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A look inside...
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Fall Festivals
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Retiree Spotlight Rich Holladay & Cecil Stout
Editor Nathan Bonar
Contributors Dave Marshall Rose Pollard Michelle Dickerson John Reddick
Publisher Creative ink
Creative Director Sears Hallett
Advertising
Kristi Williams 270-484-0463 kristi@creativeinktn.com
Photography Paula Hallett Clarksville CVB mixthatdrink.com
Deposit Photo pg: Cover, 3, 7, 19, 20
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Getting Back in Shape
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Clarksville’s Welcome Home Veterans Celebration
Football Time in Tennessee
This issue has been the most exciting yet, for me. I have lived here the majority of my life, and having the opportunity to write about my home state is proving to be an educational experience. This issue of Retiree gears us up for fall in Tennessee. I had a blast writing about the fall festivals in the area. There were several festivals that I had never heard of, but I am interested to pay them a visit. With all of these pumpkin patches ramping up invitations to help pick the harvest, we offer some simple ideas for preparing your garden for next year’s harvest, while also giving you some tasty ideas for this year’s. A continuation of the compelling story of Sgt. Pollard’s journal gives us a glance back in time. His account of war in Korea is enthralling and almost therapeutic. Recounting his time dug in on Fox Hill has cinematic qualities. Fall always seems to sing of nostalgia, as we sit around fires and enjoy company, or tailgate at our favorite sporting event. Fall means football in Tennessee, and this year our local APSU Governors are ready to take the field with our new Coach Hudspeth. The Titans have had a lively post season working on their lineup, and they hope to prove it this season. What does the SEC have in store for Vanderbilt and Tennessee?
Nathan Bonar, Editor nathan@creativeinktn.com
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Fall is quickly approaching, and with it comes a whole host of fun festivals as local businesses gear up for the season. There is a wide range of festivals in the area where the whole family can join in the fun. Here are some of the best festivals you can attend this fall as the weather takes a turn for the chillier. August 17th Sweet Corn Fun Festival at Lucky Ladd Farms Located in Eagleville, TN, this fun festival is on an award-winning 60-acre farm with a petting zoo, playgrounds, pony rides, mega slides, educational exhibits, and more. This festival even allows you to win prizes for your sweet corn eating abilities. Military discounts. luckyladdfarms.com • 615-274-3786 September 5-7 Clarksville’s Riverfest An exciting time for all residents of the city, Riverfest kicks off on Thursday, September 5th with a juried art show at 5pm in the Wilma Rudolph Event Center. Riverfest is free to everyone and can be found sprawled out down the Cumberland River on Riverside Drive at McGregor Park. Complete with a cardboard boat regatta, family zone, and 3 stages to catch some great local and touring acts, this is a great way to spend a weekend. Montgomery Gentry is the headliner. clarksvilleriverfest.org • 931-645-7476 September 6-8 Nashville Greek Festival The Nashville Greek Festival offers a rich, multi-sensory experience of Greek hospitality and culture. Savory cuisine, soulful music, lively dancing and educational tours transform the church grounds into a three-day “glendi” (celebration). Nashville Greek Festival is at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4905 Franklin Pike, Nashville. Admission is $3 for the entire weekend with free admission for children 12 & under and all military with valid ID. nashvillegreekfestival.com • 615-333-1047 September 7 Tennessee Honey Festival Bring your family and friends for an educational fun-filled festival to learn about the importance of bees and other pollinators in Middle Tennessee with painting, honey-inspired goods, beekeeping classes and much more. The festival is from 10am until 5pm. Located at Memorial Park, 151 E Main St., Hendersonville. Admission is free; however, donations are graciously accepted. uspest.com/tn-honey-fest • 615-559-7035 3
Cumberland Dragon Boat Festival The 13th annual Cumberland River Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the importance of the Cumberland River to the city of Nashville. Grab some friends and watch teams race the 250-meter course down the Cumberland River with the Nashville skyline as the backdrop. The fun starts at 10 am until 4:30 pm located at East Bank Landing, East Bank Greenway, Nashville. Admission is free. cumberlandrivercompact.org/events/dragonboat • 615-837-1151 Salty Dog Festival The 9th annual Salty Dog Festival will have the best in local art, crafts, music, and food. The day starts with a Stop, Drop and Run 5K before the festival begins with live music, a petting zoo, a kids’ zone and much more spilling over to adjacent side streets. The run starts at 10 am, and the fun goes until 4 pm. Located around City Hall, 105 N Main st., Goodlettsville. Admission is free. tnvacation.com/events/goodlettsville-salty-dog-festival-0 615-859-7979 Middle Tennessee Highland Games & Celtic Festival The Highland Games are a sight to see in Middle Tennessee. The Scottish culture comes alive through games and tradition at Percy Warner Park from September 7th – 8th, in Nashville, TN. This festival will be sure to have unique vendors. A great number of kilts, some flying logs, and plenty of beer for toasting, along with ample musical acts, like The Nashville Celts and The Secret Commonwealth. Who can resist the temptation of Sheep Dog herding demonstrations? midtenngames.com/tickets Germantown Festival One of the longest, continuously run festivals in the area, the 48th Annual Germantown Festival will once again provide a free family fun weekend. This year, the festival is happy to join in celebrating 200 years of Shelby County. The community will once again gather in Germantown, Tennessee at 7745 Poplar Pike, Germantown, TN. Admission is free. germantownfest.com • 901-757-9212
September 14 Dog Day Festival Join thousands of Nashvillians and their furry companions for a day jam-packed with four-legged fun. Dog Day Festival, Nashville’s longest-running dog festival, is a celebration of everything pup and all proceeds go to benefit the Nashville Humane Association. Dog Day Festival located at Centennial Park, 2500 W End Ave., Nashville. Admission is $5, donations accepted at the gate, kids 10 and under free. nashvillehumane.org/dogday • 615-352-1010 4
September 20-22 Music City Food + Wine Festival The seventh year of festivities are upon us. The Music City Food +Wine Festival will bring Bicentennial Park in downtown Nashville with delicious treats and libations. The Friday night Throwdown will host members of the Titans and Predators sports teams teaming up with professional chefs for a cooking competition. Plenty of chefs will be prepared to share their talents. This is a 21+ event. musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com September 21 3rd Annual Kidsville Family Festival is a fun-filled day of activities ranging from crafts and inflatable games to face painting and a Predator’s fitness zone and music and dance performances. Local food trucks will be in attendance to fuel the fun. Located at 2500 West End Avenue, Nashville, this festival begins at 10 am and concludes at 3 pm. Admission is free. conservancyonline.com September 21-22 Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival Headlined by Foo Fighters, The Killers, and Keith Urban and Lauren Daigle, the eclectic Pilgrimage Music Festival returns for its fourth year in Franklin, Tennessee. This two-day festival offers one and two-day passes and is sure to get any music lover’s foot tapping along to the beat. Located at 239 Franklin Rd., Franklin. pilgrimagefestival.com September 26 – October 4 Tobacco and Heritage Festival The Logan County Tobacco and Heritage Festival is two weeks long starting Sept. 27. Included are Historic Walking Tours, Jesse James Bank Robbery Reenactment, Golf Scramble, free concerts in the square and festival parade among others will be filling the county with Logan County pride. A complete listing of times and locations are on the website. Logan County, KY. loganchamber.com/tobacco-heritage-festival September 27 Bacon and Barrel Festival The Bacon and Barrel Festival celebrates two commonly appreciated southern traditions: hearty food and distilled spirits. Featuring 20 of Nashville’s best restaurants and a vast array of spirits to savor a weekend of bacon, BBQ and all the good things that come from old oak barrels. Located at 7007 River Road Pike, Nashville. baconandbarrell.com/Nashville 5
September 28 11th Annual Butterfly Festival Live release of over 1000 butterflies at 4pm. Children will be able to make environmental arts and crafts projects for free. Interact with live butterflies in their habitat in our Butterfly House or let the Master Gardeners take you on a tour of our beautiful Butterfly Garden. Watch a family-friendly stage show, take a ride on the train, or get your face painted. Have your portrait drawn by a caricature artist, take a spin on the human gyroscope ride, or take pictures like Hollywood star at our Golden-Globe styled backdrop. Free, nature-focused arts and crafts for the children to create and take home. visitoakgroveky.com/festivals/butterfly-festival Bowling Green International Festival The last Saturday in September, beautiful Circus Square Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, becomes an international paradise of nationalities coming together to proudly share their cultures. The festival is a traditional celebration that honors the heritage and diversity among our residents through music, dance, demonstrations, authentic foreign foods, cultural displays, and an international bazaar. Square Park, 601 State St., Bowling Green, KY. bginternationalfest.com October 11-12 Trigg County Ham Festival Have you ever wanted to see the world’s largest ham biscuit? Well, it isn’t as far as you might think. Just head north to the Trigg County Ham Festival this year for their 43rd anniversary and get a glimpse of the 4,000-pound biscuit while taking in the sights and sounds of the historic downtown Cadiz, Kentucky. hamfestival.com October 11-12 BWC Oktoberfest The Bikers Who Care Organization host‘s the 2nd annual Downtown Commons Oktoberfest. Held at Downtown Commons from 12pm-10pm. This event will include something for the whole family. There will be a traditional Bavarian Bier Garden with a variety of fall and German brews. Stein Hoist competition, Brat eating contest, Wiener Dog Races, a kids zone, carnival games, inflatables, face painting, cotton candy, sno-cones, pumpkin painting and more! visitclarksvilletn.com/events/2019/10/05/festivals/bwc-oktoberfest October 19 Annual Harvest Day of Praise Christian Way Farm’s annual day of praise. A wonderful menu of food combined with the sound of praise music filling the farm. Listen to the pumpkin story told at various times throughout the day. Enjoy the petting zoo, the corn maze, rides, putt-putt golf and more. Admission to the Harvest Praise is included with farm or golf. christianwayfarm.org
Does the thought of sprinting across the gym, jumping on a high box, and throwing a heavy bar over your head scare you? You that you are not alone. My 60-year-old mother would respond with, “absolutely not” to the exercises listed. However, I am here to tell you about the utmost importance of moving your body, especially after the age of 45. As far as an exercise program, the rules may change it a little, but we should still find something that works for us. Exercise reduces symptoms associated with aging such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, joint pain, and lack of flexibility. Working out can ease joint pain, reduce stiffness and improve your balance, giving you more fluid movements and decreasing your pain levels. At Grit Fitness & Wellness, we actually have a Starter Strength Program geared towards taking the scary stuff out of your workout. The irony? Our program entails a lot of what we do in our high-intensity boot camps. We simply modify each exercise by lowering the weight and decreasing the intensity.
by Courtney Mambourg, Certified Personal Trainer Owner|Grit Fitness & Wellness
Here are some of the dos and don’ts for a novice exerciser over the age of 45 DO Aerobic Walking, hiking, and swimming can be a great, simple and safe way to increase and improve your cardiovascular system. Strength Training Squat Bridge DON’T
Band Plank
Plyometrics & Sprinting
Balance Sobriety Walk
The faster the speed, the greater the risk of pulling a muscle or seriously injuring yourself
Exercise Ball
Exercises That May Cause Back Pain
Single Leg Lift
Sit-ups, crunches, leg press, and heavy back squats are just to name a few of these potential exercises that could harm rather than help you. If you feel back pain with any movement pattern, check with a certified personal trainer for modifications.
Leg Side Lift Stretch Baby Cobra
Exercise is one of the best things we can do, whether you are in your 20s or your 60s. Just remember these tips to keep you safe in your workout. Moving your body and moving is the key to greater independence and improved quality of life as we age.
Side Bend Toe Touch Leg Crossover 7
My Father...Semper Fi part 2 by Rose Pollard
The Marine from Kentucky was then sent back to Korea to participate in the Inchon Landing with the 1st Marine Division under the command of the great Douglas McArthur. It was a very difficult landing, so ladders had to be used to scale the sea walls. The landing was accomplished, and the division headed for Seoul, which was in the hands of the North Korean Army. In three days of bitter house-to-house fighting, several North Korean divisions were decimated so badly, they were never seen again during the rest of the war.
this ravaged “Land of the Morning Calm,” as Korea was then known. Arriving at Marine barracks at the Naval base at Norfolk, VA, he was assigned the position Sergeant of Guard, as Marines were responsible for the security of Naval bases. The Marines were also responsible for the safeguarding of components used in the making of an atomic bomb stored in a specific, exclusionary location. After a few months of guard duty, a request came in for volunteers that would be temporarily assigned to a multi-national unit going into the Congo, West Africa. They were being sent to rescue a group of Catholic nuns that were being raped and butchered by raging natives called Simbas. “Simba” is the Swahili word for “lion,” so nicknamed for their ferocity and hatred of white settlers. Requesting assignment to this command, he was assigned to a Belgian commando unit as a sniper. Landing at Brazzaville, they moved up the Congo River, fought several battles with the Simbas, before reaching the mission. Only fourteen of the nuns were found alive. They were taken back to the coast and sent home. During this operation, the Marine achieved 24 confirmed kills, and for this, his name was added to the roster of the 41st Commandos, Belgium.
The Marines turned the city over to the South Korean Army, went back aboard ship, and headed north. General McArthur’s intention was to land Marines and part of the 8th Army in the north and squeeze the North Koreans out between the South Koreans and his army moving down from the north. It almost worked. It was rumored that the Chinese had massed between twelve and fifteen divisions on the border in case the U.N. tried to cross, but evidence was scarce. The Marines and Army moved up to the Chosin Reservoir and dug in, awaiting orders. Temperatures hovered around 20° below zero, making it difficult to dig in or move equipment. Now, a Sergeant and squad leader in a rifle platoon, Pollard’s platoon was dug in on Fox Hill. The first few homes were uneventful with the usual banter between squads, platoons, and companies. But, on the morning of November 27th, 1950 at about 2:00 a.m., things changed. Bugles and whistles sounded all along the Marines and Army lines. The Chinese Army launched the twelve to fifteen divisions at the Marines and Army lines from across the reservoir. They hurled grenades, screamed, sounded bugles, fired weapons...it was complete pandemonium and confusion. They had never fought U.S. Marines before and were in for a great surprise. They ran into interlocking walls of machine gun and rifle fire that had been laid out before the attack. This, coupled with the sight of Marines rushing out to meet them with cold, steel bayonets so unnerved them that it gave the Marines time to regroup their lines. The bitter fighting lasted all night; no one slept. As Marine lines were breached, other Marines would move up and close the breach.
Back in the states, orders had been cut for him to proceed to the 2nd War Division at Camp Lejeune, NC as a platoon sergeant in B Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment. This was during the Cold War, and the Marines were required to keep an expeditionary force afloat on the Mediterranean Sea, visiting the ports of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. It was during this time that his company was called on to evacuate Americans from Alexandria, Egypt as tension was growing tense in the Middle East, and war was expected at anytime. This was accomplished with few problems. They were taken to Naples, Italy, put on ships, and transported back to the states. They made mock landings on the islands of Sardinia, Corsica, and Crete. Several days were spent on Crete running field problems, visiting the small villages, and sampling the wine. Upon completion of this tour, the Sergeant was sent back to the states and assigned to Marine Corps Intelligence School. Upon completion, he was then given the assignment of small arms instructor at the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia Marine Corps Base. The USMC Officer Candidates School was also located here, so it was double duty. He made many lifetime friends here.
The next morning, orders were given to break off the fighting, form up, and start to move south. The division began their march south to Hung Hom with all their equipment, wounded soldiers, and the dead. For three days, they fought off the Chinese. As they marched and fought all the way to Hung Hom (25 miles), one reporter was heard to say, “look at those magnificent bastards” fighting and singing in 15° below zero weather! Many soldiers suffered from frostbite from the bitter cold. One Marine from the Sergeant’s squad, PFC Vincent Tardino from Wood River, IL lost his toes. A corporal in his squad, Cpl. McLaughlin was awarded the Medal of Honor for breaking up an attack with his machine gun. Arriving back in South Korea, the war had developed into outpost and trench line warfare. The Sergeant was assigned to outpost Bunker Hill as a sniper and patrol leader. After several more controlled kills and running patrols, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant. For his actions at Bunker Hill, he was awarded the Bronze Star with “Combat V.” In July of 1953, the war ended, and he was sent back stateside. Peace had at last come to
To be continued...
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Rich Holladay CSM(R) & Cecil Stout CW3(R) Rich Holladay and Cecil Stout invited me to meet them at Waterdogs Scuba on North Spring Street, behind Sonic. This hidden gem is home to those amphibious specimens among us. There are plenty of neat finds, like tools for underwater photography or underwater breathing apparatuses. You walk into a full-blown scuba shop with knowledgeable and experienced divers. Waterdogs hosts multiple children’s scuba camps in the area as well as a trip every month for scuba enthusiasts. The shop has its own storage facility and all the gear one could need for underwater exploration. Make a stop by to see what the guys can offer. Rich and Cecil were prepping for a scuba class at Bel-Aire Pool. The boys treated me to lunch at Mediterranean Grill on Franklin Street to tell me their story. Tell me your backstory. Rich: So, I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and lived there until I was 18 when I went off to Appalachian State University. While I was there my second year, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, and I said, well this is a service call, and I left college and joined the Army. That was 1990. I was an infantry guy, and I spent the majority of my time in infantry and airborne units throughout different places in the Army, like Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, Alaska, Korea, and, of course, Fort Campbell. I spent more time at Fort Campbell than anywhere else. I was actually in the 101st. I spent 22 years in, and I retired as the Command Sgt. Major of the 187th, 3rd Brigade of 101st, then after that, Cecil and I met in 2012 and talked about opening a dive shop. In 2013, April 1st, we opened Waterdogs Scuba and Safety. Here we are now 6+ years later. Cecil: I am from Casper, Wyoming. It was a winter day, and I was working for the Hat Six Range Company. It was snowing really heavy; I had been out there, and it was 24-below zero. I watched this bulldozer go across the horizon, and I said how did that guy get that job. My foreman Les said he got that job in Vietnam. I said, well, hell, I want to go to Vietnam. I went to volunteer to join the Marine Corps, and, of course, the Marine Corps kept their word. They put me in aviation to start with, and it took me awhile to transfer out of aviation to engineering, but I finally got into engineering. I had numerous tours. Five combat tours. I have been all over the world. Most of my time was spent out at sea. I was one of those sea going Marines. I retired CWO3. Favorite Memory Rich: Probably my number one, in fact, this week, I will be married 27 years to my high school sweetheart. You know, she has been with me since I was 17, and I have known her since she was 16. We have been together off and on sometimes, but we have been married for 27 years, and that’s really it. To grow closer to someone over all of those years, to me, that’s what I cherish, that’s the constant. Cecil: I guess isolation. I like alone time. Even here, I live out in the Tennessee Ridge away from everybody. So, it’s just one of those quiet places I like to be. But that’s what I liked being a kid in the mountains in Wyoming. 11
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Military Career and Highlights Rich: There is so much. So much stuff happens when you have been in for 20 plus years. You know both of us have spent a lot of time in there. I feel like that kind of service is probably the most honorable thing you can do in the world. I have always, regardless, been very proud of the people around me and the people that I served with. Sometimes, now, I would say talking about cherishing it that one of the primary reasons that I left was because I loved Fort Campbell so much and the Clarksville area. The Army was saying I had to go, and I was saying, no, I don’t really have to. This seemed like the right place for us to stay and be. I mean finishing with the 101st, I grew up from specialist to staff sergeant in 101st, and I retired out of 101st. That was a big key point to what I did of all my combat deployments; probably the most meaningful was when I was a platoon sergeant with the 501st Airborne in Alaska going to Afghanistan early in the war. That was probably the most significant deployment where I felt the comradery that people talk about. I mean, we were living in fox holes in the beginning and tents. It was rough, but it was really a sense of teamwork about the place. That will always stick out to me as my favorite point of my career. Once you get past platoon sergeant, then you are really trying to make sure that everybody has that favorite point in their career. That was the pinnacle of my enjoyment. Cecil: In the Marine Corps we are a little smaller branch of the service, so we get to know the people of our like occupational specialties and supporting people. When you are always one of the first units to lead in and meet the exact same people Army, Air Force, Navy, it seems like there was a little small group of us that would go from country to country as we were doing operations. It is the brotherhood, but it is not just in one service. It is all the services, even though they treat some people like they are outcasts, but they really don’t. It’s just making fun of each other and playing. It’s an important thing to keep that tradition alive and that connection with each other as you go along. Rich: So, in 2010 I was in Iraq in a joint assignment, and we had every branch there. I think I learned that the most then, you can’t say, everybody has heroes, I mean you are thrown in the same foxhole. I was really impressed with not just the service I did. I was really impressed with the Marines I worked with. There were some really impressive Coasties. There is a shared sense of service that transcends everything. What kept you here in Clarksville? Cecil: I have been here since 1999. My ex-wife was from Hoptown and wanted to move to Kentucky. I said, nope, there is no way; taxes are crazy in Kentucky. She had been to Wyoming once, and said no way in the world. So basically, we agreed on Tennessee, so we came down here. What kept me here after we separated was the people. The blended community. I think they speak 15 languages fluently in this community. It was the group of people that tried to help each other. When they say the Volunteer State, they really meant the Volunteer State. I was director of the Red Cross at the time, we had volunteers out the wazoo to be able to support whatever operations we were doing at that time. The work held me here, and then basically after you burn out on whatever job you are on, it was the people that kept me here.
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Rich: Here is what I like. We have a place like this, here we sit in Mediterranean Grill, which is some of the best. We have been all over the world, all over the Middle East, and this is some of the best. This is an example: it’s run by a wonderful Syrian-Christian family, and it is a family-owned local business. This is what I like because I see this from Clarksville as a local scene. Everyone has places they can go, there is nothing wrong with the chain restaurants, but every township has that. What I like is what I see. I think Clarksville has a lot of benefit to it. There are a lot of things for people to do that I think sometimes people realize how much there is to do, but Clarksville retains that small-town feeling. I never considered retiring anywhere else but here. What’s the scoop on Waterdogs? Rich: Cecil and I were working together at another dive operation in the area. Cecil was a disaster coordinator for the American Red Cross chapter here. Actually, it was July 2012 and we were on a trip in Pensacola. I was still on terminal leave and Cecil was down for the weekend. We got to talking in this famous bar in Pensacola, and we said we ought to start a dive operation. Not that we thought anything was wrong with the one that was happening, we just wanted to do something a little different. Cecil was a lot more positive and confident in the dive interests we would have in the area. Spring of 2014 we went full-time, and people responded. They wanted to learn to dive. Cecil: Every two months we go somewhere. Florida or Grenada or Truck Lagoon Macaronesia. We also do local trips to places like Mammoth Springs, Illinois which is a famous quarry. There is a Boeing 727 which is from the movie The Fugitive. That’s a fun place to take divers that has catfish and cars and trains. We were the first shop in Tennessee to go after dry suit diving where you don’t have water against your skin, and you can dive year-round. Advice? Cecil: The hardest thing that both of us had to experience is you have to take the pack off. Whether you know it or not, you are wrapped around the axle, and you are ready to do what you have done forever: get up and move and make things happen. Once you take off the pack and realize you are part of a community, then you have to think outside yourself and a mission and now you have to think of family, and you get those opportunities that you just didn’t get to do before. One of the major things I wanted to do because when I retired, I have numerous children, but I only raised one because the rest of the time I was deployed or getting ready to deploy or something like that, so I really missed out on a lot of my kids, where Richard has a really strong family life and his family has been together for a long time, but you want to be able to think outside the spectrum of what can I do. A lot of guys want to go out there and continue to make the bucks and are willing to deploy and willing to do this, and you can go out there and you can make a quick dollar. There are opportunities to go back into zones that you don’t necessarily want to go to, but the money is there. Some people think, I want to get rich quick, but the reality of it is you just need to join the community and find your niche. It is kind of a funny niche that we have right at this moment because there is no way that I thought in my youth that I would continue to dive. I started at 12-years old and continued in my military career. You have to prepare to get out. If I have any advice to give anyone is that final year, listen in the VA brief, because we didn’t listen. Rich: So, what I learned, because you know career military guys are really driven, what I learned is I was really afraid when I was transitioning out that if I passed on an opportunity that there wouldn’t be another one. And I think that retirees have a cushion that they will have their pension. So, they have a cushion that I started the day I signed on terminal leave with a company out of Chicago, but I didn’t need to do that because I was so afraid that there wouldn’t be another opportunity. But there is. For military retirees there are tons of opportunities. You know, whether it be making a quick buck with overseas contracting, but people have to be careful that money is addicting because it is a lot coming in at one time, but there are other opportunities out there. Waterdogs is my third full-time job after a defense company and a financial institution and Waterdogs had grown and I couldn’t do it. Someone told me, and I didn’t believe it, but they said you will have three jobs before you find what your niche is.
Clarksville, Tennessee’s annual Welcome Home Veterans Celebration continues to expand and broaden its appeal with more activities and exhibits that celebrate our veterans, active-duty military and first responders. The 2019 culmination of events, which will be held September 18-22, is adding two top-scale exhibits that you won’t want to miss. “This event was founded to honor and welcome home Vietnam Veterans,” said Visit Clarksville Chairman Kyle Luther. “While that will always be the core focus, we want to continually add more activities and exhibits that will also recognize veterans from other conflicts, and help our citizens appreciate the service and sacrifice of all of our servicemen and women.” The two exhibits joining the foray in the 2019 event are the 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit and the Traveling Korean War Memorial. An added activity is the Friday evening Memorial Mile Walk. The 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit is a tribute to all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. The memorial provides interactive education; including artifacts such as steel beams from the towers, documentary videos, and recordings of first responder radio transmissions. Interactive guided tours are carried out by FDNY firefighters who provide firsthand accounts of the day and its aftermath. Tours are limited, so please register in advance at eventbrite.com/e/welcome-home-veterans-celebration-911never-forget-mobile-exhibit-tickets-65761521481. The Traveling Korean War Memorial, a replica of the Washington D.C. memorial, consists of 19 soldiers walking through a Korean rice paddy and three soldiers off to the side setting up a campfire. On Friday evening, a memorial one-mile walk will take place around the Beachaven grounds, encompassing all the event’s exhibits.
Returning activities for the Celebration Week include the following activities: All exhibits and activities are held at Beachaven Winery, 1100 Dunlop Lane, unless otherwise noted.
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Lee Greenwood Concert. Enjoy this American music legend in a free out door concert on Saturday evening. American Traveling Tribute Wall is an 80-percent scale version of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, DC and contains every name that is etched on the original monument. Field of Honor – Veterans Tribute flag display is part of a nationally recognized community program that demonstrates the strength and unity of Americans A Wreath Laying and Massing of the Colors will take place at the Wall. A Valor Luncheon at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center features a key-note speaker and presentation from Quilts of Valor. Welcome Home Parade in historic downtown Clarksville on Saturday morning. (Veterans, please register on the event website to participate.) The Valor Run 5K and 10K will take place on Saturday morning. Signup for this event at: runsignup.com/Race/TN/Clarksville/ValorRun.
Keep up to date with all activities, register for events online, or explore hotel packages at welcomehomeveteranscelebration.com or contact Frances Manzitto by email at frances@visitclarksvilletn.com or phone at 931-245-4345. Welcome Home Veterans Celebration is organized by Visit Clarksville. AARP is the premier sponsor for all event activities. 16
Sea Breeze Drink 1 1⁄2 ounces vodka 1 1⁄2 ounces cranberry juice 4 ounces of grapefruit juice Option 1: Stirred Pour the vodka into a highball glass over ice. Pour in the grapefruit juice. Stir them both together. Pour in the cranberry. Stir until the drink is all one color. Garnish with a lime wedge. Option 2: Shaken Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Pour in all the liquid ingredients. Shake well until chilled. Strain the mixture into a highball glass with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Mojitarita Recipe 2 ounces silver tequila 1 ⁄2 ounce lime juice 1 ⁄2 lime, cut into 4 wedges About 5 fresh mint leaves 1 ⁄2 ounce agave nectar Fill with soda water 1 ⁄2 cup crushed ice Put the mint leaves, lime wedges and lime juice into a cocktail shaker. Muddle them with a mortar or something similar to release the aroma. Now add the tequila and 1⁄2 cup of crushed ice and shake well. Pour into a rocks glass, top with soda water and garnish with mint sprigs.
Pop-Up Paradise Rum Punch 1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice 4 cups Malibu Original rum 2 cups coconut ice cream 2 cups mango sorbet 8 cups Canada Dry ginger ale In a punch bowl, very large pitcher, or drink dispenser (the vessel should hold at least 1.5 gallons), stir together the pineapple juice and rum. Add the ice cream and sorbet in scoops. Pour the ginger ale over the top. Mix gently, ladle or pour into individual glasses, and serve.
Zolezzi Cocktail 1 shot Midori 1 shot Blue Curacao 1 shot Absolut vanilla vodka 1 shot Bacardi white rum pineapple juice Sprite Orange twist Cherries Fill a hurricane glass halfway with ice. Add the shots: blue curacao, then Midori, then the vodka and rum. Add equal amounts of pineapple and Sprite to the top. Garnish with a cherry and an orange twist, and be sure to actually twist the orange over it to release some aromatic oil. Drink recipes and photos courtesy of mixthatdrink.com
Austin Peay State University Governors welcomes new head coach Mark Hudspeth, who spent 7 years with the Ragin’ Cajuns at The University of Louisiana. His last position was the associate head coach and tight ends coach at Mississippi State. He brings 16 years of coaching experience with him to APSU. Hudspeth inherited a strong roster, especially with two strong recruiting seasons behind them. They have high hopes to win the conference and playoffs this 2019 season. Kentel Williams, a returning senior running back, was named Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference this year and named First-Team All-OVC in 2018. Williams lead the team with 831 yards rushing. Another returning senior to look for on the field is Kyle Anderton, a redshirt offensive tackle who also earned Preseason All-OVC honors for his second season. The schedule sets up favorably because the Govs are not playing any FBS schools this year. The Govs are picked fourth in the OVC. The Governors open at Fortera Stadium 29 August against North Carolina Central. Military Appreciation Day on November 23 at 2pm includes a free ticket with a military ID. During regular season home games, the first 150 people with valid military ID get a free ticket. TheUniversity of Tennessee football program is now under the direction of head coach Jeremy Pruitt. He enters his second year at the helm of this proud SEC team. It is often said that the second year in a program shows the biggest improvement. Vol fans can only hope that this is the beginning of their resurgence to the top and a chance at the national title. A lot of the hope rests on the shoulders of quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, a red-shirt junior who has worked tirelessly off-season to improve his game. The Vols enter the season with a projected 5 place finish in the SEC East. The Volunteers open the season on August 31 against Georgia State at 2:30pm. The Vanderbilt Commodores coming off a rare post-season bowl appearance bring a potent offense to the table with running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Sr. at the head of the class. The Commodores are hoping for Ball State transfer, quarterback Riley Neal, Sr. to follow in the heals of Kyle Shurmermer, who graduated last year. His primary targets will be Kalija Lipscomb and Jared Pinkney. The Commodores lack the strong defense to prevent the good SEC teams from running up the score. The prediction is 5 wins and no return to a bowl game unless they sneak up on South Carolina, Kentucky or Tennesee. The Commodores open the 2019 season against SEC foe Georgia at Vanderbilt Stadium at 6:30pm. The Titans had a short season in 2018 not making the playoffs. Due to last season, the Titans are not riding into 2019 with high expectations from most media coverage, but the fans expect this team to be in the hunt for the playoffs. The 2019 season has a lot to show fans after a solid draft and some key free-agent signees. This is a make or break year for Marcus Mariota. Mariota is on the final year of his rookie contract, and the jury is still out on whether he is our franchise quarterback. Titans hope to get back to what they do best: running the ball. With that formula, the Titans will be leaning heavily on Derek Henry, a key playmaker on offense, who had a strong second half of the season in 2018. Also, the Titans Delanie Walker returns this year after being out all last season after suffering a knee injury in the first game. Fans are optimistic for the Titans young head coach coming off his first season, although the team didn’t make the playoffs, there is a positive feeling about Vrabel’s presence with the team. Mike Vrabel is a 3-time Superbowl champion. The Titans used their first-round pick in the draft to nab Jeffery Simmons, a defensive tackle. Hailing from Mississippi State, he comes in with some controversy over off-field conduct and injuries. If you’re interested in catching a game this season, you can get discounted seats through govx.com, since the stadium website does not offer discounted tickets at this time. 19
Spring is a great time to get out of the house after the cold months and begin your garden. Watching the new foliage shoot up is an exciting time for any gardener. The time you invested in preparing your garden will pay off in those spring and summer months when you have full blooms and ripening fruits and vegetables mounding over. It is a sight to see a well-tended garden, and it begins at the end of the summer season. Harvesting your garden is an important step, and it previews the following season. When July and August hit, your plants have already been through, potentially, several cycles of production. This means you have been pruning and picking as the season goes, so you can use this time to make assessments on how your garden is doing. What did I plant this year? How did everything fare where I had them planted? What didn’t do so well? What do I want to plan for next year’s garden? What do I do with the rest of this harvest?
and other vital chemicals for plant production in the ground. Fall is also the best time of year to start your own compost heap. Find a spot that gets sun and rain; build a three-sided structure using chicken wire or another open material for air-flow; add several inches of twigs and straw; then, in layers of wet and dry, add your composting materials, like food scraps, leaves, wood ashes, and tea bags, for a start. Keep your compost heap covered to keep heat and moisture in and be sure to turn it every few weeks. The dormant months don’t have to be spent wishing you were in the garden, you can prepare your garden all year round to boost your yield and fill those cupboards with delicious treats.
There are plenty of recipes online for preparing and canning your harvest. One that has recipes like grandma made is www.tasteofhome.com. Picking and preparing the last of your harvest is going to take precedence over garden maintenance, but once you are done, you can set your eyes on next year’s garden. The questions you asked while picking your harvest will give you clues as to next year’s planning. There is plenty to do in the fall and winter months. Of course, cleaning up your current gardens for the dormant season is a good jumping-off point. Clearing out old, dead plants and replacing a layer of top-soil, compost, or mulch will help keep weeds at bay. A soil test isn’t a bad idea. This will give you a measuring stick on why some plants did not flourish, perhaps the pH level is off in the soil. The fall is a great time to do some early planting like garlic. Also, pruning perennial plants back in the fall will allow them to produce more during the growing season. Transplanting is easiest in the cooler fall temperatures when the heat will not ruin the root ball or wilt the leaves, thus leaving a weakened plant that is susceptible to diseases and ultimately dying. If you decide you are ready to expand your garden while you are assessing the production at the end of the season, then this is the best time to prepare those sites. Plan out the type of structure you want, like a standard 4x4 square foot garden, fill it with fresh soil and add a layer of mulch or leaves to keep the weeds away, plus the decomposition leaves nitrogen 20
Steadfastly and Faithfully They saw heavy conflict and casualty. They fought valiantly in the face of the Nazi regime during WWII. And they have continued to leave their mark on the U.S. military even today. The 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion was an instrumental group during the conflicts of WWI, because they helped deliver artillery by parachute, though at first no member of the battalion had jump school training since it was comprised almost entirely of infantrymen. The 377th was initially organized as a reserve unit for the 101st Division in 1921 but were taken out of their reserve status for the European theatre of war in 1942. They were included as an asset to the newly formed 101st Airborne Division at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. After training in the states for a few months following their reactivation, the 377th along with the 101st made their way to Europe for multiple operations across the continent, most famously on D-Day. Initially tasked with the destruction of a German battery of four 122 mm howitzers, the parachute battalion sustained losses of all but one of their own howitzers and was thus unable to secure the 101st’s northern flank as was originally planned during the June 6, 1944, operation. Following this hiccup, the infantrymen in this battalion decided to fight as infantrymen instead of parachute soldiers and were ultimately able to obtain the surrender of close to 200 German service members with only thirty-three men from the 377th.
Following the 377th’s involvement in D-Day, they participated in one of the other recognizable operations from WWII, Operation Market Garden. This operation took place in the Netherlands and sought to capture key points currently inhabited by German troops. As one of the largest airborne operations in the history of the U.S. military, this Operation is famously one example of U.S. military failure during WWII. Operation Market Garden took place between Sept. 17, 1944, and Sept. 25, in the same year and required the 377th to stave off German reinforcements as the 502nd Division made its assault on individual points of interest. What caused this mission to fail however, was a lack of transport planes which limited the number of troops that were able to be parachuted in for the three participating airborne divisions. Commemorated in honor of the service of the 377th during WWII, a monument sits in the lot adjacent to the Don F. Pratt Museum with the regiment’s shoulder patch and motto, Firmiter Et Fideliter or Steadfastly and Faithfully, displayed etched in the marble stone. The 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion was not the flashiest battalion in the Army, but their continued, faithful and steadfast service cements their place in the history of Fort Campbell.