Salute to Veterans

Weekend events around town to honor veterans. 5 Pardo’s Push: A hero’s actions. 10 MeettheStockmoes: Commitment to service and family. 3

HONORING HEROES

SALUTE TO VETERANS ’16 

The Eagle • Friday, November 11, 2016

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Friday, November 11, 2016

COMMITMENT: Stockmoes served combined 52 years

By ReBecca FiedleR rebecca.fiedler@theeagle.com

Lyle and Anne Stockmoe live a quiet life in College Station.

The retired couple can often be found entertaining their grandchildren or doting on their elderly chihuahua, Bambi. Anne enjoys cross-stiching and Lyle stays busy around the house.

At a glance, few would guess the two have a combined 52-year military career, their home full of medals and keepsakes. They’ve traveled around the world through their service and have struggled through hardships during the Vietnam War and other conflicts.

In the family computer room of the

Friday, November 11, 2016

Stockmoes’ home, various pictures and frames with medals hang on the wall. A large case displays the different medals and rank designations Anne Stockmoe earned in her 25 years as a Naval officer, including a folded flag that once flew over the White House.

A black-and-white framed photo near the door shows a young Lyle Stockmoe in uniform, standing at his station in Vietnam and shaking hands with John Wayne, who was part of a USO tour.

Also featured are photos of the couple’s children, including photos of the three Stockmoe sons, who each served in the military.

Lyle Stockmoe entered the Army as

an enlisted soldier with the infantry in the mid-1950s, though he soon received a college education and went on to continue his military career as a Corps of Engineering officer and then Medical Service Corps officer. Throughout his time in the Army, a total of 27 years, he traveled around the world, including into the jungles of Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star for operating in a combat zone. His brothers served in the Army and the Air Force — one brother was even stationed in Vietnam at the same time Lyle was.

The retired officer admits not to missing the Army system, but looks back fondly on the relationships he formed.

“Being separated from my family was hard,” he said. “I didn’t have a way to communicate with my family at the time except for letters,” he said.

“And being in a combat zone, you were worried about your safety all the time.

You’d worry about things like mortars, and it felt like being under a constant tornado watch.”

Lyle Stockmoe had been married and had four children, but was widowed at a young age. When he was 42 years old and attending an event at the Academy of Health Science in Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, he decided to relax one evening at the academy’s officers

Continued on 4

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3

FOLLOW US Anne and Lyle Stockmoe stop for a handshake and a photo when Anne was promoted to commander in 1980.

Special to The Eagle

Continued from 3 club. That’s when he saw 32-year-old Anne, a Naval officer who was attending a curriculum meeting.

He asked her out — and she turned him down.

“I had to turn him down because my cousin had asked me to babysit for him that weekend, and I couldn’t back out of it,” she said, giggling.

He challenged her to give him a chance the following weekend, which led to a life of love and two more children.

“If you combine mine and Anne’s service and then our three sons’ experience, it’s around 90 years of military service,” he said.

Anne Stockmoe joined the Navy when it wasn’t common for women.

When she started college at Tufts University in Boston, she realized she would need more money to complete her education, and the Navy would offer her a scholarship

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to become an ensign. She expected it to be a short stint, but turned it into a career where she taught sailors to care for the sick and wounded.

She was never deployed overseas for combat, but was not spared the hardships of war. She was stationed across the United States in different hospitals, treating the injured who were shipped home from the battlefield.

Lyle Stockmoe retired from the Army in 1982, while Anne Stockmoe retired in 1991. During those nine years, Lyle Stockmoe stayed home to raise the children.

Jim Stockmoe, 55, Lyle’s oldest son, remembers this career decision with fondness.

“When my dad retired, he had heard a lot of stories about abuse at child care centers, so he decided to raise my littlest brother and sister until Anne could retire,” Jim said. “He was kind

of a Mr. Mom.” Through their blended marriage and through the birth of two children together, Lyle and Anne have six children: Kary, 58, Christy, 56, Jim, 55, — who served 26 years in the Army — Lyle Jr., 49, — who served four years in the Navy — Beth, 36, and John, 34, who is in the Air Force reserves after six years with the branch.

In December, Anne and Lyle will celebrate 39 years of marriage. In honor of his first wife, the couple adds on an additional 20 years to the number in her memory.

Next year, the youngat-heart couple — he’s 81, she’s 71 — will be able to look back on their lives together and warmly toast to “60 years” of raising a family and living out their golden years watching Aggie football games and looking back on an immeasurable collection of memories that

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were gathered under the shadow of a salute.

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Friday, November 11, 2016

VETERANS DAY EVENTS FRIDAY

Several local heritage, historical and patriotic organizations will place more than 800 U.S. flags at the College Station Cemetery, 2530 Texas Ave. S., to honor veterans at 8:30 a.m. The public is invited to assist in placing the flags.

The VFW Post 4692 is hosting a Veterans Day program at 11 a.m. at its location, 794 N. Harvey Mitchell Parkway in Bryan.

The program will begin with a posting of the colors by Texas A&M Arnold Air Society and a performance of the national anthem by students at the Sul Ross Elementary School. Opening remarks will be by Post Commander Jerry Nucker, American Legion Earl Graham Post 159 Commander Steve Kim, Disabled American Veterans Commander

Conrad Pauling, Vietnam Veterans of America President Doug Tennis and Bryan Elks Lodge Exalted Ruler Richard Lee. There will also be a presentation by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The featured guest speaker is Maj. W.S. Edmonds, a 103-year-old WWII veteran.

The program will end with a 21-gun salute and taps, followed by a prayer and closing remarks. Refreshments will be served before and after the program.

The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Veterans Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony will begin at 11:11 at on the Corps Plaza. The ceremony honors veterans, especially Aggie veterans.

The ceremony will have brief comments followed by the laying of wreaths at the Spanish American War, WWI and WWII memorials.

A 21-gun salute by the

Friday, November 11, 2016

Ross Volunteers will follow the wreath laying and the ceremony will conclude with a performance of Taps by the Corps Bugler.

The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is offering free admission for all veterans, reservists and active duty members and five of their family members on Friday. All Gulf War veterans will receive a free copy of 25th Anniversary: The Liberation of Kuwait.

The Dixie Chicken is hosting a Salute to Veterans concert, beginning at 4:15 p.m. featuring Mike Gilbert and Clayton Gardner and Brandon Rhyder. The show is free and open to all ages. The Dixie Chicken is also selling limitededition benefit shirts for $20 with proceeds going to the Boot Campaign and Brazos Valley Cares.

A Veterans Day Ceremony will be at 5 p.m. at the

Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial at Veterans Park & Athletic Complex in College Station. The ceremony will recognize military veterans and families of the Brazos Valley and will feature an Honor Wall roll call and a keynote address by Gen. Hal Hornburg, a retired, four-star Air Force commander and former Texas A&M student. He will be introduced by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. There will also be a performance of the Armed Forces Medley and Taps by the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and a rifle salute by the Texas A&M University Ross Volunteers. Throughout next week, there is a patriotic display of 1,000 American flags at Veterans Park near the west entrance of BVVM. The City of College Station is hosting Movies in the Park: Max from 5:30 to

10 p.m. at the American Pavilion at Veterans Park.

The free movie will be screened on a 32-foot inflatable high definition screen. The movie is about Max, a Malinois

used to help Marines in Afghanistan. For more information, visit cstx.gov.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY EVENTS ON PAGE 11

We appreciate your Service

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Honoring All WHo Served

PFC Arthur Lee Blackmon

3rdClassPettyOfficer SW3 CarlRoesler

SSG Carlos R. Tenorio

E-6 Dennis L. Cahill

1SGT Johnny Yeppez

(Ret.) Col. George I. Wright

Tech 5 Luis DeLaCruz

Pvt. Dennis D. Cahill

Army Korean War - Purple Heart Medal Recipient

Army Retired Army

Spec. 4 Alberto Morales Army Vietnam

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Navy – Seabees Philippine Islands, Guam & Saipan

Army

Tech 5th Asencion M. Munoz Army WWII

Army Operation Iraqi Freedom

Army World War II

Sgt. Daniel J. Zavala Army Served in Iraq

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Marines Vietnam

Army

ISG/E8 Jackie W. Crowson Army Vietnam

Sgt. Frank H. Perry

USMC 1st MarDiv., 2nd LAAM Bn.; ChuLai, VN, ‘65-’66

Charles D. Cahill Navy

Lt. Commander Joe G. Bergstad Air Force Vietnam

LtCdr Kevin R Crum

Laos

US Navy - Afghanistan, USS WASP, Sicily, Portsmouth Navy Hospital

James A. Cahill

SP4 David B. Kelly

Marines

Army Vietnam

Friday, November 11, 2016

thank you for your service

Wait T. McWilliams U.S. Navy World War I

Walter Childress

U.S. Army Special Texas Infantry

Sgt. Wait T. McWilliams, Jr. U.S. Army Served 28 years

Staff Sgt. William Earl Crutchfield Jr.

E-4 Saturnino Carpio

Army

Major W.S. Edmonds

Army New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, WWII

Spc. William L. Edwards

Lt. Col. David W. Wilkinson

William D. McCain Jr. BG USA Ret

Army Baghdad, Iraq

CWO 4 William Henry Petrich

Marines 2 Tours in Vietnam 1968 & 1974

Friday, November 11, 2016

Army Operation Enduring Freedom

Army Vietnam 1967

Army Korea

home of the free because of the brave

SR Martin Munoz Navy USS OBrien

Leopoldo A. Grimaldo Navy WW II

(Ret) 1 SGT Robert S. Ferrell (Ret) SGT Clema J. Ferrell

Clifton R. Freemen 2nd LT

Captain Kenneth A. Spencer

Loren Zuber AT3

Army

Army Vietnam

U.S. Army Air Corp 322 Bomb Group, 451 Bomb Squadron.

United States Navy USS Carl Vinson Norfolk, VA

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Friday, November 11, 2016

Q&A: Youngkin gives voice to generations of veterans

By Aimee BreAux aimee.breaux@theeagle.com

From a Purple Heart recipient who fought in Okinawa in 1945 to one of the first WAVES, hundreds of Brazos Valley veterans have had their stories told

by Bill Youngkin.

Every week for several years, Younkin has interviewed and submitted the accounts of veterans from the area to The Eagle. The tradition began in the late 2000s when Youngkin reached out on behalf of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Board, of which he is a member.

Youngkin is a Vietnam veteran known around the community as the owner of Bryan law firm Youngkin & Associates and is a past president of Texas A&M’s Association of Former Students. The former yell leader recently shared his experience telling the stories of local veterans with The Eagle. The transcript of this conversation is featured below and has been amended for space and clarity.

Q: Walk me through when and why you started telling the stories of local veterans?

A: I pitched the idea to the [Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Board] that we provide stories of our WWII veterans before they passed away and ask The Eagle to donate some space, and they said, “Well, go for it. See what you can do.

You need to find the veterans” — I said, “I can do that” — and “you need to talk to The Eagle.” Donnis Baggett was the publisher at that time, so I explained all of this to Donnis. And they said this is something the paper might be willing to do, but they kept their options open to turn us

Eagle file photo Former yell leader Bill Youngkin, class of 1969, leads the residents of Waldenbrooke Estates in Bryan in a Yell Practice on Nov. 22, 2006. down depending on the quality of the story. So, I contacted some veterans and I started off videoing their interviews. The first ones I chose were basically professors.

I had a young lady who was with the Arts Council who was a journalism major. She was going to provide the story — look at the video of the interview, put the story together, and then submit it to the paper.

Well, she did the first story, had boyfriend problems and left town...I’d written a lot of legal pleadings and stuff like that, but I started writing the stories myself.

I wanted to make sure it was their story, so other than an introductory paragraph or a connecting sentence or something like that, it’s pretty much quotations. It’s their words, it’s their story. Donnis critiqued every one ... We got up to the point where they just said, “Send it in. It fits; it works, and it’s something we’re proud to be part of as a member of the community.” So that’s how it is.

Three hundred and some odd weekends later, they continue to print them, and I continue to write them.

Q: Looking back on all

Friday, November 11, 2016

of these interviews, do any moments particularly stand out?

A: I’ve just been blown away by some of these stories. Most of them have never talked about it, but when they see [other] stories, they realize these are the stories of the guys and they are told as they are told — not with my opinion in there. Then they became more accessible. And I always at the bottom of the story in the paper put, “If you know anyone who is a WWII, Korean, or Vietnam veteran, let me know.” And I have people who call me and say, “You need to talk to my granddad” or, “Uou need to talk to my neighbor Joe.” Now some I knew. Probably the first 10 or 15 were members of my class. I told their stories, because I knew them well and we talked from time to time.

I had no idea the depth of their stories until I got into it. [Some interviews] have just been remarkable memories for me. To get to hear these stories first hand, I’ve been just so impressed by the character and the courage of people in my community, and I continue to just be blown away by

the citizens we have in our community.

The thing I’ve found with WWII particularly is whatever happened in WWII, we’ve got someone in this community who was there and can tell you a portion of what was going on. And the only battle from WWII I think where I’ve not had someone tell me the story of is Guadalcanal. I knew a veteran who was there, but he died before we started these stories. That’s the only battle I know of that we’ve not done from WWII. Q: What do you get out of interview in these veterans?

A: If you could meet these people, I kid you not, it’s so heartwarming and humbling to hear them and to be in their presence.

I mean, you get down to

basics. There are things I don’t put in the paper. For some of them, it absolutely comes from the heart.

Sometimes there are tears and strong emotions. I try to bring that across as clearly as I can in the articles — the emotion of the situation — but that’s not always easy to do.

Q: What do you hope readers get out of their stories?

A: This person they may maybe have known all their life should be treated with a little more respect.

There was one particular senior in the [Texas A&M Corps of Cadets] whose grandfather told his story.

He said, “I had no idea my granddad did this.” I said you better hope you have some of the same genes — that he’s passed those on.

He said, “I hope I do.”

Having a standard to live up to is a good thing. Those guys made a standard to look up to.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share with readers this Veterans Day? A: What I’d love to do is put together all these stories in book. If people could just read what the history of our country was through the memories of people in this community and just to realize, “How do I stack up?” If they read that and they know something about these individuals, I think it will make them into better citizens. It makes me a lot better citizen than I was before, and I’m proud to be associated with these people. And I look forward to the interviews I haven’t done.

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PARDO’S PUSH: CS fighter pilot remembered as a hero

By Jake Walker jake.walker@theeagle.com

It’s been almost 50 years since retired Lt. Col. Bob Pardo pulled off an unorthodox mid-air rescue in a fighter plane over Vietnam, but he tells the story like it happened last week.

The maneuver, which came to be known as “Pardo’s Push,� almost got him and his rear pilot court martialed.Italsohelpedtwomen avoid having to eject from their airplane over hostile territory, where they would have probably become prisoners of war to the North Vietnamese Army.

The date was March 10, 1967 — Pardo’s birthday.

The target was the steel mill in Thai Nguyen, North Vietnam.TheNorthVietnamese Army was using the mill to manufacture aluminum pontoons, which they would string together at night to help their soldiers move south by crossing the many rivers in North Vietnam.

They would then disassemble the crossings and hide them to avoid U.S. detection during the day.

The U.S. military had made the mill a target at the first of that month, but weatherpreventedthestrike force from making a move until the 10th. Pardo, along with three other F-4 Phantoms, would escort a group of F-105s to the mill, where theywoulddroptheirbombs before pulling back and connecting with a refueling tanker over Laos.

Pardo said they ran into problemsalmostimmediately. The weather forced them to fly a little lower than they would have liked — at 8,000 feet instead of 12,000 feet.

This put them within easier range for the Vietnamese anti-aircraft guns.

Pardo said he knew it was going to be bad. About

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Bob Pardo became famous for creating “Pardo’s Push,� an airplane maneuver to help pilots avoid having to eject in dangerous territory.

Eagle photo

by Dave McDermand

40 miles north of the target, Capt. Earl Aman and his rear pilot, 1st Lt. Robert Houghton, took a hit, but continued on with the mission. Arriving at the target, Amantookanotherhitfrom anti-aircraft fire.

The pilots knew that 5,000 pounds of fuel would get themtothetankeroverLaos, where they could refuel and continue on to home base.

When the strike force leader called for a fuel check after the run, he had 7,000 pounds of fuel, Pardo had 5,000, the No. 3 plane had 7,000 and Aman had 2,000 — he had takenashottothefuel tanks and was losing fuel quickly.

The 2,000 pounds of fuel wasn’t enough to get him out of North Vietnam. He wasgoingtohavetobailover enemy territory.

Ten miles outside the strike zone, Aman started to lag behind. His plane couldn’t keep up with the rest of them. Pardo and

his rear pilot, 1st Lt. Steve Wayne, stayed back to see if there was anything they could do to help.

Aman soon started climbing. Pardo figured that he was trying to get high enough that he could glide for 30 or 40 more miles after hisfuelranoutbeforehehad to eject.

Pardo pulled up behind him. He thought that maybe he could position his plane under Aman’s and piggyback him a little farther.

Pardo got about a foot from Aman’s fuselage and the nose of his plane started to rideup.Pardostartedtoback out.

As he pulled out, he saw Aman’s tail hook and had an idea. The F-4s had been equipped with heavy-duty tail hooks to assist with landings on aircraft carriers. Aman was losing about 3,000 feet a minute. Pardo had Aman lower his tail hook, then he carefully positioned the end of the hook against his own windshield and pushed — slowing the rate of descent to 2,000 feet a minute. Once Aman killed his engines the rate fell to 1,500 feet a minute.

Pardo was able to push Aman’s plane just far enoughtomakeitacrossthe border into Laos.

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Pardo didn’t quite make it to the tanker. His own plane had taken some hits to the fuel tank and he was losing fuel. He and Wayne had to punch out a few minutes later.

Pardo floated down in his

chute, crashed into a dead treeonhiswayandcollapsed on rocks on the landing. He avoidedcaptureandradioed a rescue helicopter. All four men were picked up and taken back to safety.

The Air Force wasn’t thrilled upon hearing the news of Pardo’s unconventional maneuver and tried to court martial him. They agreed not to as long as Pardo and Wayne would never receive any kind of recognition for their actions.

Morethantwodecadeslater, they both received Silver Stars — the U.S. military’s third-highest decoration for valor in combat — for the maneuver.

Even today, Pardo said there was no courage involved on his part. He did what he knew he had to do, and that was to help people

who needed help. “There was no decision to be made,� Pardo said. “That decision was made when I was about 18 years old when mydadtoldme,‘If somebody needs help, help them.’ And it’s that simple. There was no hesitation, There had to be something I could do.�

Aman and Houghton receivedSilverStarsin1996for continuingtheirmission despite taking damage. Aman died in 1998.

Pardo stayed close with his back-seater, Wayne. He saidWayneusuallycallshim on his birthday. If Wayne’s a little late, Pardo calls him. “For us, that was a pretty important day,� Pardo said. “We could have ended up going to jail, we could have ended up getting ourselves killed, so we like to remember it.�

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Friday, November 11, 2016

VETERANS DAY EVENTS SATURDAY

The Navasota Veterans Day Parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. from Brosig Street and proceeding down Washington Avenue.

The parade will feature motorcycle clubs, the Texas State Guard, a US Army UH-60 Blackhawk landing, a 1970 Vietnam gun truck with M-60 machine guns, fire trucks, the local high school band, various veterans’ groups (including Bryan groups) on floats, and a decorated WWII veteran as the grand marshal.

The Texas A&M University football game against Ole Miss is Military Appreciation Night at 6:30 p.m. at Kyle Field.

HONOR. APPRECIATE. SALUTE!

SUNDAY

Vietnam Veterans of American Chapter 937 is holding an Honoring Veterans Day event at 2 p.m. at Brazos Valley Vietnam Memorial outside the Clara B. Mounce Public Library, 201 E. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan. There will be a display honoring 11 Vietnam veterans. For more information, visit vva937.org.

ON THE COVER

At The Bank & Trust, we salute and give thanks to our Veterans, active military personnel and their families for their sacrifice and commitment to preserving our freedom.

Cover photo taken at the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial by Mike Neu. For more information on the memorial, visit BVVM.org

Tim Bryan

Chairman of the Board Chief Executive Officer

FREE ADMISSION Friday, November 11th

To Honor all Veterans and Their Families

November 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Rudder Theatre “THE ACCIDENTAL HERO” BY PATRICK DEWANE. Join us as we welcome Patrick Dewane and the heroic story of Matt Konop, an intimate glimpse into the life of a WWII soldier. Dewayne created a one-man show that tells his grandfather’s story – in his grandfather’s words.

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Free admission year round, to active-duty and reserve service members and up to five qualifying family members.

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ARQ Electronics would like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice to all of the local veterans and their families, with a very special thank you to our Veterans!!

Mark S. Davison ‘15

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GySgt. James M. Kubacak USMC Ret

Jeff G. McCoy ‘84

Willie N. McDuffie

Compton I. Shumate

W. Gene Garrison ‘53