Sammie Gene Young

COLONEL SAMMIE GENE YOUNG, SR. USA (RET.)
APRIL 11, 1946 – MARCH 1, 2026

Early Years

Sammie G. Young, Sr. transitioned to the afterlife on March 1, 2026. Sammie lived many lives in the one entrusted to him and loved by us for nearly 80 years. Born on April 11, 1946, Sammie was the fifth of nine children. His father, James Young, was a gifted stone mason, who was in great demand by Memphis builders. He built, using his eye and instinct for order, the wall surrounding Graceland, much of Rhodes College, Magnolia Church, and numerous homes, arches, and fireplaces throughout the Memphis area. Sammie’s father didn’t drive, and his wife, Louise “C” Minor Young, drove him to work on the days that the contractors or their wives were unable to pick him up for the job. Yes, in 1950 white southern Memphis women were chauffeuring Sammie’s father to construction jobs.

Always enterprising Sammie found ways to make money as a little boy, salvaging grain that fell through the cracks of the railroad cars that passed nearby his family home in Memphis. He was quite bold and mischievous, and earned the nickname “Slick” for his ability to outrun his father and mother and hide from the switch, the broom, and the belt.

After graduating as valedictorian of his high school class at Capelville High School in 1963, Sammie began his college education at Memphis State University, now University of Memphis. Although he was a natural mathematician and logistician, he was not prepared for the math classes at Memphis State and needed tutoring and assistance in order to succeed. He was given none of that. He was discouraged.

The California Years – IHOP and Watts

Sammie began visiting his older brothers Dave and Melvin in California at every opportunity. Ever self-protective, Sammie always drove without stopping between Memphis and LA in his VW Bug. Dave, who was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident in 1974, was an artist with a genius for interior design. Dave was sought after by many for his gifted services. He fathered five children with his wife Florida during his 33 years. Through Dave, Sammie learned how to be a master chef for IHOP. A friend of Dave’s was manager of the IHOP training store in LA. Sammie spent many weeks training and working at that store. Imagine 10 cooking stations and everyone is learning how to make chocolate chip pancakes together.

Sammie was visiting Dave during the summer of 1965 when the Watts Riots of 1965 erupted. His summer job was working at a local grocery in Watts. He described the hours before he left his station, watching the smoke and the noise come closer and closer up the street. The store’s owner was coming and taking money from the cash register and leaving and coming back and taking money from the cash register and leaving. Sammie had his apron on and was carefully stacking the produce. Periodically, he would leave his station, apron on, and check to see how close the riot was coming. It was too close for comfort and logical thinking. Sammie took off his apron and found his yellow VW Bug and shakily inserted the key into the ignition. He had vivid memories of that moment and that day.

One summer he worked for LA county in voter services. It was his job to deliver the mail. One particular election employee would try to get him to look up her skirt when he leaned in to hand her the mail. And he wouldn’t do it. He was barely 18 that summer.

Sammie began his lifelong love of photography in California. He learned to use a dark room and considered going into the film industry. Sammie had a sense of curiosity about people and places. Sammie’s early adventures in California were just the beginning of his life of travel and exploration.

When he returned to Memphis with his IHOP chef’s training, Sammie applied for a job at the local IHOP. The manager offered him a dishwasher job. Sammie demonstrated for the manager the cooking and serving of dish after signature dish he learned in the IHOP kitchen. Sammie was hired for all the shifts that the regular chef did not work.

Army Career

Sammie enlisted in the United States Army on October 17, 1969, at the age of 23 years old. Sammie was quickly discovered to be a bright and intelligent enlistee and he successfully underwent testing for Officer’s Candidate School (OCS) within a short period of time after his enlistment. Sammie’s oldest brother James Albert Young (Beau), seven years Sammie’s senior, had already served one tour in Vietnam with a Special Forces (Green Beret) unit. Beau signed up for another tour to prevent Sammie from having to go to an active combat operation assignment. Beau survived his second tour and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He taught Sammie how to navigate and negotiate his relationships with his superiors in order to achieve the rank of Colonel prior to his retirement in 1996.

Sammie excelled in the US Army. He was at home in the logical, mathematical organization of the Army and carried out each command with excellence and efficiency. “Through tireless devotion to duty and professional expertise, he elevated each communication section to standards never before achieved.” Award of Army Commendation, April 1973 – December 1973, for meritorious service as a communications officer supporting Division Support Command, 101st Airbourne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

“He significantly aided his unit in obtaining superlative comments and ratings during local inspections. As commander his outstanding initiative, perseverance, and overall leadership were instrumental in the effective accomplishment of numerous delicate projects.” Certificate of Achievement, September 1976 to July 1979, Captain Sammie G. Young, United States Army 396 Signal Company Fort Clayton Panama for meritorious service while serving as Communications – Electronics Staff Officer.

“His accomplishments were highlighted by an extensive effort to collect, analyze and evaluate data on the missions and functions performed by tactical wheeled vehicles in all Signal, Military, Intelligence and Medical Units of the Army. He was instrumental in identifying the most cost-effective quantity of vehicles needed to support several major communications systems. His professionalism, depth of knowledge and dedication won enthusiastic cooperation from all the associated agencies. Captain Young’s achievements reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Logistic Center.” US Army Meritorious Service Medal to Captain Sammie G. Young, United States Army for exceptionally meritorious service with the United States Army Logistics Center, from August 1979 to November 1980

“Major Young’s leadership and dedication to duty were continuously evident in the manner in which he provided professional communications – electronic support to Fort Lee, Pickett, and AP Hill. This support included the installation of a 900 pair cable from the Dial Central Office, a 300 pair cable into the building, internal wiring within the building, and the installation of over 500 telephones. As a result of Major Young’s positive direction and managerial skills, these installations were provided the required facilities and sufficient time for the successful play of logistical exercise 1981.” Meritorious Service Award (First Oakleaf Cluster) for the period of service, November 1980 to July 1982 to Sammie G. Young as Commander, United States Army Communications Command – Whortley, Fort Lee, Virginia.

“Major Young was responsible for planning, organizing and controlling the production of the team assigned to monitor and report progress of the maneuver control system through early awarding of a contract option. The government realized a savings of over 3 million on the production contract by executing a breakout program for production of racks at an Army depot. The government saved an additional 2 million in the total program.” From Meritorious Service Medal (Second Oakleaf Cluster) for the period from July 1983 to June 1986 to Major Sammie G. Young, Signal Corps, while assigned as Project Officer, Office of the Project Manager, Operations, Tactical Data Systems, US Army Communications – Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.
During this same assignment, Sammie was also awarded the Army Achievement Medal on September 21, 1984. From June 1984 to July 1984, “Major Young’s outstanding performance resulted in the award of a contract option for $10,000,000 three months earlier than scheduled. Through his efforts, the government has realized a savings in excess of $3 million to date in the production contract.”
Sammie Young was an educator. From December 1986 to June 1989, the Army assigned him to teach at the Defense Systems Management College as Professor of Acquisition Management. By then, he was a Lieutenant Colonel. He threw himself into teaching and distinguished himself for exceptional meritorious service as Professor of Acquisition Management while also assigned to the technical management department of the college. “Colonel Young is a hard-working, dynamic officer. He consistently strives for advanced responsibilities in the teaching and planning of curriculum for the program management course. As deputy Director for the Defense Manufacturing Management course, Colonel Young was instrumental in making the course one of the best offered at the college. He showed great skills as a team player and an excellent people person.
Colonel Young also served as the contracting officers’ technical representative for the revision of the defense manufacturing management handbook. His efforts have resulted in a far superior document to the previous edition. He was very concerned that the best information was available and he co-authored an article for the program manager magazine to clearly and concisely explain to the acquisition community, the major objectives and thrust of the new guide.”

June 26, 1990, Certificate of Signal Corps regimental affiliation with Fort Gordon, Georgia.

The Pentagon Years

From June 1989 to February 1991, Sammie was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 21st Theater Army Area Command as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, Information Management and Command Communications Officer at the Pentagon. He received the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding service. “Lieutenant Young’s consistently superior performance significantly enhanced the command’s mission accomplishments in all five disciplines within the information management mission area.”
Sammie continued serving at the US Army Headquarters Material Command from May 1992 to June 1993 as Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Engineering. He received the Meritorious Service Medal “for exceptionally meritorious service his outstanding leadership, professionalism and expert knowledge contributed to the accomplishments of the AMC and Army missions during a period of significant manpower reductions.”

Project Manager, Global Positioning System

Sammie’s final mission, and one that he was most proud of was his selection by the Department of Army Board as the Project Manager, for the development and production of the military’s Global Positioning System, (GPS) as the Program Executive Officer, Command, Control, and Communication Systems at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. “During his tenure, Colonel Young was instrumental in achieving production of ground, airborne and shipboard GPS receivers. He successfully transitioned a lethargic, low-rate initial production program of older military technology with a cost, size and weight problem into a dynamic production program of non-development item user equipment, products with significant savings and cost, size and weight. He has transformed the project office into a fast-moving train delivering thousands of new products to worldwide Army users on an accelerated schedule. His accelerated fieldings would not have been possible without Colonel Young’s quick management reaction to a wide variety of Joint Chief of Staff and Headquarters Department of the Army-directed contingency operations in troop deployment. Accelerated priority fieldlings were achieved in Korea, Germany, and CONUS to support operations in Macedonia, Rwanda, Haiti, Somalia and Bosnia.

“Colonel Young was personally responsible for executing a contract change which involved hardware and software upgrades. These enhancements included greatly improved battery performance, automatic route advances, improved alert features, additional buffer zones, new warning messages for data mismatches, updated Map DATUMS and MAGVAR tables and user define custom display features. He championed this change for Army users through the joint program office by convincing the other services that such improvements were overwhelmingly beneficial from a cost and operational viewpoint. The improved battery performance feature alone will result in an operation and support cost avoidance of $78 million over the next six years.”

A model of the first field Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver (PLGR) hangs on a plaque in Sammie’s office at home.

Retirement and Teaching

Sammie retired from the military in 1996 and commenced his second career as a financial advisor with American Express in Fort Myers Florida. While working with American Express, Sammie began teaching as an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Edison State College, now Florida Southwestern University. Teaching economics was his third and final career. He taught in person and then online from Coconut Grove, Florida after meeting his wife, Mary Ann Huey, in 2012. Mary Ann practiced law, and Sammie capably managed the homefront. Finally, in 2018 Sammie, tired of his students trying to teach him Trump economics while he was teaching traditional academic economics, quit teaching. He was 72 years old.


The Grandpa and Mary Ann Years

Sammie’s 70s were marked by making many trips to visit his grandchildren in Tennessee, Virginia and Hawaii, and creating an orderly and harmonious home for Mary Ann and the family pets. He became closer to his three children, Marvis, Sam Jr., and David, and lovingly supported them in all their endeavors. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, and they loved spending time with him. It was a sure thing that Grandpa would reorganize the kitchen pantry during each visit and leave it in perfect order. In 2023, at 76, Sammie and Mary Ann moved to Bridgewater at Viera in Melbourne, Florida to be closer to Mary Ann’s sister, Melissa. Sammie was suffering from vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and he flourished in his brand-new home, the beauty of his surroundings, and the affection of his neighbors. Mary Ann modeled her behavior after Sammie and continued caring for him and the homefront exactly as he would have wanted.

Sammie’s Final Illness and Survivors

On February 11, 2026, Sammie was diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes and blood. On February 14, 2026, Sammie entered hospice at home with St. Francis Hospice and gradually left his body over the next two weeks. He transitioned to a glorious afterlife on March 1, 2026.

Sammie is survived by his wife of 14 years, Mary Ann Young; his daughter Marvis and grandson McNeil McCarley (23) of Memphis, Tennessee; his son Sammie Jr. (Jill) and grandson Maxwell Jefferson Young (15) of North Little Rock, Arkansas; his son David (Amy) and grandchildren Trevor (20), Abigail (18), David (14) and Ben (14) of Fairfax Station, Virginia.

He leaves behind five brothers and sisters and their children and Dave’s five children: Melvin of Los Angeles, California (LaShanta, Michael, and Didi) and, Dr. Marion Talley (Trena), of Jackson, Mississippi, Martha Young Jones (Kenneth and Vanessa) of Los Angeles, California, Dorothy Young Cochran and husband Eddie (Kadar, James Rashad, and Edward) of Atlanta, Georgia, the Reverend Doctor George E. Young and wife Pat (Tamatha Lashelle, and George); Reginald Young and wife Nadenia (Reginald Jr.) of Olive Branch, Mississippi; cousin Claibourne “Clay” Smith (Roseann) of Jupiter, Florida; and all of Dave’s children: Ronald, Rosalind, Wendell, David and Jayson.

He was predeceased by his parents, Louise Minor Young and James Young, his brother, Dave, his eldest brother, James Albert “Beau” Young, his nephew, Chauncy, and his grand-nephew, Trenton.

Services will be held at Beckman Williamson Funeral Home in Rockledge, Florida on March 14, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation begins at 1:00 p.m. The family will be receiving visitors at home from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 9114 Alister Drive, Melbourne, Florida, after the service. Sammie will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors at a later date.