Volunteer Spotlight by Jeff Glenn, North Trail Program Manager
Building new puncheon along the Kissimmee River
HUGH "SANDY" BELL H ighlanders Chapter Trail Coordinator Sandy Bell is the kind of guy you want around when you want to hear a good story, swap some jokes, and tirelessly work hard out on the trail. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sandy across the state and each time is a real pleasure. His knowledge of trail work makes him a really valuable volunteer on the Florida Trail and his leadership in the Highlanders Chapter is helping to create wonderful sections of trail in central Florida. Sandy took some time to talk about his life and how he came to be involved with the FTA.
and bagged groceries at the Piggly Wiggly. I was not a great student, so I knew going to college was not for me. But I also knew I needed some skills in order to get a good job, so I enrolled in South Georgia Technical and Vocational School's machinist program. As I was nearing the end of training, there was a lot on my mind about my future. Growing up, I had heard stories about my grandfathers being in the Navy and the places they had been and seen. Those stories sounded a lot better than where I was headed, so one quick trip to the Navy recruiting office and I was hooked with a new dream, I was going in the Navy.
Tell us about your background. I was born and raised in Americus, GA. While in high school, I worked at small engine shops
What was your life like in the Navy? I did a lot of very different jobs while in the Navy. I started out as a Patternmaker, on
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board a submarine tender. Working in the foundry was a great job. We made parts for electrical motors, plaques, deck drains and entire pump housings. Anything that was needed, we made. This is where I first met Navy divers. I saw what they were doing and thought that it looked a lot more exciting than what I was doing, so I signed up for dive school. As a navy diver, I also became a boatswain's mate, worked at salvage commands, training commands, ships husbandry commands and even did a tour with the Recon Marines. The Navy took me all around the world. I was in some of the usual Navy places like San Diego, CA and Norfolk, VA, and some not so normal locations: Holy Loch, Scotland, Diego Garcia (a small Island in the Indian
