David “Gunny” Harrison started climbing towers when he was 16 doing broadcast work. Now, at the age of 50, he says he’s seen and done it all in the industry. One of the more visible “tower dogs” in the business due to his social media site, TD4L (Tower Dog 4 Life) on Facebook, Harrison has heard it all too.
The site has attracted 2,300 participants although he keeps it restricted only to those involved in the industry. Knowing the “roughneck” nature of his fellow climbers, Harrison posts a warning on his site that the content might not be, let’s say, polite.
Still, Harrison said he wants his “members” to be respectful of others and their opinions. “We want them to learn, share and have a good time while they’re on there,” he said.
Once Harrison graduated from high school, he went into military service, putting in four years with the Marine Corps. He said his nickname “Gunny” actually came from tower crew employees, after he left The Corp.
“They always said I ran my crews like a Gunnery Sergeant,” he said.
When he returned to civilian life in 1993, Harrison began his official climbing career with Capital Towers in Hershey, PA where he worked his way up from a “greenie” throughout the years to vice president and, finally, owner where he still runs the consulting side of the business, Communications Consulting Solutions.
In addition, he now works as a Project Manager with Ramapo Corp out of New Jersey and says he still climbs occasionally “when my ol’ butt has to. You can’t beat the scenery from that office,” he told Inside Towers.
When he’s not supervising tower projects, Harrison is an advocate for safety and the “families of the fallen” and sits on multiple boards while volunteering for many other causes such as the Hubble Foundation.
This article is part of the Climber Chronicles series, sponsored by Viavi Solutions.
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