Major, US Army, (Retired) Levi Bowman, Jr. interment: Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, VA.
Major, US Army, (Retired) Levi Bowman, Jr. was born March 5, 1940, in Round O, South Carolina. He was the first of five children born to Levi and Maggie Henderson Bowman.
He was born into a Christian family and attended the former Oak Grove United Methodist Church where he was actively involved. He attended Mission Providence Elementary School in Round O, South Carolina. After completing elementary school, he attended Colleton Training School in Walterboro, South Carolina and graduated in 1957 from Colleton High School. He excelled academically. During his senior year of high school, he drove a school bus. Upon graduating from high school, he enlisted in the US Army at the young age of barely seventeen on July 29, 1957. His initial duty station was Fort Jackson, South Carolina which was the induction station for new recruits. Two weeks later he departed Fort Jackson, South Carolina for basic training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. After completing eight weeks of basic training and a short leave which he spent with his family. He then proceeded to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey for advanced individual training for eight weeks as a signal corps supply clerk. After completing his training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey on December 23, 1957, he was assigned to West Germany with duty at Headquarters USAEUR in Heidelberg, Germany; and was promoted to E-5 and re-enlisted for six years in July 1960.
Upon completion of a tour in Germany, he was reassigned to Fort Meade, Maryland with duty in the 69th Signal Company as an Assistant Supervisor. After approximately one year at Fort Meade, Maryland, he was again re-assigned to Germany in 1961. During this tour in Germany, he began to work on his college degree via the University of Maryland Extension Program and at the same time he took as many pre-commissioned officer correspondence courses as he could. He was re-assigned to Okinawa, Japan in the spring of 1965. After several months of studying hard and working hard he saw an opportunity to apply for Officer Candidate School. He applied and was accepted for attendance at the Field Artillery and Missile Center, class 1-67 with a start date of June 1966. He successfully completed Officer Candidate School on December 17, 1967, commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the field artillery and received orders back to Germany for a third tour. He was assigned to the 84th Army Missile Detachment near Dusseldorf, Germany. While serving in Dusseldorf, Germany he applied for Airborne Training conducted by the 8th Infantry Division (509th Airborne Infantry Bn). At that time, training to become a paratrooper was only two weeks long. In November 1968, he requested an assignment to the Republic of Vietnam. Prior to his departure from Germany, he requested an assignment with the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Sky Soldiers), the same Airborne Brigade his youngest brother, William Bowman had served years earlier.
He was promoted to Captain during this tour and served as an Artillery Battery Commander. The normal tour of duty in Vietnam was one year; however, he requested an extension and served an additional combat tour. He spent his last years at Fort Sill, Oklahoma as an instructor at the artillery school. He was promoted to Major in 1976 and retired in 1977 after more than twenty years of honorable service to the United States of America.
After his retirement from active military service, he joined the Maryland Defense Force and after many years of service he retired with the rank of Colonel. His final act of Public Service was with the public school system in Washington, DC. First, as a school teacher in various schools before joining the JROTC department at Anacostia High School, where he was an instructor and later, Senior Army Instructor. He retired from Washington, DC public schools on July 11, 2014.
His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, Parachute Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal with bronze clasp-2 loops, Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Vietnam Staff Service Medal with first clasp, Meritorious Service Medal, Marksmanship Badge Rifle M-14, Expert Badge M-16, three o/s Bars, and the State of Maryland Commendation Medal.
Major military courses consist of Officer Candidate School, Advanced Artillery Course and many other artillery and missile related courses.
His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Maryland and a Law Degree from Antioch University. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Following more than sixty years of public service, he became a successful businessman. He was a very generous community supporter and contributor to worthy causes.
World Traveler
Levi loved traveling, and post-retirement from the military he traveled the world to include China, India, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Australia, South America, Japan, Korea and all of Europe, all of the Caribbean Islands. His goal was to visit every country on the continent of Africa. He had only 19 countries left to visit. However, His favorite place was the Philippine Islands, which was his first stop each year on his global tour.
His travels were not all worldly. Each time someone got in his truck it became an adventure. They would not know where they were going or when they would be back. It would be an experience to remember. You could be gone for days with only the clothes on your back! He wanted to experience new things and places and wanted whoever was with him to be excited by the new experience.
A Tribute to Our #1 Brother
Answering the call of family duty, you were always hands-on and inquisitive. You were quick to grasp ideas and concepts. You were a good student and exhibited good manners and showed respect for your elders. You led your four younger siblings with firmness, clarity, and focus. You are very talented and hands-on. You loved fixing things and had a good handle on carpenter skills. You felt that nothing was beyond learning how to do. You were very ambitious and rose to the military rank of Colonel the Maryland Defense Force and Major in the US Army. You challenged your siblings to reach higher and was a shining example of what one could do if they worked hard, stayed focused, and kept your eye on your goals. You had a way of making your siblings do things they never dreamed possible. We are indebted to you for your leadership, often challenging us to tears, for your belief in us and our abilities. You were as focused building a bird house as you were when helping to add two rooms to the family home or observing your Ag teacher as you constructed one of your first projects, the beautiful coffee table. We can never repay you for all the lessons, your generosity to family members and always showing up for family functions. We pray that God will continue to be gracious to you. We love you! We appreciate your example of excellence, compassion and generosity.
He passed away early in the morning of Friday, January 16th at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Washington, DC where he received his final call to duty
He was predeceased by his parents, brothers William Elie and Leon Jeremiah.
He leaves behind one son, Kevin Bryant (Maria) Bowman, of Germany; one daughter, Levina (Charles) Branch, of Franklinton, NC; four grandchildren, Charlotte, Myles, Jordan and Tadeo; One brother, Matthew Richard (Sophia) Bowman; one sister, Queen Bowman; one sister-in-law, Ernestine Bowman; one aunt, Louise Henderson; and a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
Small town country boy makes his family and community proud!
When I Die 2
When I die,
Don’t Cry;
Just stand at attention
And Say, “Goodbye.”
For I have served
Duty, honor, country,
With courage and merit;
I bid, “Farewell.”
For I have paid my dues to society;
So, everyone, stay strong and take care.
A fallen leader has gone on to heaven,
To ‘take charge’ of soldiers up there.
So don’t cry for me;
Trust and believe in God,
And take care.
May God be with all of you
Always.
By: Cephus L. Bright
Let us pray: Eternal God, we praise you for the great company of all those who have finished their course in faith and now rest from their labor. We praise you for those dear to us whom we name in our hearts before you. Especially we praise you for Levi Bowman, Jr., whom you have graciously received into your presence to all of these, grant your peace. Let the perpetual light shine upon them; and help us so to believe where we have not seen that your presence may lead us through our years and bring us at last with them into the joy of your home not made with hands but eternal in heavens, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
