchbearer for Lt. Colonel Charles Bussey, Jr., a Tuskegee Airman with 332 flight command, his great uncle.