Al King honored
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on December 15, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Businessman David Weil, right, congratulates former Goldsboro Mayor Al King on Monday night.
There is no better friend than former Goldsboro Mayor Al King.
As more than 160 people converged on the Terrace Room Monday night to honor King's nearly 14 years of service as mayor, this was the sentiment expressed by each of them time and time again.
"Seymour Johnson has no better friend than Al King; the Air Force has no better friend than Al King. The nation has no better friend than Al King," said Maj. Gen. Mark D. Kelly, Commander of the 9th Air Force, Air Combat Command at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.
A cast of characters comprised of prominent local names such as David Weil, as well as well known names in the state and nation such as former North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue, gave speeches honoring King throughout Monday night's ceremony.
King was remembered on Monday night as a man of resilience and determination, who often encountered what King himself refers to as "C.A.V.E. people" -- Citizens Against Virtually Everything.
Following the burning of the Paramount Theatre, King was able to work with Weil to have the theater rebuilt even though many citizens were in opposition to the measure.
"Then there had to come the night of the public hearing (about rebuilding the Paramount Theatre), and I thought we might be in for it, Mr. Mayor," Weil said. "The room was full, and the mayor introduced the topic in this fashion -- he said, 'We have a nice crowd here tonight, and we're going to listen to everything you have to say -- but I want you to know we're going to build the theater.'"
Both this measure and the measure that saw the ball begin to roll on the now-completed downtown Streetscape project were referenced throughout the night as points that showed a mayor who understood what was best for his community, and was willing to do whatever was necessary to get it done.
But King had a lifetime of accomplishments under his belt before he ever considered becoming mayor.
After graduating from Carver High School in 1952, he attended North Carolina A&T University where he graduated in 1956 with a B.S. degree in business administration and was named as a member of "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities."
King entered the Air Force in 1956 and retired from service in 1976. During his time in the Air Force he served a year in Vietnam as commander of the 35th Services Squadron, and was twice selected as one of the Outstanding Supply Services Officers in the Air Training command in 1974 and 1975.
For his service, King received the Air force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Bronze Star.
Following his service in the military, King served as director of personnel and safety for the city from 1979 until his retirement in 2000.
King was appointed as mayor in 2002 by the Goldsboro City Council to serve the remainder of Hal K. Plonk's term after Plonk died in late 2001.
He was elected to the position of mayor three times following that appointment, in 2003, 2007 and 2012.
And now, at the end of 2015, when King wakes up today, he will no longer be an official public servant for the first time in nearly 60 years.
But he won't be far away -- a fact that he has reminded newly-elected Mayor Chuck Allen of time and again, and one that Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. Director Julie Metz will certainly be glad of.
"Mayor, you have become my Goldsboro dad over the years," Ms. Metz said. "John Metz has always felt at peace knowing you would be here to keep me straight. You once referred to me as the straw that stirs the drink. Probably very fitting, but I have to share that I have appreciated every opportunity to participate in that change that worked to make Goldsboro better."
Mrs. Perdue shared a story about King that she remembers fondly, where she fretted that SJAFB might be removed from Goldsboro or shut down when it was placed in front of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission in the early 2000s.
But upon a trip to the Pentagon, she quickly learned there was no danger of that happening, all thanks to King.
"The only base in North Carolina in 2004, for whatever reason, that I was really concerned about was Seymour Johnson, because this was when there was this whole momentum around downsizing," Mrs. Perdue said of her time spent discussing the matter with the Pentagon during her time on the BRAC Commission. "So I said, 'General, off the record, if any of the bases in our state were fragile, vulnerable, could you just give me a hint which base it would be?' And I held my breath and said a prayer, and I looked at the general and he said, 'No, I can't do that, Governor, but I'll tell you what I can do -- I'll tell you the one that's not under any kind of really serious look, and that's one of the best bases in the country (Seymour Johnson Air Force Base). I'll tell you the real reason, and that's because that Mayor Al King and that man named Wilber Shirley, they've been up here in the Pentagon parking lot serving us barbecue.' Now that's a true story, so when you all hear about a hands-on mayor, Al King was the king, literally, of being hands-on."