James Alton Gardner, a 1961 graduate, was recruited to play football for West Point, but joined the OCS in 1964 where he excelled in sports and military aptitude. Mr. Gardner joined the Rangers and led the elite Tiger Force paratroopers in Vietnam. 1st Lt. Gardner was killed in battle during the Vietnam war in 1966. He was awarded the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Medal of Honor. There is a bowling center bears his name at Fort Campbell, KY; an athletic field bearing his name in Fort Benning, GA; a primary conference room at the Pentagon called the Gardner Room; and the Dyersburg National Guard Armory bears his name also.