Darlingtonian receives degree 40 years after entering Army
Darlingtonian Freddie A. Lighty Jr. and his mother, Mrs. Elma D. Lighty. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Freddie A. Lighty, Jr., formerly of Darlington, South Carolina, graduated with Latin honors, cum laude, from Atlanta Metropolitan State College in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday, May 5, 2023. Mr. Lighty earned a degree in Organizational Leadership, with a concentration in Public Service and a focus in Child Development.
Mr. Lighty entered college over forty years ago but left after one year to serve in the United States Army until his retirement with the rank of Sergeant Major in 2010 and again from civilian service in 2021. He is a veteran of the Gulf War, including Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. He received a Bronze Star Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Mr. Lighty resides in LaGrange, Georgia, and is the son of the late Freddie A. Lighty, Sr., and Elma D. Lighty of Darlington, South Carolina. He also has one sister, Janet Damon of Florence, South Carolina, and a daughter, Kiara Williams of Swainsboro, Georgia.