Lt Alexander Bonnyman Unit Officers
Virgil L. Young, Jr. - Unit Commander
Virgil grew up in northwest Missouri and attended the University of Kansas on a Navy ROTC scholarship. After graduating in 1966, he received a regular commission in the Marine Corps. After officer training at The Basic School, Quantico, VA, he was ordered to Vietnam to serve in the 3rd Marine Division. From January 1967 to February 1968, he served as an infantry officer with the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. From February 1968 to June 1970, he served at The Basic School as an instructor and Staff Platoon Commander.
In June 1970, Virgil resigned his commission in the Marine Corps to begin his career as an FBI Special Agent. Before retiring with almost 28 years of service, he had worked in the Detroit, San Francisco, New York City, Richmond, and Knoxville Field Divisions. He had also served two tours at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC. At the time of his retirement in 1998, he was serving as the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Knoxville Field Office. During his FBI career, Virgil graduated from the Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA; the Washington Executive Institute; and numerous FBI in-service training programs. He also earned a Master's Degree from Long Island University, Greenvale, NY.
After retiring from the FBI, Virgil established his own security consulting business in Knoxville, TN. His consulting business has taken him around the US as well as to Japan and Brazil. Shortly after his retirement from the FBI, Virgil became an assessor with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA) headquartered in Fairfax, VA. Since that time, he has been a contract team leader heading teams assessing more than 30 law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as in three foreign countries.
Virgil is active in numerous community and veterans' organizations and was one of the founders of the Marine Corps League Detachment in Knoxville in 1995. He has been active with the Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Young Marine Unit in various capacities since the unit was established. He has served as the elected Unit Commander since 2004. He has attended a number of Registered Adult Training Seminars and Adult Leader Conferences.
Virgil and his wife, Anne, were married in 1968 and have two grown children and three grandchildren.
Joe McCarter - Executive Officer
Joe grew up in Knoxville and graduated from Young High School (which no longer exists) in 1967 before enlisting in the US Army and serving three years. Joe got training to be a welder in the Army, but only part of his time in the Army involved welding. During his three years, Joe served in Thailand (though he traveled many times into Vietnam), Korea, and at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. After returning to Knoxville from his time in the Army, Joe worked at several different jobs before getting back into welding in about 1975. He has been doing welding work since then and for the last 13 years he has worked for Alamo Welding and Steel.
Joe has been married twice and has a total of two sons, three daughters, and eight grandchildren. He and Sandra have been married since 1980 and have one son, Joe McCarter, Jr. Joe, Jr., was in the Lt. Bonnyman Unit’s 2nd Recruit Class in 1997 and Joe, Sr., became an Adult Leader shortly after his son graduated from Recruit Training. Joe, Jr. rose to be the highest ranking Young Marine in the unit before being honorably discharged. Joe, Jr. is currently a deputy sheriff with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office.
Barbara G. Tassey - Unit Adjutant
Barbara has lived in Powell, TN her whole life and graduated from Powell High School in 1958. She retired from Plasti-line, Inc. (now Image Point) after 30 years as program manager coordinating outdoor illuminated signage installation. She has been married to Vernon Tassey since 1973. They had one boy (deceased) and a daughter. Their grandson was a Young Marine from 1997 until 2001. Barbara attended the Commanders Conferences (now called Adult Leaders Conferences) in 2002 and 2003 and also attended the Regional Adult Training Seminar in Knoxville in 2004.
Vernon W. Tassey - Supply Officer
Vernon grew up in Murfreesboro and Readyville, TN, graduating from Central High School in Murfreesboro in 1949. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in January 1951. He served from December 1951 until December 1952 in Korea. He remained in the Marine Corps Reserves for 14 years as a member of the 6th Engineers, headquartered in Knoxville. Vernon worked for many years as a heavy equipment and diesel engine mechanic. He was an instructor for five years at TVA and was a supervisor for 16 years with Martin Marietta and the Department of Energy. He has been married to Barbara Tassey since 1973. They had one son (deceased) and a daughter. Their grandson was a Young Marine from 1997 until 2001. Vernon attended the Commanders Conferences (now called Adult Leaders Conferences) in 2002 and 2003 and also attended several Regional Adult Training Seminars. Vernon has been an Adult Leader with the unit since its formation in 1997 and is also a former Unit Commander.
Rhonda Reimann - Unit Paymaster
Rhonda grew up in Soddy-Daisy, TN and graduated from high school there in 1980. She also graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1984. She had been married to Hans Reimann for 20 years and works as a receptionist at a pediatric office. She and Hans have one son, who has been in the Young Marines for the last five years. Her son was selected as the 2007-2008 Young Marine of the Year for the Unit, Battalion, Regiment, and the 3rd Division. Rhonda attended the Adult Leader Conference in Reno, NV in June 2008.
Lt Alexander Bonnyman Unit General Staff