Colonel David Cecil Underwood, born in Harrison, served with the United States Air Force in Vietnam. Colonel Underwood's awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

After high school, David attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Oklahoma State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He was then commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force with orders to pilot training based in the Philippines. During the next two and a half years, he flew C-130s in Vietnam, primarily out of Cam Ranh Bay, providing C-130 support throughout Southeast Asia. The work was demanding and very rewarding, as they operated from over 200 airfields, many of which were dirt assault landing zones.

In 1972, Colonel Underwood had Bob Hope in his cockpit for two weeks, shielding him during his annual Christmas show. He subsequently spent eight years flying C-130s worldwide from Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, and earned a Master's degree in Management from Abilene Christian University. Upon promotion to Major, he was sent to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, for a Master's degree in National Security and International Affairs.

This education was followed by an assignment as Air Attache for 16 countries in West Africa, which led to a position at the Pentagon working for the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force. He then completed a tour on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he contributed to policy and planning for Operation Desert Storm and served as the chief military negotiator for ending the war in Angola.

Colonel Underwood retired from the Air Force in 1994 with the rank of Colonel, having accumulated over 4,000 flying hours and 600 combat hours.