Herman Theodore (Ted) Ellison, Jr., Staff Sergeant, US Army Special Forces, 1965-1968, US Army Special Forces Reserve 1969-1971, left this mortal world on Friday, July 10, 2020.

Mr. Ellison was a patriot and served his country with honor for over fifteen years. He was a soldier, a sailor, and he excelled at both. Although mostly in jest, he had several aka handles. Among them were “Ted Taxi”, “Taxi Ted”, “Big Country”, “Goose”, “Teddy Gene Johnson”, “Sarge”, “Gatorman”, and others long forgotten.

Staff Sergeant Ellison served on Special Forces A-Teams and Mobile Strike Forces in Vietnam in 1967-68. From there he was sent to Okinawa with the first Special Forces Group (Airborne) as an instructor at the Training and Recondo School at FOB Camp Hardy. Among his awards and decorations are the Combat Infantry Badge, Special Forces tab, Parachutist Badge, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Expeditionary Medal with two palms, Presidential Unit citation, Recondo tab and the National Defense Service Medal.

Mr. Ellison was born April 19, 1945 in Montgomery, Alabama. He was the son of the late Herman T. Ellison, Sr and Christine Purefoy Ellison of Hurtsboro, Alabama. He was preceded in death by both siblings, sister Elva Ann Ellison Reed and brother Walter Frank Ellison.

In 2002, at the age of 57, Mr. Ellison moth-balled his taxi fleet and again answered his country’s call after the terrorist attacks of 9-11. This time he was not an Infantryman, but a Seaman in support of our armed forces on US Navy ships. As he liked to say. “Instead of being on the point of the spear, I was on the shaft still giving it to ‘em!”

Mr. Ellison was a civilian merchant mariner radio office serving on US flagged ships from 1991 until 1996. Due to satellite communications advances, his radio officer position based upon Morse Code was discontinued. He then served the US Department of Defense with the US Navy’s military sealift command.

Bosunmate Ellison was most proud of his rapid advancement, commendations and awards received while sailing with MSC. He worked his way up through the ranks from ordinary Seaman to Boatswain’s Mate before retiring in 2010 at the age of 65. As a civilian mariner, Mr. Ellison was awarded the Global War on Terror Medal for civilian support in the Global War on Terrorism and a ten-year gold certificate for honorable service to the United States of America.

Mr. Ellison was founder, president and chief executive officer of his own company, Louisiana Novelty and Transportation, LTD., located in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the owner/operator of his own taxi fleet for over 35 years. Mr. Ellison was a graduate of Columbus State University and a world traveler. He loved sports, especially American football and track and field. Ellison attended seven summer Olympiads, numerous college football bowl games, including three national championships and four professional super bowls. He was a lifelong fan of The University of Alabama and The New Orleans Saints.

Mr. Ellison was a world traveler and had visited all 50 states in the USA and many foreign locales as a tourist while on duty with the Merchant Marines. Among his favorite countries were Norway, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Korea and Israel. He considered the four great highlights of his life were visiting and inspecting the Pyramids (twice, although in different years- once riding a camel and the other riding a horse) in Egypt, climbing the Great Wall of China, camping in Agra, India and waking at dawn to see the sun come up and shine on the Taj Mahal, and being in the cockpit of a 727 Jetliner as an observer in Nepal to view and take photos of Mt. Everest. His most prized “Bucket List Checkoff” however, came in 2012 at the age of 67. He made his final military static-line parachute jump in Orlando, Florida while attending the National Special Forces Convention.

Ted was also an accomplished musician, having studied composition, arranging and flute at the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He also played excellent harmonica and sang karaoke like a pro. One of his many hobbies was photography. His photographs have been published in the Columbus, Georgia Ledger Enquirer, several magazines and on local flyers.

Mr. Ellison was a life member of the Special Forces Association, Special Operations Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and The American Legion. He was a Master Mason with Hiram Lodge 70, F&AM in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Beauregard Camp 160, New Orleans, Louisiana and the Louisiana Society of the Military Order of the Stars and Bars. He was a charter member and former president of the New Orleans Knife Collectors Club. Mr. Ellison was a second-class Radio Telegraph Officer in the United States Coast Guard and a member of the Jefferson Amateur Radio Club. He held advanced amateur license with Call Sign of NSRDI.

Socially, he and his wife are members of the Chattahoochee River Club in Columbus, Georgia.

He is survived by his loving wife, Gloria Beasley Ellison, his daughter, Katherine Gates Ellison Bull, four nephews- Andrew Ellison, James Ellison, Michael Reed, and Robert Reed- Several great nephews and nieces and three dogs- Blue, Thibadeaux and Snoop.

Burial will be in Hurtsboro Memorial Cemetery with Full Military honors, Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 11:00 am (EST) 10:00 (CST). Honorary pallbearers are James Ellison, Robert Reed, Will Persons, Marcus Worrell, Felix Walker, John Persons, Robert Wade and Buster Bickerstaff.

In lieu of flowers, it is requested to send your tax-deductible donations to Chapter 30, Special Forces Association, P.O. Box 310, Kenner, LA 70063 (501 C-3 IRS NR.: 56-6148492 501 (C) (19)