Central Texas woman recovers from life-threatening illness, now working in Kuwait
BY JOHN CLARK HERALD CORRESPONDENT
Della Perry served 20 years in the military, retired and was diagnosed with cancer not once but twice, underwent successful treatment both times, and is now happily working as a civilian contractor in Kuwait.
It has been a rough road the past few years, but Perry said recently in a call from her dorm room in Salmiya, near Kuwait City, that she is doing well and feeling better than ever
“I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt,” the longtime Copperas Cove resident said. “In the beginning, it was a challenge because I didn’t know how my body would react to the change of working, with all the changes I went through with chemo and everything. My doctor was, like, ‘I can’t believe you’re in Kuwait, working,’ but it has helped me in so many ways.I have to think now; I have to get up and go to work. I’m working with the military, and I understand the military, because I did my 20 years.
“I do come back (to the States) every six months and have my blood work and PET scan, and the lab work over here is every three months. They have wonderful doctors over here. So, yes, things are going very well.” Perry was bor n in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and moved to Rocky Point, North Carolina, near Wilmington on the Atlantic
coast, a few months later. She grew up in Rocky Point and graduated from Pender High School in nearby Burgaw in 1983. A brother served in the U.S. Navy and Della wanted to join the Army, but she was only
17 years old and her mother would not give her per mission.
“I wanted to travel and I knew that was a way for me to get out of that small town, go do something with my life and become somebody,” Perry said.
“My mother said, no, I was too young. So I had to wait until I was 18. When I was old enough, I went to a recruiter by myself and then told my mom I was leaving. She was all right with it then.”
After basic training and AIT, Perry headed toher first duty station in Ger many. Trained in administration, she worked there in the orderly room, maintaining company records. She also served at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) and Korea, then left active duty and joined the National Guard. After five years of weekend warrior duty, she went active duty with the Guard in 1997 and retired in October 2009 from Camp Mabry in Austin with 20 years’ service When she retired from the military as a sergeant first class, Perry went to school at Central Texas College to study health infor mation management and later went to work for Apple Maps (web mapping service). It was during this time, while she was working in St. Louis, that she received a devastating report from the doctor.
“That was when I found out I had cancer,” Perry said. “When you hear that, it is scary, I ain’t gonna lie. I found a small lump on my breast. I waited a couple of days and went to the doctor That was in July (2021), and they set me up with an appointment for a mammogram in August. When I went in, I saw this lady and she said, ‘We have a radia-
tion doctor that’s been here for 24 years, and what he says, he knows what he is saying.
“He said I had a lump the size of a marble, and I said, OK. He said, ‘It’s cancerous,” and he got up and walked out the door. I looked at the nurse and I said, ‘What did he just say?’
“She said, ‘You all right?’ I said, ‘No, I ain’t all right.’” With her health restored, Perry has been working overseas since January 2024. She is a warehouse lead at Camp Buehring, where troops turn in old equipment. The Middle East is notorious for blazing temperatures that sometimes reach into the 120s, but right now it is in the high 60s. A typical day for her begins well before dawn – 3 a.m., to be exact.
“We have to leave at 4,” Della said, as she and her roommate prepared to get some dinner. “I get to work at 5:30, and we do a morning briefing, then we go to breakfast. Then, we check our emails, and we relax for a while until people start coming in between, like, 7 to lunch, which is from 11:30 to 1. In the afternoon, we leave at 5:30. It’s a long day.” When she arrived at her assignment in Kuwait, Perry was reminded of the challenges she faced serving in the military, where according to a U.S. Department of Defense report, women comprised 17.3 percent of the active-duty force.
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Della Perry is a retired sergeant first class and cancer survivor now working as a contractor in Kuwait.
Lampasas veteran and retired teacher motivated to live a life of service
BY JOHN CLARK HERALD CORRESPONDENT
LAMPASAS — Jennifer
Fitzgerald served in the U.S. Army for eight years, spent 24 years as a school teacher, and now co-owns a successful dog boarding business in Lampasas All three of those vocations fit right in with her innate desire to serve and care for others — people and animals.
“I’ve always had a love of animals and people,” said Jennifer also known as ‘Fitz.’ “That’s why I’ve done everything I’ve done. You think of the Ar my and you think of teaching and this dog boarding business, it’s really all caregiving.”
Born and raised in Youngsville, Pennsylvania, Fitzgerald graduated high school in 1986 and promptly joined the U.S. Army. She was not quite ready for the demands of college but wanted to find a way to make her way in the world.
“I was really unsure about college,” she said. “I didn’t have the confidence I needed to jump right into college, and financially I wanted to be independent. I didn’t want to rely on my dad or my family financially. So I decided to join the Army, and I auditioned for the Ar my band.”
Jennifer, a lifelong musician, spent her time in the military playing trumpet and coronet in Army bands at Fort Drum in New York, in Ger many, and with the 1st Cavalry Division Band at
Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos).
When she got out in 1994, she went back to school and became an English teacher in Copperas Cove.
“I worked in the shoe department at Walmart; I bagged groceries on Fort Hood during the week; and I went to Tarleton State University in Stephenville,” she said. “I lived in Copperas Cove and commuted to school.
“My mom was a teacher; both of my sisters were teachers. It ran in the family, and the more I visited home when I was on leave, the more I decided it might be a career option for me.”
As she looked ahead to retiring from the classroom, Fitzgerald began making preparations to open her dream business, Animal House Hotel, which offers dog and cat boarding, along
with day care, bathing, grooming, and nail trims. It was five long years in the making, but the business has been open for two years now and is going well, she said:
“We’re a little bit unique compared to other places because our kennels are much larger than most facilities, and we spend a great deal of time with the animals. Usually from 6:30
in the morning until 12 or 1, so they get a lot of play time (and) a lot of loving. Then I’m back from 3 to 6 and they get to go out again from 9 to 10 p.m.
“We also have a connection with Copilot Academy training in Killeen. We work with them hand-in-hand, so to speak. We get dogs that are trained or in training from them (and) sometimes they come out and use our facility for training here and there. It’s a great relationship.” During Women’s History Month, Jennifer thinks back to a time when a female owning a business was fairly unusual. According to national statistics, around 39% of U.S. businesses (14 million) are owned by women. In 1972, nearly 5% of all
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Jennifer Fitzgerald served in the military, is a retired school teacher, and now owns a successful business in Lampasas.
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Jennifer Fitzgerald and her partner, Chrissy, pose with one of their dog boarding business clients, Zeus.
Ohio native served 25 years as soldier and militar y spouse
BY JOHN CLARK HERALD CORRESPONDENT
COPPERAS COVE — When Sarah Seidler graduated high school in 1984 in Ohio, she knew exactly where she would be going and what she would be doing after graduation.
“I had signed between my junior and senior year to go into the Army,” she said. “I think it was because I wanted to travel. I wanted to see the world.
“My brother was in the military, and he had gone to Germany. My father served in the Korean War and traveled extensively for his job. He saw the world and I always thought that was something I wanted to do. I didn’t want to stay in smalltown Ohio.”
The idea for military service was solidified when a recruiter came one day to talk to another older brother and Sarah joined in the conversation.
“I started talking to him and I decided I was going to do it,” she said. “My parents were on vacation, and so I called them and said, ‘Hey, when you guys get back, I need you to sign the paperwork.’ My mom asked if I was sure that was what I wanted to do, and they were, like, ‘OK,’ and I left the day after graduation.”
Seidler was bor n in Springfield, Ohio, and grew up in Urbana, 40 miles west of Columbus. She reported for basic training at Fort Jackson, South
Carolina, and found herself reminded of the 1980 Hollywood movie, “Private Benjamin,” a comedy about a woman joining the U.S. Ar my.
“I remember it was hot,” she said, laughing. “I always remember my dad saying, ‘They can’t touch you.’ Nobody can physically hurt you, so it’s all
just a matter of your mind. So I was ready for it. My dad always said, ‘You can do anything as long as you know there’s an end to it.’ So it was good. I just kept that in mind whenever I had to do something awful.
“I was a little bit of a Private Benjamin. After basic training, I would wear a red sweater underneath my field jacket. I was in the medical field, which is a little different than the rest of it, but the reason I say ‘Private Benjamin,’ is because when I went to Korea, I thought I was going to (work at) a hospital, and I went to a field unit, so that was quite a shock to my system.”
After basic training, Sarah headed south to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, then to her first duty station at William Beaumont Ar my Medical Center in El Paso. From there, it was on to Korea, where she met a fellow medical soldier in 1986 who would become her husband three years later.
“We didn’t know each other (but) we were actually on the same airplane going over,” she said. “I thought I was going to go to Seoul to be (working) in a hospital. He was medical, as well, so I think he thought he was going to go to Seoul, too
“When you get there, you go to this big area and then they separate you. If you’re going to be processed to stay in Seoul, you’re going to stay the night. If you’re processed to go to 2nd
Infantry Division, we’re going to call your name out. We both went to 2nd Infantry Division.
“That was not at all what I was expecting. We ended up in the same unit. It was just kind of a mutual attraction (and) we just started hanging out. It just kind of organically happened.”
Sarah left the service in 1987 after three years and headed back to Ohio for about six months, then joined husband, Keith, in Maryland, after his tour in Korea was finished. They married in 1989 and have two children and eight grandchildren.
After she hung up her unifor m, Seidler took on the fulltime role of military spouse for the next 22 years, until Keith retired from Fort Hood (Cavazos) in 2011 as a command sergeant major with 32 years’ service Most of that time was fairly routine, as Keith never deployed to the Middle East, but there was one unforgettable event that was scary and stressful.
“Bad things happen; good things happen. Things are things. You just deal with it as it comes,” Sarah said. “I’m pretty easy-going, so it’s really hard to stump me.
“I think I had a better understanding of what they deal with on a day-to-day basis. If they had to be called back on a minute’s notice, it was like, OK, I know how that works. I knew
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COURTESY PHOTO
Sarah Seidler and retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Keith Seidler have been married since 1989 and have two children and eight grandchildren.
Military spouse says her mother was excellent role model growing up in Alabama
BY JOHN CLARK HERALD CORRESPONDENT
HARKER HEIGHTS — Jenni-
fer Arey was born the daughter of a U.S. Army soldier, and she says lessons learned from her mother helped her adapt fairly quickly when she grew up and married a West Point graduate.
“I had a really good role model growing up, and that was my mother,” Arey said. “She was very independent and learned quickly that she had to learn to do things on her own. Just watching her as I was growing up, I think instilled that quality in myself.”
Arey, a Harker Heights resident, was born in Montgomery, Alabama. The family moved around quite a bit following various military reassignments, but young Jen was spared some of the disruptions experienced by her older siblings
“I’m the youngest of four and my dad retired out of Fort Rucker (now Fort Novosel) when I was five, so I didn’t get to travel like my siblings did,” she said. Jennifer graduated high school in 1987 and headed off to Troy State University, where she earned a degree in elementary education in 1991. Her dream was to become a school teacher and that is exactly what she did. For a while, she was a substitute teacher, looking forward to finding a full-time gig, and then she met a charming, young
Army officer named Scot Arey, a helicopter pilot who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1988 and was training at Fort Rucker (Novosel) following a deployment to the Middle East
in support of Operation Desert Storm.
“We met on a blind date in Enterprise, Alabama,” Jennifer said. “There was a gentleman he was going through a course
with at Fort Rucker who was married and had children, and I had actually babysat for them. They set us up on a blind date.
“After the date, I went home and told my parents that was the type of man I could marry. I did not know if it was going to be him, but I said that was the type right there. We got married about a year later (in 1993). He left and got stationed at Fort Riley right before our wedding. He came back and then after our wedding and honeymoon, we were at Fort Riley for three years.”
Moving to Kansas was an adjustment in itself for the new bride, along with joining the military lifestyle, but Jennifer says it was either sink or swim.
“I was a thousand miles away from family (and) it was very, very cold,” she said. “I was not used to the snow. I remember there was a field exercise where he was gone for, like, two months, and all of a sudden I’m alone. I don’t know anybody. I haven’t made any friends yet. I’ve filled out job applications (and) I’m going on interviews.
“I just said, hey, this is what I’ve got to do
“It took some getting used to being away from family and friends, but I think I fell into place pretty quickly and it became a really good three years for us. I was a gymnast growing up and I ended up becoming a high school (gymnastics) coach for three years. We ended up
getting a puppy. That was our first baby.”
During his 25-year career, Scot also notched combat deployments to Iraq (2003) and Afghanistan (2011-12), and spent a year in Honduras. Jennifer says those were difficult times, but with two kids in tow, she stayed plenty busy keeping the home fires bur ning.
“My kids were young,” she said, “and I just knew I had a mission to make sure they were safe and happy, and stayed in a routine.”
Living the military lifestyle was both a learning experience and an adventure, Jennifer said. Everywhere the family went, they tried to enjoy new sights and sounds, faces and places.
“We always made the most out of every duty station we went to,” Jen said. “A lot of people ask me which was my favorite. It is so hard to pick because we have such great memories. We’re very active people – we used to be.
“When Scot was at the Pentagon, every weekend we were on the Metro (bus) with our bikes. We lived at Fort Belvoir, which is not far from downtown Washington, D.C. You could put your bicycles on the Metro, and we would take the Metro into downtown and spend the entire day there. We did that numerous times.
“We pedaled all around D.C.
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Jen and Scot Arey met on a blind date and have been married since 1993.
International Women’s
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Women across the world will call for equal pay, reproductive rights, education, justice and decisionmaking jobs during demonstrations marking International Women’s Day on Saturday.
Officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977, International Women’s Day is commemorated in different ways and to varying degrees in places around the world. Protests are often political — and at times violent — rooted in women’s efforts to improve their rights as workers.
Demonstrations are planned from Tokyo to Mexico City, and this year’s global theme is “Accelerate Action,” coming at a moment where many activists worry that the current political environment may result in a backsliding on many of the rights they’ve long fought for One in four countries reported a backlash against women’s rights last year, according to U.N. data.
Here is what to know about the March 8 global event: What is International Women’s Day?
International Women’s Day is a global celebration — and a call to action — marked by demonstrations, mostly of women, around the world, ranging from combative protests to charity runs. Some celebrate the economic, social and political achievements of women, while
Day is a celebration and a call to action. Here are things to know
others urge governments to guarantee equal pay, access to health care, justice for victims of gender-based violence and education for girls.
It is an official holiday in more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ukraine, Russia and Cuba, the only one in the Americas
As in other aspects of life, social media plays an important role during International Women’s Day, particularly by amplifying attention to demonstrations held in countries with repressive governments toward women and dissent in general.
When did it start and why does it fall on March 8?
While the idea behind a women’s day originated in the U.S. with the American Socialist Party in 1909, it was a German feminist who pushed for a global commemoration during an international conference of socialist women held in 1910 in Copenhagen. The following year, events across Europe marked the day, and during World War I, women used it to protest the armed conflict, which lasted from 1914 to 1918.
International Women’s Day is observed on March 8 after a massive protest in Russia on Feb 23, 1917, that led to the country’s eventual withdrawal from the war. At the time, Russia had not adopted the Gregorian calendar and still used the Julian calendar.
“On Feb. 23 in Russia, which
was March 8 in Western Europe
women went out on the streets and protested for bread and peace,” said Kristen Ghodsee professor and chair of Russian and East European studies at the University of Pennsylvania. “The authorities weren’t able to stop them, and then, once the men saw that the women were out on the streets, all of the workers started coming and joining the women.”
The U.N. began commemorating the holiday in 1975, which was International Women’s Year, and its General Assembly officially recognized the day two years later How is it celebrated across the world?
Women in Eastern Europe have long received flowers on March 8 — and sometimes even gotten the day off from work. But chocolates and candy can come across as a belittling ges-
tures, showing a lack of under-
standing of the struggles driving women to protest, particularly in regions where protests have been combative.
In Turkey, women in 2023 braved an official ban on an International Women’s Day march in Istanbul, and protested for about two hours before police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and detain dozens of people
In Mexico, which hosts one of the region’s biggest marches, celebrations this year are marked by sharp contrasts While the country celebrates its first female president, many also mourn victims of stark violence against women — including femicide. In Mexico and Latin America, soaring rates of violence against women and persistent machismo often leave tension simmering on March 8 as protesters demand justice
Globally, a woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by a family member or partner, according to U.N. figures, and women being exposed to conflict has significantly jumped over the past decade
What does the future hold for March 8?
Ghodsee said commemorating International Women’s Day is now more important than ever, as women have lost gains made in the last century, chief among them the 2022 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a nationwide right to abortion, which ended constitutional protections that had been in place nearly 50 years. The U.S. decision on abortion has reverberated across Europe’s political landscape, forcing the issue back into public debate in some countries at a time when far-right nationalist parties are gaining influence
Women take selfie photos while they participate in the flash mob “Beautiful secular outing” by wearing hats to a performance at the St. Petersburg State Academic Capella celebrating upcoming International Women’s Day, in St Petersburg, Russia, on Thursday
Meet some of the inspirational women who built and preserved Route 66
BY SAGE SCOTT
For nearly a century, Route 66
has beckoned adventurers with promises of neon-lit nights and endless horizons. Stretching
2,448 miles from Chicago’s busy streets to Santa Monica’s sunsoaked shores, it tells a story of American dreams and determination. But behind the gas stations, motels and diners that gave the highway its legendary charm, there’s another story — one shaped by the women who built, preserved and fought for its legacy
If you listen closely along Route 66, you can hear stories of great women echo through the kitchens of roadside diners, the front desks of family-run motels and the foundations of southwestern architecture. Here are some of the women who helped turn a simple stretch of asphalt into America’s most beloved road trip, one pie, motel room and fearless decision at a time.
Cynthia Hare Troup
She may have grown up in Philadelphia’s high society, but Cynthia Hare Troup left her most enduring mark on a dusty
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stretch of highway far from the glitz and glamour of home. In 1946, she and her songwriter husband, Bobby Troup, packed their car and set off for California along Route 66.
Somewhere between the neon lights and roadside diners, Cynthia casually sparked magic with the words: “Get your kicks on Route 66.” Bobby spun that roadside inspiration into the song that Nat King Cole transfor med into an American
The Mother Road wouldn’t be the same without bold women. Meet some of the trailblazers who shaped Route 66’s legacy JIM BUCKLEY
anthem. Although she never received official credit, Cynthia helped immortalize the Mother Road in pop culture
Joy Nevin
Joy Nevin wasn’t the kind of woman to sit still — unless it was behind the wheel of her truck, barreling down Route 66.
A trained WWII pilot, self-taught rancher and fearless entrepreneur, she carved her own path on the open road. After working as a cattle
hand, Joy retrofitted a truck and launched Stockmen’s Supply Service, a traveling sales company that became a lifeline for ranchers along the route She drove Route 66 countless times, delivering supplies with a pilot’s precision and a rancher’s grit. One of her most legendary moments? Halting traffic on Route 66 to help a pilot make an emergency landing.
Fran Houser
In Adrian, Texas, where the prairie wind whistles stories of travelers past, Fran Houser transformed the Midpoint Café into a beacon for hungry souls along Route 66. From 1990, when she took ownership, until her retirement in 2012, she filled the 1928 establishment with warmth and hospitality, making it a must-stop spot at the ghost highway’s midpoint. Her legendary ugly crust pies were a sweet reward for those arriving at the halfway mark between Chicago and Los Angeles. Fran’s genuine char m and dedication didn’t go unnoticed. She inspired the character of Flo, the sassy proprietor of Flo’s V8 Café in Pixar’s 2006 film
“Cars.”
Gladys Cutberth
From her basement in Clinton, Oklahoma, Gladys Cutberth ran the U.S. Highway 66 Association for 25 years, fighting to keep the road running through the small towns that depended on it. They called her Mrs. Route 66, and she was one of the famous highway’s fiercest defenders. She lobbied in Washington D.C., knocked on doors along the route and built relationships with business owners. She drove the highway so often that locals joked that she wore out a car in a year - which wasn’t far from the truth. Whether shaking hands with politicians or chatting with cafe owners over coffee, Gladys never stopped championing the Mother Road. Lillian Redman
Lillian Redman rolled into New Mexico by covered wagon in 1915, never imagining she’d one day become a legend of Route 66. In 1958, she and her husband bought the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, transfor ming it into a sanctuary
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“When I first got here, I was the only woman in my warehouse,” Della said. “There were 75 men and me. That was, to me, very challenging because of the way they spoke to each other, the things they talked about around each other. They had to make a change — and because I was older, they made the change out of respect. They adapted to me; I didn’t have to adapt to them.
military, women pretty much are at the bottom. Even in the civilian world, men have done so much, and they have spoken so loudly about the things they have done We pretty much allow our work to speak for ourselves and not our mouth.
means a lot to me because we are not competing against the men, but we just want to be recognized for who we are and what we do
“I’m almost 60, and (gender) discrimination has affected me at times, but it has made me better. Number one, being in the
“I am a woman … and I don’t take it for granted that I am an African American woman. And so Women’s History Month
“I just hope Women’s History Month will be something that’s not taken way. So much is being taken away these days. So many women have done so much along the way for so long.”
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all the acronyms, too, and that helps “The hardest thing we dealt with was the shootings on post,” she said, referring to the Nov. 5, 2009, tragedy in which an Army major and psychiatrist suddenly opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center on Fort Hood (Cavazos), where soldiers receive routine medical treatment immediately prior to and returning from deployment. Thirteen were killed and more than 30 injured.
“My husband was sergeant major at (Darnall) hospital at that point. So
WOMEN
for road-weary travelers.
Lillian believed in hospitality with heart, slipping handwritten notes into each room with messages of kindness and goodwill.
One read: “May this room and this motel be your second home. May peace and rest be yours while you are under our roof.” She added the motel’s iconic neon sign and ran the motel for 40 years Even as Route 66 changed, Lillian stayed, welcoming strangers like old friends. Today, Dawn Federico and her husband keep Lillian’s spirit alive, ensuring that the Blue Swallow still glows as a warm refuge on the Mother Road.
Mary Colter
Mary Colter’s designs anchored the Southwest’s soul to Route 66. One of the few female architects of her time, she created landmarks inspired by Spanish Colonial, Mission Revival and Native American influences that still stand today. Along the Mother Road, she designed La Posada in Winslow, a grand railroad hotel where Route 66 travelers could rest in elegance, and La Fonda in Santa Fe, a historic hotel with adobe walls that captured the region’s spirit. In 1947, she restored the Painted Desert Inn along Route 66 in the Petrified Forest National Park, which added panoramic windows and commissioned a Hopi artist to paint murals that still grace its walls
U.S. businesses were owned by women.
“Back when my parents were my age, a woman owning her own business would’ve never been thought of,” Jennifer said. “We haven’t always been considered equals. There was a time when women didn’t have the right to vote They were mostly housewives, maybe school teachers
“We’ve come a long way in equality, but we have a long way to go. I also believe we could backslide if we aren’t careful, so one thing I’ve always kept in mind is to make sure I’m independent. I know some older friends of mine who are married and they’re (financially) dependent on the man, so I’ve always made sure I was independent as far as income
MOTHER
We would go to the monuments and the museums. There was always something going on at the (National) Mall. The kids have gotten to see and do so much, compared to their non-military friends. They’ve seen the world. They’ve been all over the United States, whether it was where we’ve been stationed or taking a vacation from there
“I think it’s really neat that my children have friends they made in elementary school that they still keep in touch with. That is so cool.”
For the past 13 years, Jennifer has worked at Richard E. Cavazos Elementary School in Nolanville. Cavazos (Jan. 31, 1929 to Oct. 29, 2017) was a highly decorated U.S. Army four-star general, and the first Mexican-American to reach the rank of brigadier general. Last year, Fort Hood was renamed in Cavazos’ honor.
“Education is important. Knowing where you’re going in life with your job, your career, and your retirement, and so forth. I think it’s important that we don’t forget all the gains that we’ve made. Remembering where we came from and supporting each other as women, and making sure our place is kept as far as (being) equals.”
When she is not busy looking after animals, Jennifer volunteers to play Taps at military funerals and memorial services Oftentimes, when Taps is played, it is a recorded version, and Jennifer believes that does not do justice to the sacrifice made by someone who served their country.
“I play Taps out at the (Central Texas State) Veterans Cemetery or wherever it’s needed, as long as it’s close enough for me to get back to my business,” she said. “Anybody who needs Taps played, I’ll play for free
that was a lot of stress on the command that people didn’t see. He was there the whole time. As a matter of fact, the shooter had been in their office the week before that for a pre-deployment briefing. So he knew him (and) he knew some of the people who were killed … it was very close to home.”
Over the years, Sarah worked for 10 years in a hospital lab, and now sells real estate (www.seidlerrealty.com). She says there were good times and bad times involved in the military lifestyle, but she has no regrets and no major complaints
“It’s been a great experience for us. I think you find family, you know? Your friends are lifelong,
“I thought it was ironic that I work at this school that is named after Richard E. Cavazos, and all of a sudden, they name Fort Hood after him,” Jennifer said. “I thought it was pretty neat.”
Looking back over her life, Jennifer says she “wouldn’t change anything for the world.”
“I don’t have any regrets at all. We have two beautiful children (and) being a military spouse taught me independence; it taught me to look at people differently. It taught me to be a stronger woman. I think it made me a better mother ... I think just not spoiling my kids as much. Them having to move around and adjust to new environments, new friends, new places to live, changing schools
“I think it made me strong (and) independent. A lot of people think the man is supposed to do this and the woman is supposed to do that, but I learned really quickly that is not the way it works — especially if you’re married to someone in the military. The hours; the deploy-
“Anymore, they use a recorded mechanism where somebody holds a bugle and flicks a switch in the bell, and it’s pre-recorded. A lot of people don’t realize that. I just think every soldier deserves the live version of it for serving their country. It’s more beautiful, more sincere. It comes from the heart.
“I always say it’s the last respect paid to the soldier, so it’s always an honor.”
The playing of Taps can be an emotional moment for not only friends and family members, but also for Jennifer. She has played at services for various family members, including her late mother, who did not serve in the military.
“Oh, it can definitely be emotional,” she said. “Even if I don’t know the person, it can be very emotional.
“I’ve played for my stepfather; I’ve played for aunts and uncles; I’ve played for my mom. Typically, Taps is played
and they become your family. The camaraderie (and) the cohesion of people is just really amazing, and I love that about the military. I love that bond.
“The military has provided a really good life for our family. It has given us a good retirement. I was a medical lab technician (and) when I got out of the military, I continued in that field and worked as a medical lab technician in private practice for 10 years. It’s just been a really good all-around experience
“I can’t say anything negative about it. I know there are some people that can, but it was such a good thing for us that all the good outweighs anything that was bad about it.”
ments; the (training) exercises. Scot would go to NTC for three months in the summer, come back, and then maybe he was out the door again. So I couldn’t wait for him to change the light bulb or fix the ceiling fan. I taught myself how to do a lot.
“What I would say to other spouses is I just think you have to keep an open mind. You have to be strong and know you have a purpose. I don’t know how to say this — I don’t want it to come out the wrong way — but we love our spouses and we do depend on them, but we can live without them.
“I mean, if something were to happen to my husband, I would be able to take care of things. I’m not talking about meeting someone else or another relationship, but I would know how to pay the bills. I would know how to do everything around the house. I know how to get my oil changed. I wouldn’t be, like, oh, I’m going to have to call my dad.
“I think that’s something the military taught me.”
for soldiers, but Mom always told me she wanted me to play for her. She was always so proud of me doing that for years and for being in the Ar my band. I didn’t know if that was ethical, but when she passed, we researched and researched to make sure we weren’t stepping over any bounds or protocol, and there was nothing out there that said it couldn’t be done so I went ahead and played. She was such a patriot and that was her wish, and she was my mom.”
Jennifer also is a member of The Heights Concert Band, a Harker Heightsbased orchestra that perfor ms throughout Central Texas. She loves playing music, but it is always nice to get back to the business and love on some animals.
“It’s a great way to receive love and to give love,” she said. “These dogs just want attention and love. They give it right back to you, so it’s kind of a winwin.”
COURTESY PHOTO
Sarah Seidler, who served three years in the military, poses with holiday wreaths that are placed annually on gravesites at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen