Rooted in Service: Father and Son SAME Fellows Share Bonds That Transcend a Generation

Sharing the title of Fellow, a father and son reveal a family bond rooted in service.

In 1972, SAME created the grade of Fellow as an honorary distinction for individuals with at least 10 years of membership and dedicated, outstanding service to the Society and engineering community. In 1995, the Academy of Fellows was formally established as an official body within the Society to oversee the Academy and its focus on mentoring. Fellows “bring deep knowledge and expertise across various government and private industry organizations, along with hands-on experience leading and managing projects and operations in a multitude of settings.”

For father and son Clinton and Darrin Willer, their shared experiences of engagement, service, and commitment are not only the hallmarks of the title of Fellow, they are tenets that have guided the Willers’ professional lives, handed down from generation to generation.

SAME is many things to many people. It is a professional association. It is a community with shared values and goals. And for many, it is also a family. Darrin and Clinton Willer illustrate how SAME has become intertwined with their own family traditions, professional connections, military service, and their deep ties to the engineering community.

Col. Clinton Willer, F.SAME, USA (Ret.), began his long relationship with SAME early in his career. After a tour in Vietnam with the 101^st Airborne Division, Clinton became an assistant professor of military science at VMI. At the urging of a co-professor, Clinton joined SAME, and with his mentor they began an engineer focused ROTC program at the school, using the Fort Belvoir Post as a guide for their structure.

“I started my career when I was an assistant professor of military science at VMI,” Clinton recalled. “We started an engineer branch-oriented ROTC program there, and Harry McGregor encouraged me to join SAME.” That encouragement and early experience with the Society set Clinton on a path that kept SAME close to him with each assignment in his career.

Clinton’s involvement with SAME grew with each new assignment. In 1993, he retired from the Army and moved to Nashville to work for the state of Tennessee.  “And then, 1994, I was honored by being selected as a Fellow,” he said. As an active member of his Post, Clinton helped lead the 2001 SBC Convention in Nashville. The convention theme was 2001: A Space Odyssey. “I thoroughly enjoyed that!” he said.

As for Darrin’s career, the die seemed to be cast.

“When I went to Texas A&M, Dad told me to join the SAME student chapter and ‘never look back.’ And I did,” Darrin said. “I grew up a military kid. Dad was a combat engineer in Vietnam, and I was born while he was in Vietnam. I watched him go through his engineering career and that set the stage for me. I ended up becoming an engineer myself.”

Darrin followed his father’s advice. From attending Texas A&M, becoming a student chapter president, and serving in the 101^st Airborne Division, Darrin used his father’s experience and sense of duty and service as a roadmap for his own career path. “I knew I wanted to serve in the 101^st. I wanted to serve in the same unit he commanded and brought back from Vietnam in the 70s. That is special.”

Darrin’s journey with SAME brought him back to Houston where he worked his way through committees and into leadership roles of the Houston-Galveston Post, including Post President and later being selected as a Fellow.

The honor of being selected as Fellow was not lost on his father. In this family, service to country and a commitment to the mission of the Society are at the very heart of their shared story.

“It makes me very, very proud that Darrin continued in SAME and was selected as a Fellow,” Clinton said. “It was a very warm feeling.”

A Growing Legacy

The family connection didn’t stop with father and son. Darrin’s nephews have picked up the mantle and embraced the family tradition.

“My three nephews followed me into civil engineering,” Darrin explained. “One became President of the A&M chapter, and two held leadership positions. They have all received scholarships and awards through SAME.”

The Willer family does more than represent an idea. They live the mission of the Society by showing up at the point of need.

“We do many veterans programs here, like Tunnels to Towers–feeding veterans, supporting transitional housing, helping those with PTSD,” Darrin said. “We built relationships with local agencies and sustaining member organizations. We have connections with Galveston District leaders and firms.”

When asked to sum up SAME in two words, Clinton provided a broad description of the Society. “I would say ‘professional growth.’ As an engineer, the Society offers you a lot of opportunity for professional growth, but it also offers camaraderie and the association that you get with fellow engineers from all the services. I think that’s one of the real strengths the Society offers to a young officer or a young engineer.”

Clinton and Darrin’s shared story of military excellence, dedication to their community, and commitment to leadership in SAME has created an enduring legacy. This family of Fellows has influenced members from students beginning their careers, to seasoned professionals looking to expand their networks and their industry knowledge.

“Not just me,” said Darrin, “but members and other fellows were certainly influenced by my dad. Pretty amazing.”

“It does feel like an engineering dynasty!” he added.