Sergeant Major of the Museum, Joe Houle, Named Golden Eagle Man of the year 2014!
His fish-frying skills are legendary
And his work ethic — as well as enduring community presence — is exhaustive.
When something needs to be done at Onslow County functions, retired SgtMaj Joe Houle often is the man on-call. For his efforts, and his bottomless energy supply, Houle was named the Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce Golden Eagle Man of the Year, an award sponsored by Sanders Ford and presented by former winner, Bob Dupuis of Duke Energy during the chamber's 71st annual Membership Celebration Dinner held Wednesday at Marston Pavilion aboard Camp Lejeune.
“I get my energy from the people of Onslow County,” Houle said after the meeting. As he received the award, Houle told the crowd during a brief speech that Onslow County has the best people in the world. “I do this because I love doing it,” Houle said. “God love ya.”.
Before bestowing the trophy, Dupuis cited Houle’s accomplishments. “(The award) is presented to men who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and have devoted tremendous time and energy to the community,” Dupuis said. “... Many of our local festivals and parades count on him every year: the chamber’s Christmas Holiday Parade, the Veteran’s Day Parade, the Mullet Festival in Swansboro, Riverwalk Paloosa and any Rotary event are all very lucky to have him as a resource. His membership over the years in various clubs, organizations and associations is impressive ...” Dupuis also cited Houle’s cooking skills. “He is an active and longtime member of the chamber’s Military Affairs Committee and is a fish-frying professional at our fish fries on base,” Dupuis said. He then listed 15 service organizations with which Houle has been involved. “... (Houle) is responsible for thousands of volunteer hours from his sources ... to clean up the New River and travels far and wide to share his vision for the Museum of the Marine,” Dupuis said. “Congratulations.”
