Thomas R. Drummond, a resident of Arizona, has lived a life shaped by service, family, and a deep reverence for history. A retired pioneer with Nextel Communications, he also devoted much of his professional career to aerospace, specializing in exotic metals that supported advanced technologies. Alongside his wife, Paula, he has cherished the privilege of raising a daughter and a son, who remain his proudest legacy.

Mr. Drummond’s family story is deeply interwoven with America’s own. He is a compatriot in the Sons of the American Revolution, descended from Lt. William Copeland, a minuteman who answered the call at Concord. His extended family includes such figures as Dr. Joseph Warren, who gave his life at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and cousins Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Samuel Adams—champions of independence. Yet his ancestry also reflects history’s complexity, including kinship with General William Howe, who commanded British forces against the colonies.