Henry Bostick was born in Ware County on November 22, 1922. He attended Tifton schools and was a popular member of the Tifton High School Blue Devils football team. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served four years, three of them on the submarine Tinosa, which was credited with sinking 250,000 tons of Japanese shipping. He received two Presidential Unit Citations for his service. Returning to Tifton as a decorated war hero, he began a law practice and a political career, serving in both local and state seats. As commander of the local VFW, he remained a lifelong advocate of veterans and was often quoted as saying, “Veterans are the real heroes.”