A father and son who served together in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division are now beginning law enforcement careers working at the same police station. William Yelton and his son Samuel have begun serving as police officers at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
Samuel graduated from the VA Police Officer Standards and Training academy in mid-July. William, who was attending the VA's Firearms Instructor Training Course at the time, requested and was granted time off to attend his son's graduation ceremony, where he pinned the badge on Samuel's VA Police uniform.
William worked for 27 years as an Asheville police officer before retiring. He joined the Department of Veterans Affairs in October 2025 and completed his POST certification a few months later. Samuel had served in the Army as an artillery forward observer before separating in 2023. He subsequently lived in California before returning to North Carolina, where he worked in machining before joining the VA.
Both men served in the 82nd Airborne Division during different eras, separated by more than two decades. William served as an infantryman in the 1990s before separating in 1997. Samuel served more recently before separating in 2023. Both achieved the rank of sergeant in the Army.
"For me, it's very inspiring," William said. "We both served in same unit in the Army, and then here we are working together for the Department of Veterans Affairs."
Samuel expressed pride in the new chapter. "Honestly, it's a huge point of pride for me to be able to work, one, in law enforcement; two, to serve Veterans; and three, to work with my father," he said.