Take time to honor the veterans in your life on Monday
At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, a negotiated cease-fire ended active hostilities between the parties of World War I took effect. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, a world ravaged by conflict could finally rest.
One year later, after the formal peace treaty was signed at Versailles, the first “Armistice Day” was observed to remember the millions who lost their lives in the war and recommit to a lasting peace. Americans, who lost more than 52,000 troops, began celebrating the holiday each year before Congress passed a law recognizing Armistice Day as a legal holiday.
After the Second World War, in 1954, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower officially changed the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day to remember all those who served.
“On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain,” Eisenhower
corporAl’S
mASt
Brent Johnson
wrote in the proclamation.
Peace may be hard for us all to fathom after decades of sending Americans off to fight. As I write, there are thousands of American troops deployed in an increasingly unstable Middle East, and thousands more holding down the eastern flank of NATO amid a fragile peace with Russia.
Service members sacrifice in the hardship and danger of nine months deployed, while their loved ones sacrifice in separation and worry about their loved ones. Here’s to those troops’ safe return, and the end of that worry.
Transitioning out of the military comes with its own struggles, wheth-
er the veteran has done a two-year enlistment or a 40-year career. That strong sense of identity and purpose that service brings, as well as the close friendships made along the way, can start to feel more distant after hanging up the uniform.
Such is the bond forged in adversity between brothers and sisters in arms, that many grow restless once they are free of that esprit-de-corps they found in the military. I’ve seen some of the brightest minds and strongest spirits begin to wither after settling into civilian life.
Of course, many of our nation’s finest have overcome those challenges, becoming leaders in their communities and even of the country itself. In Killeen and the surrounding area, veterans make up a large portion of elected officials and leaders of civic organizations. While prior military service is not a requirement to lead, the strong ideals gained from standing watch over one’s country can certainly help one’s leadership skills.
Several members of the Herald team are also veterans, having served across branches and occupational specialties before going into the news business. I’m proud to count myself among them.
It is also a great privilege to hear the stories of local veterans every week.
This Veterans Day, we are showcasing the stories of ten community members who have served in the Armed Forces, written to life this past year by Herald correspondent John Clark.
From flyers and ground-pounders to cooks and lawyers, each of these men and women gave up a part of themselves to their country.
If you know someone who served and has a good story to tell, send me an email. John or I would love to write about it. And if you’re not doing so already, please call them and catch up.
By the way, as a former Marine in an Army town, I can’t help but remind readers that the day preceding Veterans Day, is the anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps, established by the Continental Congress on Nov. 10, 1775.
Happy 249th Birthday, Devil Dogs, and happy Veterans Day to all who served.
Brent Johnson is a Marine veteran and military journalist at the Killeen Daily Herald. Contact him at bjohnson@ kdhnews.com or 254-501-7554.
Killeen group lays wreaths on graves of fallen veterans
Herald staff reports
A local program dedicated to laying holiday wreaths on graves at a state veterans cemetery in Killeen has gotten attention from other parts of the country hoping to start their own programs.
Representatives of both the Idaho State Veterans Cemeteries and the Idaho Veterans Network came to Killeen in July to visit the staff of Wreaths for Vets, a program run by Friends of the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery. After noticing the group’s success in organizing the annual wreath-laying in November, they came to seek insight on how to start a similar program in Idaho.
“As we were going through the beginning stages of establishing our own wreath program, we wanted to ask different cemetery groups what were some of the hurdles that they overcome,” said Idaho State Veterans Cemeteries chief Jake Faulkner.
“That’s really our sole thing this trip, to find out what works well, what doesn’t work well.”
Wreaths for Vets came together in 2007 after Wreaths Across America sent six wreaths, one for each branch of the United States Armed Forces, to be laid at the then-new Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery for the Christmas holiday. Local resident Jean Shine saw the wreaths and believed there should be one for every
The annual laying of the wreaths is scheduled to take place on Nov. 30 at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.
gravestone, and over three days gathered enough volunteers and wreaths to make it so.
Now that the cemetery is home of more than 11,000 fallen service members and veterans, and it takes a much larger community effort to lay a wreath at each stone. There typically is no shortage of volunteers — even the preparation of the arrangements days prior to the main event
tends to draw crowds. In addition to each grave marker, the group now puts smaller wreaths with foam backings at each spot on the cemetery’s columbariums, or walls containing the ashes of service members.
“It goes (up) with the number in the wall, so this year it’ll be about 2,100,” said Patty Aquiningoc, who designs the smaller wreaths with her husband. She added that she makes sure
extra are available in case additional service members are interned over the holiday season.
Wreaths for Vets volunteers will gather at the Killeen Special Events Center on Saturday, Nov. 23 to unpack and prepare their wreaths. They will then be laid on memorial sites across the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen on Saturday, Nov. 30.
Biden encourages veterans to apply for PACT Act benefits
I’ve long said that as a nation, we have many obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation: to train and equip those we send into harm’s way and care for them and their families when they return home, and when they don’t.
Two years ago, we took a giant step toward fulfilling that obligation when I called for and signed the bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins (PACT) Act.
The PACT Act is one of the most significant laws ever signed to help veterans like you and your families exposed to toxic material, like burn pits, Agent Orange, and more.
I asked Secretary McDonough to accelerate the implementation of the PACT Act to ensure all eligible toxic exposed veterans and their survivors get the benefits they deserve as quickly as possible.
So far, more than 5.8 million veterans have been screened for toxic exposures. Nearly 800,000 have enrolled in VA health care—creating the gateway to high quality and lifesaving care. And, to date, more than 1.1 million veterans and over 11,000 survivors are now getting disability related benefits due to a toxic related illness.
It matters. I know that for too long, many veterans exposed to harmful substances had to wait decades for help. With the PACT Act, veterans, like you and your families, will no longer have to suffer the painful and frustrating delays and denials. These benefits have been lifechanging for so many families. For veterans impacted by these illnesses as well as survivors of veterans who died from a toxic related illness, the PACT Act provides a pathway to benefits including monthly stipends, access to home loans and education benefits as well.
While you are benefiting from the
these benefits have been life-changing for so many families.
PACT Act already, we want to make sure you are getting the full benefits you have earned.
If you are enrolled in health care but haven’t been screened or filed a claim, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. If you are getting monthly disability benefits but have not yet enrolled in health care, consider enrolling today.
And if you are already enrolled and getting benefits, please help us spread the word to other veterans and survivors.
After I signed the PACT Act, I handed the pen to the young daughter of Sergeant Robinson. She and other military children deserve to know that we will not rest until we ensure all toxic exposed veterans and their survivors get the benefits and care they have earned and deserve.
Our veterans and military families represent the best of America. We owe them. We owe you.
May God bless the United States of America. May God protect our troops.
JoSeph r. BIden president of the United states
Harker Heights veteran remembers deadly combat missions in Vietnam
By John Clark Herald correspondent
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class
Ernest “Marty” Martinez served on a long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) unit in Vietnam, spending multiple days at a time in the jungle searching for signs of enemy activity and, sometimes, unexpectedly coming face to face with Viet Cong troops.
“There were six of us on a team,” the 85-yearold Harker Heights resident said of his 1968 combat tour. “They would give us an A.O. (area of operations) and we would go in there and look around and find any trail where we saw activity, and we would come back in and report anything we may have found or seen. We were the eyes and ears, I guess you would say, for the brigade.
“They would fly us in, and when we got out of the chopper, we’d move in about 50 to 100 meters and set up. The choppers would leave, and we’d set up a quick perimeter and wait about an hour to see if there was any activity. The chopper would make false inserts, as we called them. They would go in, then pop back up, move a little one way or the other, and then go back in another area, as if they were dropping off somebody. That was so Charlie (Viet Cong) didn’t know where we landed. The next day, we’d move out to whatever trail or crossroads we were going to recon and go from there.”
While the objective was usually to find signs of the enemy and report back without being detected, there were times when those searches inadvertently sparked intense battles.
“We tried to avoid contact, but sometimes that was impossible. We’d go out from three to five days. We’d come back and get de-briefed, then we’d get ready for our next mission. We’d rest up and go out again in
about three or four days.
“We weren’t like the other individuals who went out. We couldn’t afford to make noise. We tried not to move at night (because) any noise at night in the jungle, you could definitely tell something was moving out there. If you hear any metal against metal — and it’s not you — you know there’s something up.
“Our primary mission was reconnaissance, but it depended on what they wanted us to do. I hate to say this, but sometimes it was either a recon-and-kill type of mission, or a snatch type of mission, meaning bring in a prisoner, if you can. Sometimes it was, ‘We want you to set up an ambush before we pull you out.’
“I got compromised on one of my missions. We were setting up one of our areas early in the morning, and we had some individuals (enemy) walk in on us. They thought we belonged to them, and they walked right into our perimeter there, blabbing away, thinking we were part of them. Of course, we had to open fire and we did terminate them.
“One of our team members got killed. A grenade came in and the team member next to me got killed, and I got some fragmentation. Two of the others also got wounded. They finally pulled us out.”
Martinez was born in Los Angeles, California, and spent 20 years in the military. He joined the service in March 1956, had a break in service from 1959-60, then went back in and retired in July 1977.
“I entered the service during the latter end of what we called the brown boot Army,” Martinez said. “We wore ODs (olive drab uniform) at that time, and a year later, in October 1957, we had to dye one pair of boots black. They were changing into the green uniform in ’58, and so individuals coming in were given one green uniform and one OD uniform.
“I got out in ’59 and went back to California. I went to work right away after I got out. I was a commercial thread salesman. I was working in the garment industry, and I would go to the factories and they would order thread from me, but I really missed the military.
“I was out for about 14, 15 months, I guess, and I went back in June of 1960.I didn’t think I would miss it, but when I got home, I had nothing in common with the individuals I grew up with (and) went to school with. I was raised in a (poor) neighborhood with gangs and what-have-you, and I no longer had anything in common with the individuals I grew up with, some of whom had gone to jail.
“So I came back in and stayed until I retired.”
Culture shoCk
When he first enlisted, Martinez experienced what he calls “a culture shock for me.” He was 17 years old and had never been far from his old neighborhood when he headed to basic training and AIT at Fort Carson, Colorado.
“We had bed check at that time (and) unless you had an overnight
pass or something, you had to be in bed when the CQ came through about 11 or 12 o’clock,” he said.“If you weren’t in bed when you were supposed to be, you would get an Article 15 for missing bed check. Usually, we were in bed by 10 o’clock. Lights out at 10 o’clock.
“We usually got up about 4:30, 5 o’clock, to clean the barracks up. The CQ would come through and get us out of bed: ‘Rise and shine! Get up!’ NCOs would be coming in, making sure we started cleaning the barracks, wash ourselves up, go to breakfast, come back, then start getting ready for the day.
“We got paid once a month. At that time, I got $78. I guess the funniest thing I remember about that is we had what were known as loan sharks. They would make big bucks, lending $5 for $10, or $10 for $20, or $20 for $40, whatever the case might be. We would be broke all the time, and definitely by the middle of the month. So when you got paid, these individuals would be waiting for you.
“On the weekends, some of us would sit down and play poker, or Pinochle. That’s where I learned to play Pinochle. These guys needed a fourth player, so they gave me a cheat sheet so I would know how to bid and all that. I got pretty good at it.”
Overall, Martinez spent a total of 20 years in the service. He and his wife, Grace, have been married 64 years and they have four children, 15 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren. Is there a picture of all those smiling faces in the same place at the same time?
“I wish I could get them all together, but I can’t,” Martinez said. “My eldest son did 20 years in the military (and) retired at Fayetteville, North Carolina. My second eldest is in Charlottesville, Virginia. Another son is here in the Killeen area. He works for the police department. Then I have a daughter who lives in
coUrtesy pHoto
Ernest “Marty” Martinez served on a longrange reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) unit in Vietnam in 1968.
Martinez
San Antonio.”
When he retired from the military, Martinez was not sure right away what he wanted to do next. He considered heading back to California and settling down but decided to stay in central Texas. He tried selling real estate for a while, but skyrocketing interest rates put a damper on the market and then he stumbled across another opportunity.
“Interest rates went up to 19 percent,” Martinez said. “You think it’s bad now with houses costing $200,000 or $300,000 … even with houses being sold for $50,000 or $75,000 or so back then, the interest rate was so high. All kinds of financing rates were coming in — I forget what they called it — and I decided, ‘This is not for me.’
“I went to work for Fort Hood National Bank as a courier, sorting and delivering mail and things like that. I would have to go to the local
post offices, and I got to know the individuals there at the postal service and they told me I should apply. So, I applied and I went and took the test. About a month later, they called me in, I interviewed, and I got hired as a clerk at the Fort Hood (Cavazos) post office. I spent 17, 18 years with the postal service.”
These days, Martinez stays busy with volunteering for various veterans organizations and local high school JROTC programs. Life is good, he says, although Vietnam and the memories of things he saw and did there still linger some.
“When I got back from the war, I did things that were a little bit crazy. I was married, and at first, I slept outside. Out back where we lived, there was a stream and then there was like a little jungle or what have you, and I’d go back there and sleep,” Martinez said. “I didn’t think too much about it, but of course, my wife said, ‘You’re a nut.’
“I guess I had gotten used to it in
Vietnam. All we had was the clothes we had on and a pancho liner that we used to cover ourselves with. The way we went out is the way we came back in. We took enough rations and ammunition with us to last however long we were going out, and that was it. We’d come back in and everybody would stay away from us, because we smelled so bad. We’d be in the mess hall sometimes, and a team would come in and you could smell them. We couldn’t smell ourselves, but if we walked into a mess hall, people would stay away.
“I thought I was all right when I came back, but to be very honest, I really wasn’t the same as I was when I went over. PTSD did not happen to me as bad as it did others (but) I think maybe I just put it out of my mind.
“Vietnam became a political war (but) the first political war was Korea. Why did we go there? Was it worth it? If you talk to our Korean war veterans, they would say, yes.
It was the same thing with us, only it got more political. They started showing people getting killed on TV and things like that. We would have won that war, but the politicians got involved.
“Was it worth it? I would say, yes, I think it was. I think it was worth it. We lost a lot of people (so) it has to be worth it. You know, the military will send you where they want to send you. You have no say-so about it. It’s up to the politicians. I got sent over there and I was there doing what the military wanted me to do. I cannot complain about it, per se. I know some individuals came back very bitter, but I cannot complain about it.
“I’ve seen a lot, and if I had the power, I would chase everybody out of office up there in Washington, D.C., and replace them with new blood. So they could get along and get our country going in the right direction.
“If I had the power, I would love to see that through.”
Former soldier recalls fatal explosion during combat duty in Iraq
By John Clark Herald correspondent
Former Fort Cavazos soldier Rod Ford served two combat missions in Iraq, and it was the second deployment that left him wounded and eventually cut short a promising military career.
Now a Killeen resident, he recounts that unforgettable day during an 18-month deployment that spanned from 2005 to 2007: “The first time I deployed, I was with a personal security detachment, so I went in and out of the wire all the time, at Camp Taji. Sometimes, we were out there from the time the sun went down until the sun came up. My second deployment, I did basically the same thing. I did a little bit of maintenance work for a while, but then I was put on a QRF team (quick response force). That’s when I got my Purple Heart.
“The higher-ups called and said there’s a truck circling the desert. From where we were, there was nothing around for, like, five miles. We were in a base within a base, and so for five miles around, there was nothing, but there was a truck out there doing something suspicious, so we went and when we finally found them, they blew themselves up with explosives they were trying to plant.
“When we got there, we jumped out of our vehicles, and my captain told me and my battle buddy to follow him. We jumped on top of a long
berm on the side of the road, and he told us to stay there. He went down to see what they were doing, and all I remember is my captain saying, ‘Stop!’ in Arabic, then there was a bright flash and heat.
“We were pretty close to it, and I took shrapnel in my left knee. It wounded him severely. My other captain dragged him out of the kill zone, basically, and we were all working on him. I helped take off his flak vest and with the field dressing, because he was missing his leg.
“I remember his voice being real deep, because he inhaled the blast. He wasn’t really saying anything. It’s kind of a serious moment/laugh moment. We do training for that type of stuff all the time. Our first thing
is to make sure he’s still breathing — make sure you see the rise and fall of the chest — and then try to communicate with him. Make sure he’s conscious and knows where he’s at.
That’s what I was doing.
“I was, like, ‘Sir, sir, are you OK?’
“He said, ‘Damn, Ford, I’m right here. Leave me alone.’
“It’s not really a funny moment, but for the military, in that situation, we all understand. You know what I’m saying? Unfortunately, he did pass.
“When we got the call, it was already established that the air was black. That means we know from the get-go that we can’t receive medivac or anything like that if something happens, so it took us about an hour, hour-and-a-half to drive to the next
medical station, which was Camp Warhorse, from where we were at. I had a ball bearing lodged in my knee. If you watched ‘The Hurt Locker’ (2008 movie), they packed all those IEDs with nails, ball bearings, glass, anything, and then they make it to where if (shrapnel) gets lodged in the body, it causes dysentery (and) infection, stuff like that.”
Ford served in the military for eight-and-a-half years before being medically discharged in November 2011. He was born into a military family at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where his father, Rodney Kent Ford Sr., was stationed. The elder Ford was killed in a traffic accident back in 1987 when Rod was a young boy.
“He was on lunch break, and going back to work (at Fort Hood, now Fort Cavazos) when he got hit on his motorcycle in Nolanville, which is where we were living. I was about five or six. I don’t really remember it. My mother was in the military before she was pregnant with me, but then my father made her get out. After he passed away, my mom rejoined — maybe in 2000? — as a warrant officer.”
Ford graduated high school in 2000 from Richard Milburn Academy in Killeen. He had plans to join the military, but not right away.
“I wanted to enjoy my teens a little,” he said. “Then, I became a father (in 2002), so I decided to go ahead and
Continued on Page
coUrtesy pHoto
Rod Ford and his mother, Rachel, a fellow veteran, were in Kuwait at the same time and were able to visit each other twice, including at Thanksgiving.
join so I could earn a living.”
He reported for basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, followed by Advanced Individual Training at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, where he learned to be a tank turret mechanic. His introduction to full-time military life was a bit of an eye-opener.
“For me, it was something new — having people yell in your face — but I came from a military background, so I was kinda used to it. The only difference was, in basic training you have to be by your new battle buddies,” he said. “When you’re in high school, if you don’t like people, you can move around but in the military, no matter the situation, you have to meet new people and learn to get along. That’s when I started opening my eyes to different cultures and different religions; different types of people with different backgrounds.
“When you’re young, you’re always
in one circle (of friends), but being in the military, it opens your eyes to different cultures and backgrounds and stuff. It was very good for me. It breaks you out of the cycle of having one perspective on the world. You have to learn how to talk to people (such as) when you’re in the Middle East, you can’t raise your foot to people, like crossing your foot over your knee. That is considered disrespectful in Muslim culture. Every type of culture has something different and when you come across these things, you start opening your eyes to see what’s different from your culture. It’s a lot of learning about different people, different backgrounds, different things.”
His first duty station was Camp Casey, South Korea, where he was stationed for two years, then it was on to central Texas and the 4th Infantry Division, then the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment when 4th I.D. moved to Fort Carson, Colorado. After being wounded overseas,
watching other people perform their regular duties back home while he was unable to do so was difficult for Ford, and eventually he decided it would be best to go ahead and leave the service.
“To sit there and watch everybody around you do PT and everything else, it takes a mental toll on you. Physically, I wasn’t able to do my work. I felt at the time I was 25%, and that wasn’t good for me. It was more than PTSD … just like little monsters inside my head.
“When I’m in a situation, I always try 100% to do everything I’m supposed to do. I knew as soon as my leg healed, I would have been running full force again and gotten hurt again, in the long run. So I was trying to give myself a little bit of a break, to let my body heal. But it just doesn’t work like that. I couldn’t be there 100%, like I wanted to, so I got out.”
Ford went back to school and earned an associate degree in general studies from Central Texas College,
and helped out with a local AAU football team for a while. He works now as a bartender and freelance photographer, is sergeant-at-arms for the Military Order of the Purple Heart chapter 1876 and serves as president of the Purple Heart Riders motorcycle association.
A single father of three, Ford says when he looks back at his time in the military, he has plenty of good memories. There were bad times, of course, like the day of the fatal explosion in Iraq, but overall, he is glad he had a chance to serve.
“I loved it,” Ford said. “My grandfather was retired military. My father was in the military. My mom. It was something I really wanted to do. It was hard for me to get out, (but) unfortunately, with my injury and the PTSD, I didn’t feel complete.
“I recommend anybody to join the military. It opens up your eyes — like I said earlier — to new perspectives about people, and it teaches structure. I wish I could do it again.”
Cove council member flew Kiowa Warrior helicopters in the U.S. Army
By John Clark Herald correspondent
Copperas Cove City Council member Joann Courtland always wanted to join the military and fly helicopters. She went to college after graduating from Copperas Cove High School in 1985, participated in ROTC, earned an officer’s commission and was on her way to seeing that dream become reality.
Then, she was assigned to be a U.S. Army Reserve military police officer. An MP. Not even close to what she wanted. “The mission itself, from what I gleaned — I went to the Officer Basic Course at Fort McClellan that same year — was not the issue,” Courtland said. “It was just that was not what I wanted to do. It was nowhere near what I wanted to do.
“I wanted to fly. I wanted to fly helicopters for the Army. That was the only thing I had ever been interested in. My older brother was a medevac pilot. He was a Copperas Cove graduate; went to Tarleton; got his commission. He served 21 years in the military, so getting the bug for aviation early on was a no-brainer. That was all I ever wanted to do, but I got stuck.
“The Army wouldn’t let me branch transfer, so I ended up going and seeing an Army recruiter after my Officer Basic Course. My undergraduate degree is criminal justice, so I went back to Stephenville and got a job as a juvenile probation officer. I didn’t find a Reserve unit, which transitioned me into the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve), so I went to see a recruiter and he was able to get me a process where I resigned my commission. I was an E-5 for, like, a minute, and then I was a W1 (warrant officer) and got to go to flight school.
“So I was commissioned in the Reserve, but I never got into a Reserve unit. I was still in the military. They could have called me up at any point. It took over a year, and in November 1993, I became a warrant officer headed to initial entry rotary wing
flight school.”
Courtland was born at a military hospital in Würzburg, Germany. Her father served 28 years in uniform and retired as a chief warrant officer 4 following his fifth stop at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos).
“He had five tours to Fort Hood, so I grew up between Hawaii and Texas,” Courtland said. “I loved it. Growing up between Texas and Hawaii was awesome. My dad coached me in basketball. We were a very outdoor family. We did a lot of sports; dad coached; my mom was the team mom. I was able to play basketball, softball, soccer. I was a cheerleader for many years.
“When I was 7, I joined the Schofield Sharks swim team, and I swam from age seven through high school. We practiced at Abrams field house before school. I got my first job here in Cove at the old Kentucky Fried Chicken, which was where the Extraco bank is now, next to Burger King. My first job — $3.35 an hour.
“I’ve been around the military my entire life. I’ve never been without an ID card. So for me, becoming a soldier was nothing new. Becoming a civilian, that was something new.”
After high school, Courtland headed up to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, about 100 miles north of Copperas Cove, where she studied criminal justice and joined
the ROTC. She graduated in 1991 and eventually wound up in flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where she found herself entering a male-dominated world.
“I got there and I was the only female in my flight class of 30,” Joann said. “I was the only girl in my ROTC class of 13, so that part wasn’t any different. For me, there were no issues, but it was noticeable. You had to deal with personalities; you had to deal with egos. The year I was there, they had a lot of instructor pilot shortages, so we kind of rotated classes. By the time I graduated, there were a few other females in the class I graduated from.
“When I got out of Kiowa Warrior transition (training) in March of ’95, I was one of 36 women in the Army that flew that air frame. They had opened up attack aircraft for women — I want to say it was ’94 when they had done that. Either late ’93 or early ’94. They had just started allowing women to fly Cobras, Apaches, and the 58 Deltas. So, I went to an attack unit at Fort Drum and when I got there, myself and my platoon leader were the only female pilots, so they put me in Alpha Company with my lieutenant because, oh my God, we needed to share a tent. It was an attack unit that was Cobras and 58s, and it was all men. So this was like getting handed the keys to the men’s locker room and saying, ‘Have a good time.’”
Overall, Courtland served seven years in the military, including two years in the IRR and five years’ active duty. She suffered a back injury that eventually shortened her career.
“I ended up with a back issue and my feet were going to sleep when I was flying, which is a bad thing in a helicopter,” she said. “So I ended up getting out on a medical (discharge). I didn’t medically retire; I was just released. Back then, they didn’t tell you about the VA; they didn’t give you any information. I got out with 10 percent (disabled) and I could barely walk.
“It worked out, though. Chris (a fellow soldier she met at flight school) and I had gotten married in December of ’94, and we had our daughter — who is special needs — in September of ’97. He deployed a couple of times, so it actually worked out better because (if she had stayed in and gotten deployed) we would have had to find someone to take care of our daughter.
“So I missed out on deployments and missed out on doing other things in my military career, but I got to fly. After I got out, I focused on doing what I could do to support my husband, as well as to support those who serve.”
When she left the service, Courtland, who also has a master’s degree in aeronautical science, took a job with a Bradley Fighting Vehicle test program at Operational Test Command on West Fort Hood. Now, she works as a remote program analyst for the Joint Program Executive Office for Armament and Ammunition. As Chris continued his 36-year career (he retired as a lieutenant colonel), Joann also got involved with the Family Support Group program, and that volunteerism has continued through the years. She is finishing her second term on the Cove City Council, and nine years ago Joann founded Operation Stand Down Central Texas, a non-profit group dedicated to helping homeless veterans and their families. She and Chris have been volunteers with Special Olympics Texas, and Joann is a member of the Copperas Cove Morning Exchange Club and serves as treasurer for the Phantom Corps chapter of the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA).
Meanwhile, Courtland remembers those two times sending her husband off to war. As a Family Support Group leader tasked to keep other family members informed, she says having her own military background
coUrtesy pHoto
Joann Courtland poses for a photograph in front of an OH-58 Kiowa attack helicopter at Fort Drum, New York.
and the inside knowledge that came with it was a double-edged sword at times.
“It’s a blessing and a curse that you know about the job and know what’s really going on,” she said. “You’re dealing with other spouses who may or may not have served, and so they don’t understand some things.
“It was probably a little bit easier for me, because I knew what Chris was going to do over there. I know who he is and I know his strengths, so I had full confidence in his leadership and in his knowledge, to go over there and come home.
“When he took his air traffic control company into the (Middle East) sandbox, I got to talk to him regularly, but I knew what was going on. There was no mystery, because I knew what he was doing. Whenever we needed to provide information, we provided it directly to that spouse. He did have a couple of injuries, (and)
we had a plan going in that we would handle things the way he wanted to handle them, and I supported him 100 percent.
“Myself and his first sergeant’s wife, we got along very well. We sent care packages; Father’s Day cards to all the fathers; Mother’s Day cards to all the mothers; little goody bags. When they got home, we made sure all the single soldiers had stuff for their barracks room; the rooms were cleaned; beds were made; they had personal items and everything. We were very happy when they got home. It was great.
“After I got out of the military and we came to Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) in 1999, we were here until 2009 that entire time. Chris deployed twice and went to school and did a couple of other things. Then we went to Huntsville, Alabama, for three years (2009-2012), and then we’ve been back since fall of 2012. Copperas Cove has always been our home base.”
Looking back at her time in
uniform and her years as a military spouse that followed, Courtland says she regrets that her Army career did not last longer than it did, but she is proud of the time she had.
“I wish there would have been some more for me to have been able to do, but I got to serve,” she said. “Even though I wasn’t in uniform, I was still serving … as a Department of the Army civilian. I was still serving as a contractor to support the Operational Test Command. I supported as a military spouse.
“I try to support the military as much as I can. I love being around other service members. If you’re in a room with a bunch of veterans, you’re going to hear stories, you’re going to hear funnies (and) you know what they’re talking about.
“It’s that feeling of camaraderie and enjoyment. That’s why I love the organization that I run. We have a lot of volunteers who are veterans or family members of veterans. My mother, Trudy, is a founding member
of the organization. She spent 46 years with my dad — in the military for 28 years and he was a Department of the Army civilian for 19. We lost him to liver cancer due to Agent Orange. He had two tours to Vietnam.
“Serving our country was the family business. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
As she completes her second term on the council, Courtland says she has enjoyed being involved with city politics, and she encourages others to give community service a try.
“When I first got started, it was very daunting. You don’t realize how much reading (and) how much research (there is) for every meeting. But honestly, I have loved it,” she said. “I’ve loved being able to help our citizens get to the point where we are the best city we know how to be. ... To me, it’s about giving back.
“It’s about serving our community. You don’t have to fill your calendar up, like I do, but you can do something. ... There’s tons you can do.”
Vietnam veteran served 25 years after mother signed him up for Army
By John Clark Herald correspondent
Retired U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Jerry Swanner was 16 years old when he left high school to go to work and help support his family. The Florida native landed a good-paying job building boats and was doing well when he came home one day and learned that his life was about to take a direction he never imagined.
“My father passed away and I had to quit to help my mom because she was disabled,” said Swanner, a longtime Copperas Cove resident. “I went to work in a fiberglass boat factory. I did that until I was 19 years old, and then I come home from work one day and mother said, ‘You’re going to have to go down to the post office to see the soldiers down there.’
“I said, ‘Why?’
“She says, ‘Well, you’re going in the Army. I signed you up.’
“I said, ‘What? Why did you sign me up, Mom? What’s going to happen to you and my sister?’
“She said, ‘We will be okay. I just don’t want you to go to Vietnam and get killed like Joel (older brother) did in Korea.’
“I said, ‘Mom, I don’t have any reason to go to Vietnam. I’m not going to join the Army.’
“She said, ‘Well, I already signed you up to go to Germany for four years. They promised me you would go to Germany.’
“This was 1965 and Vietnam was getting kicked off real good. That’s when they started sending troops over there — other than advisors — and everything. I said, ‘Okay, Mom, whatever you say, I will go along with.’ I think it was two weeks later, I was on a bus to Montgomery, Alabama, to the reception station. From there, they put me on a bus to Fort Benning, Georgia (now Fort Moore), for basic training.”
Swanner was born in Alford, Florida, and did most of his growing up in Tallahassee. He says basic training was an eye-opener, but he did well and quickly learned the first of three “important” skills.
“The Army taught me how to smoke; how to cuss; and how to drink,” he said.
“When I was at basic training, the drill sergeants cussed at you, so that became a form of everyday language we used. When we were out at the rifle range or in the field doing classes, they’d say, ‘Okay, take a smoke break. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.’ The ones that didn’t smoke — like me and probably 75 percent of the other people in the platoon — would go sit under a tree, and the drill sergeant came by and said, ‘You guys need to go police up the trash.’ Well, after a while, you figure if they’re going to do that, I’ll take that 10- or 15-minute break they give you and smoke cigarettes.
“That first smoke wasn’t too good. I think it was a Camel or a Pall Mall or something like that. It was a nasty something.
“Next, I went to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for field artillery training, as a cannon cocker. They shipped me off to Germany after that for the four years they promised my mother. So I went to Germany in January 1966. I was in a field artillery unit in Giessen, and I was a corporal in charge of an ammunition section. I had four five-ton trucks and eight soldiers under me.
“We’d go to the field and when we’d come back in, we’d be down on the wash rack and they’d be washing the vehicles up. The first sergeant and
battery commander would be the first ones to come in, and they’d go to the shoppette and they’d fill this little trailer with beer and ice, and bring it down to the wash rack. They’d tell us to come on over and have a beer. I didn’t drink at the time so I didn’t go over there, and they said those of us who didn’t drink could just continue to work.
“So those guys would stand around and drink beer all afternoon, or up until we finished, which sometimes was around midnight, and they’d be all drunk while we had been working all that time. So I decided, well, instead of washing vehicles for everybody that drinks, I can drink with ‘em. So I started drinking German beer, and it was good. I enjoyed that.”
Although the military kept that promise of a tour relatively safe and sound in Germany, by 1968, Swanner found himself exactly where his dear mother feared he might end up — in the jungles of Vietnam. It was not a matter of the Army breaking its agreement, however.
In June 1967, Swanner came home on leave. A soldier buddy from Tennessee was supposed to meet him in Florida to spend a couple weeks on the beach in Panama City, Florida. He never showed up and when Swanner got back to Germany, he learned that his buddy had gone AWOL and was nowhere to be seen. A week or
Continued on Page 13
coUrtesy pHoto
Jerry Swanner served 25 years in the military, including 15 months in Vietnam.
so later, the soldier was located in a hospital in Giessen with a head injury. He came back to the unit and was put on a profile while awaiting medical discharge. That left Swanner one truck driver short, so he went to his commander and asked for a substitute driver for an upcoming field exercise. His request was denied and so the injured soldier drove his truck and had an accident.
“Coming around the motor pool, he passed out and his truck ended up on top of the colonel’s jeep,” Swanner said. “When the commander came down there, he was all upset, and I told him, ‘Well, sir, I told you he couldn’t drive. He has a profile.” He started yelling and screaming (and) he made a mistake.
“He called me an S.O.B. and I hit him. He told the battalion commander about it, and he asked me, ‘Why’d you do it?’ I told him and he said that was no reason to hit him. I said,
‘Well, sir, if you curse me for what he cursed me for, I’ll do the same thing to you. He called my mother a bitch. My mother’s not a bitch. If you curse me for that, I’ll come across this desk on you.
“He said, ‘Well, since you struck an officer, we can’t just let it go. So if you don’t want to go to Mannheim — that was jail — for six months, you can go to Vietnam.
“I said, ‘Well, you can send me to Vietnam, because I’m not going to Mannheim and be locked up for six months.’ So, that’s the way I ended up in Vietnam.”
During his 15-month tour, Swanner says he spent “99.99999 percent” of his time in the jungle leading an artillery unit. He was never wounded, but there were casualties around him.
“We got hit with rocket attacks and mortar attacks. When we were out in the boonies, they would hit us and penetrate our perimeter,” he said.
“I was an E-5 when I got there, and I took over an 8-inch howitzer section
with 14 soldiers under me. They were trying to get the Marines out of Khe Sanh at that time, and we were firing support. When they sent the 1st Cav in there, we started shooting our howitzers. We shot 24/7 for three weeks. Plus, they had B-52s drop 10,000-pound blockbusters. It was like earthquakes going off.”
After Vietnam, Swanner was stationed at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) with the 2nd Armored Division. On weekends, he started spending part of his off-time with a friend in La Grange, Texas, about 125 miles southeast of Killeen, where he met a local girl named Pat. They wound up getting married in 1970 and now have two grown children and three grandchildren.
Following his retirement in 1989, Swanner went to work in various capacities, including 20 years in civil service. He and Pat are active in their church and enjoy spending time with their kids and grandkids.
While his entry into the military
was a little unusual and highly unexpected, Swanner says he enjoyed his career and is proud of his service.
“I didn’t want to go in the Army,” he said. “I was 19 years old, and I had a good job at the boat factory, making, like, $10 an hour. I started there when I was 17 and had worked all the way around at every station they had except where they did the floors (and) put the decks on the boats. But Mom had already signed me up and there was no getting out of it.
“If I had it to do all over again, I’d do the same thing, I guess. I enjoyed it. I told my wife, when I was in the Army and I’d see these soldiers getting ready to retire — we called them retired on active duty, because they just showed up (for work) and didn’t do anything but occupy a position — and they’d sit around and gripe about the Army. They always complained about their job, so I always said when I don’t enjoy putting the uniform on anymore, that’s when I would retire. That day happened in 1989.”
Retired Army staff sergeant using sports to manage mental health issues
By John Clark Herald correspondent
Pamela Wiggins grew up about 20 miles from where her father worked at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and she remembers standing in her front yard as a kid to watch NASA space flights take off from nearby Cape Canaveral.
“We watched all the time,” said Wiggins, a 56-year-old retired U.S. Army staff sergeant who lives in Killeen. “It was quite interesting.” Born and raised in Rockledge, Florida, Wiggins grew up with four sisters and a brother. She graduated from high school in 1985 and joined the military in 1989. What did she do during those four years between graduation and boot camp?
Not a whole lot.
“I had a track and field scholarship for St. Augustine’s College in North Carolina,” she said. “I did the 100, 330 hurdles, 4 by 100 relay, the 220. I was pretty fast. I was state champion in the 330 (yard) hurdles my senior year.
“I accepted the scholarship, but then I didn’t go. College wasn’t really what I wanted to do. I wanted to do track and field, but I didn’t want to go to school anymore. I was still trying to adjust to getting out of high school, so I waited some years before I came into the military. I didn’t really work. Just mostly hung out at home. I had aunts who were in the military, and I looked up to them, so I said, ‘OK, I think I want to try this.’ I talked to them about it and they encouraged me. Helped me study for the ASVAB.” Basic training was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and AIT at Fort Lee, Virginia (now Fort Gregg-Adams), where she trained as a laundry and shower specialist, a job Wiggins did throughout her military career. After doing laundry every day for 20 years, Pamela says she prefers now to leave that household chore to someone else.
“My wife washes the clothes now,” she said, referring to her spouse of
coUrtesy pHoto
“I learned in 2017 about the adaptive sports program at the temple Va. they set me up an appointment and i talked to the therapist. they told me about the program and asked if that was something i’d be interested in, and i was.”
retired staff sgt. Pamela Wiggins
structure, and there was not a lot of structure.
“I also was having a lot of issues that I did not want to admit at the time. Dealing with my PTSD and stuff. I was one of those in denial. I tried to pretend there was nothing wrong with me, but deep down inside, I knew something was wrong. It was hard.”
Wiggins says her struggles stem at least in part from her deployment to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm (1991).
ested in, and I was.
10 months, Chicarol, with whom she shares seven children, one still living at home. Wiggins says although she is in a same-sex relationship, she does not identify herself as gay, straight, lesbian, or anything else and did not have any issues with her sexuality during her time in service.
“I don’t put any titles on myself,” she said. “Society labels it as being gay, but I don’t. I don’t do titles.”
When she left the military in 2009, she continued working a security job she had on the side, but left that after a while and is now fully retired. Hanging up her combat boots after two decades was a big adjustment, she says.
“I got out on April Fool’s Day,” Wiggins said. “I was used to being around military people (and) leading troops, so being around civilians was kind of difficult. I’m used to a lot of
“It could have been war; it could have been after war,” she said. “Before the war happened, me and some of the other females had a tent fire. Our whole tent caught on fire. That was pretty traumatic. We were in an accident where our truck almost flipped over. A soldier in our unit got killed in a truck accident. I had a lot of trouble with that. There was a lot of stuff.”
As she grappled with her mental health issues, the former high school track champion learned about Adaptive Sports Programs for athletes with disabilities, and she was immediately intrigued.
“I learned in 2017 about the adaptive sports program at the Temple VA. They set me up an appointment and I talked to the therapist. They told me about the program and asked if that was something I’d be inter-
“I started competing the following year in 2018. I competed in the Texas Regional Games in San Antonio. There were some military (athletes) and some civilian. I didn’t compete in all-military competitions until this year at the National (Veterans) Golden Age Games in Des Moines, Iowa. You have to be 55 and above to compete in that. That was in May. I came in first in the shot put. I came in first in bowling. I came in first in air rifle. I played bocce (ball) and I came in second.”
This past July, Wiggins placed fourth in shot put at the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Overall, she has competed in more than 20 organized competitions all over the country over the last five years, and was ranked no. 9 nationwide for 2023 outdoor performances.
Becoming an athlete again has been more than a competitive outlet, Wiggins said.
“Being able to participate in these events has saved my life and gave me a reason to live,” she said. “I found myself suffering from major bouts of depression and had no will to participate in daily life activities, until I was introduced to adaptive sports. It helps me to be able to get out and stay in shape. I meet new people. It helps me try to reduce my stress and anxiety, and stuff like that.
Retired Staff Sgt. Pamela Wiggins served in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm.
Ghana native settled in Central Texas after serving in the U.S. military
By John Clark Herald correspondent
When he was growing up in Ghana, Africa, U.S. Navy veteran Kwasi Asamoah never dreamed of things like becoming a big-league baseball player, a doctor, or an astronaut. Instead, he knew by the time he was old enough to go to school that he wanted to be … a military man.
And that’s exactly what he did.
A central Texan for nearly six years now, Asamoah was born and raised in Kumasi, the second-largest city in the Republic of Ghana, a country in West Africa with a population of nearly 35 million people across more than 92,000 square miles. He graduated high school in 2004, went to the University of Ghana the following year and graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and psychology.
“My plan was to go to college and then go straight into the military,” the Belton resident said. “I wanted to join the military when I was in first grade. I had the chance to live with my uncle and he was in the military, and so that kind of kept that dream alive.
“Honestly, I can’t really remember where the idea came from, but I remember in first grade, we had to write down our future career (goals), and I wanted to be a soldier. I never wanted to do anything else.”
After college, Asamoah completed a year of national service and applied to join the military. He also signed up for the annual visa lottery, was selected, and headed across the ocean to what was considered the land of opportunity.
“I used to follow U.S. politics and all that, so I (thought I) knew a lot about it,” said Asamoah, who lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a host family from Ghana. “I don’t know about now, but back then (people’s perception was that) it was cleaner, high-rise buildings, everybody is good to go … nobody is needy; there
is no homeless.
“What you see in the movies is totally different from what I saw when I arrived. It was a culture shock.”
His plan to join the military was still alive and well — in his mind, anyway — but as fighting continued in the Middle East, Asamoah’s hosts did not want him to join the service.
“I wanted to enlist right away, but my hosts didn’t want me to,” Asamoah said. “Iraq and Afghanistan were going on then, so they didn’t want me to do that. So, what I did was,I went to work in a bakery for almost a year, but I was also talking to recruiters.
“I told them (his hosts) the day before I went to boot camp.”
He attended recruit training in 2012 at Naval Station Great Lakes in Chicago, which he describes as “interesting for those first few nights” and says he enjoyed it. His first duty station was Norfolk, Virginia, where he worked in aviation administration and served aboard the USS Nitze, a destroyer that was commissioned in March 2005 in Norfolk, and sailed on its maiden voyage in January 2007 as part of the USS Bataan Expedition-
“I wanted to join the military when i was in first grade. i had the chance to live with my uncle and he was in the military, and so that kind of kept that dream alive.”
U.s. navy veteran Kwasi Asamoah
ary Strike Group.
In 2013-14, he deployed to the Middle East and spent nine months aboard an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.
In spite of having a college degree, Asamoah was not able to secure his officer commission right away due to citizenship issues. He had intentions of making a career out of the military, but medical problems forced him out after six-and-a-half years, and he left as a lieutenant junior grade (LTJG; surface warfare officer).
By the time he left the service in December 2018, Asamoah had earned a master’s degree in executive leadership from Liberty University. He worked for a while as a software consultant, but was not satisfied, and so he decided to go back to school once again.
“I wanted to serve the veteran community, so I went back and got a master’s in clinical mental health counseling,” he said.
After completing the second master’s at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Asamoah started looking for work and found The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Endeavors, Killeen. For the past year, he has worked there as an intake coordinator, providing information on mental health services and conducting initial screenings, intake, and biopsychosocial assessment for all active duty service members, veterans, and military families looking
for help with counseling and other services.
Married for nine years, the father of two enjoys spending time with his family, reading Christian literature, and volunteering at his local church as a Sunday school teacher. He came to central Texas six years ago after visits with a friend convinced him to settle here.
A member of the American Counseling Association, he is working on his professional counseling license, and says he enjoys the area, and especially enjoys the work he is doing.
“I love central Texas,” he said. “I love the people. I love my job. I love what I do every day. Getting to help fellow veterans and their families. Being able to work alongside them and get them the help they need. It’s always a blessing to be able to do that.
“I don’t regret making the decision to join the military at all. It’s all been a blessing. The opportunity to work with different, diverse groups of people … I would do it all again.
“I want veterans to know they are not alone. There are resources out there to help. Cohen Military Family Clinic is a great resource. I never knew about it until I started looking for jobs, and finding out that there is a place where they take care of not just the veterans, but (also) the family. There are so many ways you can get the help you need. If you can’t go in person, there is tele-help around. You don’t need to suffer alone; you don’t need to suffer in silence.”
coUrtesy pHoto Kwasi Asamoah came to the U.S. from Ghana and served 6.5 years in the Navy.
Van Riper recalls near-fatal Special Forces rescue mission in Vietnam
By John Clark Herald correspondent
Retired U.S. Army Maj. George Van Riper calls the 12 months he spent flying helicopters in Vietnam “the most meaningful flying I did in 20 years” of military service.
“That was a great tour in a good unit,” said Van Riper, a former Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) soldier. “I was trained to be a combat helicopter pilot and that is what I did for a year.”
When he first arrived in Southeast Asia, Van Riper spent “a month or two” flying investigators back and forth between Chu Lai and My Lai, as they investigated the notorious My Lai massacre that occurred March 16, 1968, when a company of American soldiers killed more than 500 people in the village My Lai.
“I was there after the massacre,” Van Riper said. “There were actually four villages named My Lai. The first month or two I was in Vietnam, I did nothing but fly the investigation team back and forth.”
With 60 days left in his 1969-70 combat tour, the Harker Heights resident who served 20 years in the military was flying what he called a routine mission when all hell broke loose. He later wrote an essay titled “The Worst Shot in the VC Army” about that unforgettable day that resulted in him receiving an Air Medal with ‘V’ device for valor, and that account follows as he wrote it:
“All I could think was I had less than 60 days left in-country. I had not yet seen my son, and this little Vietnamese bastard was trying to kill me. It is funny what goes through your mind in the middle of a gun fight.
“It always amazed me how fast a routine mission could go terribly wrong at the worst time. CW2 D and I were assigned to fly to Da Nang and pick-up four passengers at China Beach who had somehow missed the morning courier flight. We were to get there ASAP and bring them down to the 23rd Infantry Division Head-
about one-half mile off Da Nang’s coast. We flew directly over the top of this dreadnaught from end-to-end in case they fired their big guns inland in support of the Army or Marine units operating in and around Da Nang. Battleship cannons provide devastating fire from miles away.
quarters helipad at Chu Lai.
“This mission was like a pick-up game of basketball. The mission was given to our unit in the middle of the day. We had to make up an ad hoc crew from pilots and crew members who happened to be in the company area at the time. The UH-1 we were to fly was just out of a major maintenance inspection and was test flown that morning. The crew chief was battling a cold and the door gunner was brand new to our unit and Vietnam. CW2 D and I were both aircraft commanders, so we split the time. I logged AC (aircraft commander) time going north to Da Nang. He logged AC time coming south back to Chu Lai. His leg of the flight turned out to be a lot more exciting than mine.
“After a quick pre-flight of the Huey, we all pitched in and mounted the M-60 machine guns onto their pedestal mounts, attached the ammunition feeding chutes, and connected linked belts of 500 rounds of 7.62 mm ammo to each gun’s receiver plate. We cranked up the aircraft, slid out of the revetment, hot re-fueled, and took off to the South to the free fire zone to test fire the machine guns for proper functioning. After successfully checking our weapons, we turned north and flew up the beach toward Da Nang.
“A Navy battleship was anchored
“When we arrived at China Beach, our passengers could not be found. We were told that they had boarded another helicopter that was headed for Chu Lai. This kind of confusion was not uncommon in Vietnam. We waited one hour and headed back to Ky Ha via Highway 1. About twenty miles south of Da Nang, we got a radio call on “guard” frequency from an Army battalion commander on LZ West, which was only four or five miles west of Highway 1. He was requesting attack helicopter support and troop insertion support of LZ Siberia, which was a U.S. Army out-post approximately one mile west of LZ West. It seemed that LZ Siberia was in danger of being overrun by a company-sized Viet Cong force. Oddly, this attack was taking place in the middle of a sunny afternoon. The VC rarely attacked in broad daylight.
“CW2 D turned toward LZ West (and) pushed the nose over to 100 knots as I busied myself with the radio call to our operations requesting gunship support ASAP in vicinity of LZ Siberia. Hopefully, our sister unit B Company Warlords had someone available on standby. Turns out they did not. The voice on the radio from LZ West said he would have six riflemen with all the ammunition they could carry waiting for us on the landing pad on LZ West. He also explained that there was a helipad on the south side of LZ Siberia that was “sort of” away from the main attack. Sort of was not much comfort when bullets were flying in close formation. It always amazed me how quickly a milk run mission could change into something dangerous without warning. Such was the life of almost every helicopter crew in Vietnam, I learned later.
“Six or seven minutes later, we made the first approach into LZ West to pick up a short squad of infantry riflemen. CW2 D said he knew where the LZ Siberia helipad was located. We loaded the riflemen. Our crew chief gave them a quick briefing on how to get off the aircraft quickly on LZ Siberia. He assured them they would only have about 20 or 30 seconds to un-ass the helicopter before we pulled pitch and got out of there.
“I was still on the radio hollering for gunships and tried to watch the loading process of troops in the back of the Huey. CW2 D briefed the gunner and crew chief about rules of engagement with the enemy so close to friendly forces. We told them to shoot only if they were absolutely sure it was a VC or NVA soldier with a weapon. Surprisingly enough, with soldiers scurrying across the ground between cover points and running toward each other, it is real hard to tell who is who from the air.
“CW2 D dove off the West helipad balls to the wall toward Siberia. We descended into the little saddle between the two landing zones and popped up in a decelerating flare maneuver right onto the LZ Siberia helipad. This was some great flying by Mr. D. I was duly impressed with his skill.
“Here is where the first of the most exciting 20 seconds of our lives took place. No sooner had we touched down on Siberia’s helipad when a VC soldier popped out of a “spider hole” about 100 yards away and began spraying us with automatic weapons fire. He was shooting uphill which is a little different than shooting across flat ground. Luckily, he did not seem to know this. They say you cannot see the bullet that kills you, and fortunately I could see these rounds going high past our doors and over the Plexiglas panel over our heads. At least I think I could see them.
“Unfortunately, this little bastard was directly in front of our wind-
coUrtesy pHoto
George Van Riper was awarded an Air Medal with ‘V’ device for a mission he was a part of in Vietnam. He served a 12-month combat tour in 1969-70.
shield and once on the helipad, our crew chief and door gunners could not bring our M-60 machine guns to bear on his position. The machine guns have static stops that prevent someone from shooting into their own cockpit. They will only go so far forward before hitting the static stop. It took about 20 seconds max for our riflemen to jump off our cargo platform and run for cover.
“As soon as we took off from Siberia, CW2 D turned the helicopter hard left to avoid mass small arms fire from the main attack. This also allowed our crew chief sitting on the right side of our helicopter the chance to engage the VC who was shooting at us while we were on Siberia’s helipad. However, the VC was no longer visible. Apparently, he pulled a grass and dirt camouflage cover over his head as soon as we took off and we could no longer see his position. We learned later that he must have
re-engaged our aircraft as we went over, because we had several holes in our skids and tail boom when got back to our heliport that afternoon.
“As I remember it, we made three such flights into LZ Siberia from LZ West to bring more American soldiers into the fight and that little bastard VC shot at us on the helipad each time. Miraculously, he never hit our Huey anywhere in the front or any crew member or any infantryman we delivered to Siberia that afternoon. He definitely had to be the worst shot in the VC Army.
“Whoever wrote our award citations only recorded two such insertions. To tell you the truth, I cannot remember exactly, and whether it was two or three does not matter. It was more excitement, chaos, and terror than I ever needed. Most of this time, I was on the radio calling for gunship support and MEDEVAC aircraft to join the fight on LZ Siberia.
“The added firepower we delivered to LZ Siberia, along with some
strategically placed Claymore mines, turned the tide of battle in favor of our friendly forces. As we were leaving, two AH-1G Cobra gunships showed up on station. The enemy force broke contact and slithered back into the jungle to fight another day. A MEDEVAC Huey showed up to extract the wounded from Siberia. We flew back to Key Ha heliport pretty much in silence. Proud of what we had accomplished, scared at what could have happened, and happy to be alive and in one piece. The aircraft had a few holes. I think the A Company maintenance team replaced the skid tubes that night; the sheet metal shop patched the tail boom; the helicopter was given a thorough inspection by the maintenance folks; and I believe it flew again the next morning. I did not fly the next day. I was too busy washing my flight suit. It smelled terrible.
“Epilogue: This mission took place on 30 April 1970. CW2 D’s real name is CW2 Rick Diamond. He is my hero
to this day. A great aircraft commander with amazing flying skills, cool under fire, and a great decision maker. I would fly with him again today or any day.”
A New Jersey native, Van Riper was drafted into the military and started his 20-year career (August 1966 to August 1986) as an enlisted soldier after graduating high school in 1960 and college in 1965. He learned in basic training that as a college graduate, he could attend Officer Candidate School, which he did in June 1967, along with primary flight school at Fort Wolters, Texas, then secondary flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama (now Fort Novosel), where he graduated in mid-July 1968 with orders to go to Vietnam. Those orders were changed and he reported to Fort Hood (Cavazos) and the 2nd Armored Division, where he was stationed four different times. An avid fisherman and quail hunter, Van Riper has been married to his wife, Judy, for 55 years.
Former U.S. Army sergeant continues adjustment to civilian life
By John Clark Herald correspondent
Guadalupe Reazola served six-anda-half years in the military, and she says it has been a struggle adjusting to civilian life since she hung up her service uniform.
“It’s so cool when you get out of the Army,” the 27-year-old Copperas Cove resident said. “You have all this leave (and) you have no obligations, so ... live it up, right? Well, when you don’t have a job or somewhere you have to be, it’s different. It definitely messed up my mind. I didn’t know what my purpose was. I still kinda don’t, but I do know that I’m supposed to be providing for my family.
“It’s just, like, you question what you’re supposed to be doing. Before, you’re going by what they tell you. This is what we’re going to do today. This is where you’re going to go; what you’re going to wear. You just listen.
“Now, you’re trying to get back into a groove that’s going to work for you and understanding a healthy worklife balance. You’re a soldier 24/7, so to be free from that and trying to figure things out is challenging. I feel like I always have to be doing something and that’s not true, because realistically, we all need rest at some point.”
Reazola was born in Delano, California, where she graduated from high school in 2015. Raised by her grandmother, shortly after graduation she headed off to basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Fort Lee, Virginia (now Fort GreggAdams), for AIT. This time, there was an adjustment from civilian life to the military world.
“I immediately regretted my decision,” Lupe said. “I thought, ‘Why did I do this?’
“It was a huge culture shock. One of the reasons I joined was to get out of the town I grew up in. There’s nothing there. A lot of people would get stuck there, not doing anything
with their lives. I didn’t want to be a part of that percentage.
“It was tough at first. When they started yelling and all the crazy stuff, I would cry myself to sleep at night. I’d say it took a couple weeks (to adjust). Once you start talking to other people and hear that they feel pretty much the same, you realized we were all in the same boat. That was one of the really good parts — being able to meet different people from all over.”
After training as a wheeled mechanic, Reazola headed to her first duty station in Korea, an assignment she describes as “another culture shock.” A year later, she was assigned to Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos), where she stayed for the next five years, except for another rotation to Korea and a trip to Europe.
By October 2021, Sgt. Reazola had met and married her future wife, Nikki, and she decided to leave the military. It was a difficult decision in some ways, but with a family that included two children, she decided to make the move.
“I met Nikki in 2018. She had two boys — now they’re 16 and 15 — and hearing about all the things I missed when I was gone, I just decided I couldn’t keep doing it,” Lupe said. “I talked to Nikki about it and she said, ‘I’m going to support you with whatever. I just need you to know that it’s going to get tough.’ And it did. It’s been two years and I’m just now starting to get the flow down of being a veteran. A lot of the reason I joined was to get money for college.
Guadalupe Reazola poses for a photo with her mother, Beckie, in California in 2016.
coUrtesy pHoto
Part of it was the recruiters coming out to school, telling you about all the possibilities. They hooked me. They hooked me good. My half-brother and my cousin were in the military, so that was part of it, too. It’s funny because I haven’t done what I thought I wanted to do. I wanted to be a nurse. My grandma was sick a lot, and we had nurses come in to help take care of her, and I thought, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s what I want to do.’ So to help pay for that, I thought I’d go into the Army, then go to school. Over time, those plans changed.”
When she left the Army, Lupe found a job working at Mars Wrigley Confectionary in Waco, which was great for a while but the commute to and from Copperas Cove eventually proved to be too much.
“They make Snickers and Skittles and Starburst and all that. It was so cool,” she said. “But the pay wasn’t cool. To drive there and back, and only get paid $16.25 and be on a sevenday, rotating schedule, I got burnt out so quick.”
Considering her options at that point, Reazola decided to go to barber school, which she did, but the hair business was slow going for a while, so she decided to take advantage of her military training and go back to school again to study automotive repair. Now, she works as a contractor on Fort Cavazos in automotive supply, and also co-owns The Bookstore Barbershop in Copperas Cove with Nikki. Along with cutting hair, they do a lot of charity work with
fundraisers that help support area veterans’ organizations.
Looking back at her decision to join the military, Lupe says there were good times and bad times during those six-and-a-half years, but if she had the chance, she would do it again.
“Somebody asked me, ‘Would you do it over again?’ I thought about it and said, ‘You know, I would.’
“I learned a lot. There’s some things that I’m trying to unlearn — definitely some things that I’m trying to unlearn — but I don’t regret it at all. I’m where I am now and with the person I’m with. I feel like that overall goal that I was trying to accomplish at 18 — get out of town, go to school — I think I accomplished that. I own my own house. We own our business. I feel good.
“It’s definitely different to be a woman in a man’s world. Realistically, it (the military) is meant for the dudes. It was a little tough, but not too bad. I personally never experienced anything traumatic, like other soldiers have. Small things here and there. When people want to have conversations that are supposed to be uncomfortable, I guess. It’s like they try to make you feel uncomfortable to see if you can handle it.
“As far as being gay in the military, I never had any issues because of that. When I was a sergeant and I had to do a U.A. (urine analysis on a fellow soldier), I was nervous about doing it. I didn’t want somebody to take it the wrong way. Those kinds of fears were always in the back of my mind. I would hate for a female to be like, ‘Oh, well, I feel sexually harassed because Sgt. Reazola was in the restroom with me.’ Wait a minute. Hold on. Just because I like women, you think I am trying to come onto you? That kind of stuff.
“But, overall, I enjoyed being in the military. It blows my mind when I think back about all the things I actually did in the military. It was a great experience.”
Queens, New York, native fed combat troops during deployment to Iraq
By John Clark Herald correspondent
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Barker was a cook throughout his military career, preparing meals and feeding the troops, but when he deployed to Iraq, the tables were turned and he also found himself dodging explosions and firing his M16 and M4 rifles.
A native of Queens, New York, now living in Killeen, Barker served twice during the Persian Gulf war. Both times, it was a busy — and sometimes dangerous — mission.
“Pretty much, in a war zone it’s kind of like half of the (food service) operation is field operations with garrison mixed in. You’re supporting the combat soldier that is downrange — outside the gates — and you’re also supporting the support (troops) back in the rear. So you’re pretty much doing two operations at the same time.
“The difference is, you’re preparing the food inside a building, but then you’re pushing it out and they’re picking it up in trucks and taking it out to the combat area. The food goes out in heavy-duty insulated food containers. The containers are expendable if they get damaged, but mostly when you get them back, you wash them up and get them ready for the next mission. Most of the time, the ‘to-go’ food is more than what you have back in the rear.
“A lot of times, even though I’m a cook by MOS, I spent most of my time in the field, where your rifle is right there with you. You have to carry it at all times. Think about it — you’re in a war zone, so you’ve got to be ready. You have to be qualified (on the firing range) and all that. Cooks do everything that the regular military combat soldier does. We have to cook and we have to jump and move when they jump and move.
“I almost got killed over there twice. I had to go downrange sometimes on patrol in those towns. We had to re-supply, so you’re in trucks deliver-
Retired
ing food and water and ammunition. You’re in a convoy and there you go. We were in downtown Baghdad and they had a place they called Banana Bridge. You have to cross that bridge to go to different areas to re-supply. At that time, they had RPGs on the roof and they fired at us. I actually got stuck in the vehicle — my gear got caught on the GPS — but fortunately for me, they wasn’t a good shot, so it went over the vehicle and exploded.”
Barker grew up in Queens but wound up in Augusta, Georgia, when his dad decided to move the family back to their roots. What was it like for a 16-year-old New York kid moving to the deep South?
“I was scared of everything down south,” he said, laughing. “I had never seen cows and stuff — real cows. I had cousins who lived down there who played with bugs and stuff like that, and I was, like, ‘Oh, no.’
There were a lot of things I didn’t think I would ever get used to.
“It was all right, though. The hospitality was great; the people were great. In New York, people tend to be more … to themselves. It was good to get away from the hustle and bustle of New York, but it was definitely a culture shock.”
After high school, Barker went to work at a nuclear power plant and was enjoying his newfound freedom — not to mention his shiny new paycheck — but when wedding bells
began to ring, he decided he needed a better opportunity.
“I loved my money,” Barker said, “but it was construction, so when it rains, you don’t get paid. I needed me something steady — I was getting married — so I decided to come in (to the military). When I was in high school, I was in JROTC, so the military part was easy for me.
“Even in high school, I was voted most physically fit, so that part was no problem for me, and I was mentally strong coming from New York, so I did fine. I never really got into any kind of trouble in the military. I knew it was just a mind game. Also, I was a little older than most people who go in. I was 21, so I was a little more mature. I knew what it was about. It was easy for me.”
Basic training and AIT were at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. His first duty station was Stuttgart, Germany, from 1982-84, followed by Fort Bliss, Texas, for two years and then a year in Korea. On to Fort Rucker, Alabama (Fort Novosel) and back to Korea in 1990. Next was Fort Benning, Georgia (Fort Moore), then Hawaii in 1995. In 1998, Barker headed to Fort Stewart/ Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia; back to Korea again in 2001; and finally to Fort Hood (Cavazos) in 2002. He retired in December 2005.
After he got out, Barker turned his years of food service experience into a new career inspecting dining facilities on the military post.
“Before we went over to Iraq, I trained civilians to take over and run the dining facility, and then I deployed,” he said. “I had been the dining facility manager several times, so when it came to what they call ‘left seat-right seat,’ I was training them on how to run certain things.
“They had to take over because most of the military was not going to be there. There were a few (soldiers) left — some who were pregnant; some had medical situations — and somebody had to be able to feed them. When I came back, they offered me a
(post-retirement) job.”
Married to wife, Melinda, for 26 years, Barker looks back at his military career with pride and satisfaction. One thing that bothered him a little when he spoke to the Herald in February was the dismal performance by his beloved New York Giants in the 2023-24 football season.
“Before the season started, I seen all the stuff they were going through and I said they were going to win four games. Well, they’ve won five,” the father of five boys said, back in midDecember 2023. “They got rid of all of their good guys. I didn’t agree with some of the decisions they made, and I knew it was going to be a rough year this year. I’m a sports guy. I go to a lot of sporting events — football games; basketball games. I was in just about all sports back in the day. Basketball, baseball, football. That’s why I did airborne, air assault. Anything physical is what I like to do. ...
“I enjoyed my time in the military. I wouldn’t change it. I supported the Rangers for a total of eight years. I had one bad deployment, and it was not because of the Army. It was because of the leadership. If I was a recruiter, I would tell somebody to go for at least two years. If you like it, you’ll stay; if you don’t, you’ll go home, but you’ll be well trained.
“One of the quietest secrets is ... don’t make you own decisions. Listen to everything they say. To me, the easiest job in the Army was a private. As a private, you don’t do anything unless they tell you to. Seriously. That’s where people get in trouble. They want to make decisions on their own (and) do things their way. That is what gets them in trouble.
“You’re sitting there and (if) they don’t tell you nothing, just stay right there. It’s robotic, but it works for you. When they come up in rank and they say, ‘I don’t like the way Sarge do this and do that,’ I always used to tell my soldiers, if you don’t like it, get promoted, and do it your way. That’s the only way you’re going to change it.”
coUrtesy pHoto
Sgt. 1st Class Michael Barker started his military career with basic training and AIT at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Philadelphia native aspired to career in law; became a military attorney
By John Clark Herald correspondent
Retired U.S. Army Col. Cheryl Lewis knew she wanted to become an attorney, but growing up the daughter of a police officer, one problem was going to be how to pay for college and law school.
“The Army wasn’t part of the plan, but If the Army hadn’t come along, I don’t know how I would have gotten to go to college,” said Lewis, a resident of Copperas Cove who served a 30 years in the military. “My parents weren’t in the military. My dad was the youngest in his family (and) his brothers served, but he did not serve. “I was in high school and an Army recruiter showed up at school. The recruiter was actually the professor of military science at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University in Virginia). He came and talked to juniors and seniors, and I came home that evening and told my parents, ‘Hey, I’m going in the Army.’ Of course, they thought I was crazy. Here I am at 16 years old — their oldest child — talking about going into the Army.
“They had to sit down with the guy and talk about everything. My father was a cop in Philadelphia and in Richmond (Virginia). Listening to the recruiter talk, he was talking about the Army offering what they called gifted students scholarships to go to college. Long story short, I got a scholarship (and) the Army paid for my four years at Hampton. In return, I owed them four years of military service. Then, while I was in advanced (ROTC) camp my senior year at Hampton, another recruiter came by and that recruiter was from the JAG Corps.
“The JAG Corps was recruiting ROTC cadets, and that was right in line with what I wanted to do. At that time, the Army was going to bring me into the Adjutant General’s Corps, but if I passed all the right tests, the JAG Corps was going to bring me in there. I got an education-
coUrtesy pHoto
Retired U.S. Army Col. Cheryl Lewis served a total of 30 years in the military, including 26 years in the JAG Corps.
al delay, went to William & Mary Law School, and spent the next 26 years in the JAG Corps.”
Lewis was born in Philadelphia and moved with her family to just outside Richmond, Virginia, when she was 7 or 8 years old. She graduated high school in 1981, met that Army recruiter, and the rest is history.
“I started out doing legal assistance, then branched out into claims, into administrative law, military justice, and ended my career as a staff judge advocate,” said Lewis, who was stationed twice during her career at Fort Hood (Cavazos), at various installations across the U.S., and also in Panama in the early ’90s. “I spent the bulk of my career in various supervisory jobs. I want to say my last 10-12 years in the Army, I was running offices as a staff judge advocate. ... That is the title of the lawyer who is in charge. It’s like the lead partner of a law firm.”
She was involved with all kinds of criminal cases, Lewis says, and each one presented a unique challenge.
“In my business, you sometimes see people on their worst day,” Lewis said. “Everybody is a human being, and sometimes you do things — a lot of things — without thinking. You
“In my business, you sometimes see people on their worst day.”
retired U.s. Army Col. Cheryl Lewis
just react — and you can’t take it back. Once you do it, you can’t take it back. Maybe you didn’t mean to do it, but you did it.
“Unfortunately, sometimes when you do those things, the person who is impacted is not just you. Sometimes people think, ‘Oh, they didn’t hurt anybody.’ Well, yeah they did. That’s the whole reason we have the body of the law. The body of the law is not to protect just you; it’s to protect the community at large. I think sometimes people forget about that. So there are a lot of times when you think, ‘We have to do something, because somebody else was impacted.’”
When she left the service in 2015, Lewis planned on continuing her career as a civilian attorney, but with two children still in school, she wound up taking care of the family.
“I actually did apply to a few places, but as life worked out, I didn’t go to work for any of those places,” she said. “My children were still young when I retired — I had a middle schooler and a high schooler — so I ended up staying home.”
Looking back over the years, Lewis says she marvels now at how things worked out for her.
“A 16-year-old took a chance listening to a recruiter, came home with big dreams and it worked out. I had no idea — no idea — when I listened to that professor of military science, how everything would work out.
“Even while I was at Hampton, I had no idea that I was going to make the military my whole life. I knew I had a four-year commitment. My four-year Reserve time came in at William & Mary — summer (ROTC) training and all that kind of stuff — but at the end of my four years (ac-
tive duty), I could have gotten out.
“In 1985, I pinned on my butter bars for second lieutenant and in 2015 I retired as a full colonel. If someone had told me back in 1981 that I was going to spend a career in the Army, I would have been, like, ‘Me? No way.’
“I bet you that anybody who knew me at that time would have said, ‘Least likely to join the military, and least likely to still be in the military 30 years later.’”
The mother of three and grandmother of two now spends a lot of time doing volunteer work with Star Group—Veterans Helping Veterans, Texas CASA, and at her church in Cove. She also enjoys spending time with a good book.
“I like to read. I’m a lawyer at heart, so I love mysteries and crime stories. I can’t get away from that,” she said, laughing. “I got to have a pretty rewarding career. Thanks to the Army, I got to go to college. I got to go to some fantastic places. I had a sense of fellowship and community with a great number of people; worked with a lot of good people.
“The law is pretty much a thankless job. It didn’t matter which part of the legal office I worked in, it was rare that anybody crossed our threshold on their best days … and it wasn’t like people returned and said, ‘Thank you helping me.’ That wasn’t the nature of our business.
“Nobody thanks you for doing your job; they just want you to do your job.
“People who work in a legal office aren’t allowed to have problems, but we’re expected to solve everybody else’s problems. That’s just the way it works. Somebody walks in, says they have a problem, and they want it fixed yesterday.”
Community invited to Killeen’s Veterans Day parade downtown Monday
Herald staff report
The Central Texas Community Veterans Day Parade will once again march through downtown Killeen at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11, the city announced in a news release.
Starting out next to City Hall on West Avenue D, the procession will travel from College Street to Eighth Street before turning up Eighth street to Sprott Avenue, continuing west to Gray Street and turning down Gray to finish at its intersection with Avenue C.
Spectators are encouraged to arrive early for the best parking and viewing spots.
The annual event is sponsored by the Central Texas Area Veterans Advisory Committee, which includes veterans organizations throughout Killeen as well as Nolanville and Harker Heights. This year’s theme
for the parade will be “honoring all who served.”
Prior to the start, the Department of Veterans Affairs will present Killeen Mayor Debbie Nash-King with a certificate designating the city as one of 56 VA-recognized regional sites across the country this year. Only one other site in Texas, Fort Worth, was selected for the honor.
All are welcome to participate, and the Area Veterans Advisory Committee will accept entries to the parade at www.centex-avac.org through Nov. 10. There is no cost to enter. Any questions or concerns can be directed to parade co-chair Guadalupe Lopez at 254-702-0465.
The Copperas Cove Veterans Day Parade, hosted by Veterans of
Chaparral High School
ROTC marches in Killeen’s 2023 Veterans Day Parade. This year’s parade is at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11. Herald | file
Foreign Wars post 8577, will kick off 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, in front of Fairview Elementary School, 1506 Veterans Ave.
It will make its way from there east on Veterans Avenue before turning onto South Main Street, west on Avenue F, north up First Street and east on Avenue D until finishing at Cove Terrace Shopping Center.
Free meals, retail deals and discounts available for Veterans Day
By Brittany sodiC Herald correspondent
While every day should be one of gratitude and thanks for veterans and active-duty military members, many businesses go the extra mile on Veterans Day. With free meals, discounts, and deals at retail stores and restaurants offered on an around Nov. 11, there’s likely at least one extra benefit that every veteran will be interested in using to their advantage.
Because many of the options below are national stores or franchises, it’s a good idea to double check that the location you are visiting is participating in this year’s deal before you go. And don’t forget to bring your military ID or other form of verification of service to redeem an offer.
restaurants oFFering meals/disCounts
•
The Carlson Law Firm, 100 E. Central Texas Expressway in Killeen, will host the eighth annual Veteran Food Truck Rally from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 8. Veterans and activeduty military members are invited to enjoy a free meal from one of five local food trucks, plus coffee and cupcakes from Black Rifle Coffee Co. Attendees will also receive exclusive, limited-edition swag. Valid military ID or veteran verification is required to participate.
Applebee’s Grill and Bar will offer a free entrée from a curated menu for veterans and active-duty military with a valid ID for the 17th year in a row. This offer is available for dine-in only Nov. 11.
Bar Louie will provide active-duty military and veterans with a free Craft Burger Nov. 11 with a valid ID. Diners can upgrade to an Impossible Burger for $4. This offer is valid for dine-in only.
BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse will offer veterans a free Chocolate Chunk Pizookie with no minimum food purchase for those that dine-in Nov. 11. Veterans will also receive a
•
Killeen Bubba’s 33, 3701 E. Central Texas Expressway, will welcome veterans and active-duty military for a free lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 11. The offer includes the choice of one of six entrees and a drink. For those unable to attend the event, raincheck vouchers will be made available to redeem through May 31, 2025. Verification of service is required to participate.
Buffalo Wild Wings will offer veterans and active-duty service members 10 free boneless wings and fries with valid ID Nov. 11. This is available for dine-in or, if ordering from a Buffalo Wild Wings GO location, available for walk-in or orders placed at the counter only.
• • bounce back coupon for a free appetizer that is valid between Nov. 12 and Dec. 31 that can be used for dine-in or take out.
California Pizza Kitchen will offer veterans and active-duty military members a complimentary meal from a select menu Nov. 11. Diners will also receive a buy-one-get-one offer to redeem for a pizza, pasta, or
salad that can be redeemed from Nov. 12- 25.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill will offer veterans and active-duty military who dine-in from Nov. 8- 10 and order an entrée, a free entrée of equal or lesser value to take home. Veterans can also enjoy afree dine-in appetizer or dessert, as well as a non-alcoholic beverage, Nov. 11. Valid ID is required.
Chili’s will offer active-duty military and veterans a free meal from a select menu Nov. 11 at participating locations. Offer available for dine-in only and military ID is required.
Cracker Barrell will provide a free slice of Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake with an in-store purchase for veterans and active-duty members Nov. 11. Military-themed products are also available for up to 25% off from Oct. 27 to Nov. 13 during Military Family Appreciation Month both in stores and online.
Denny’s will offer veterans and active-duty military personnel a free Original Grand Slambreakfast from 5a.m. to noon Nov. 11. Valid military
ID is required.
Dunkin’ will provide active-duty service members and veterans a free donut Nov. 11. Offer is limited to instore only and one per person.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers will give veterans and active-duty military who visit participating locations on Nov. 11 a meal card valid for a free combo meal of their choice that can be redeemed at a later time through Dec. 31.
Golden Corral will host its Military Appreciation Night from 5 p.m. to close Nov. 11 and veterans and active-duty military can enjoy a free meal while dining in.
Hooters will offer a free meal from a special menu for veterans and active-duty military with a purchase of a beverage. Offer is valid for dine-in only.
IHOP will provide its free Red, White, and Blueberry Pancakes meal to veterans and active-duty military at participating locations. A valid military ID or proof of service is
Carlson Law firm will host its eighth annual Veterans Day Food Truck Rally on Nov. 8 to thank and honor military members who protect our country’s freedom.
required, and offer is good for dine-in only.
In-N-Out Burger will provide veterans, active-duty military, reserves, and National Guard members a complimentary meal that includes a burger, fries, and a beverage Nov. 11. Proof of service is required.
Olive Garden will offer a complimentary entree from a special Veterans Day menu to veterans and active-duty members who dine-in and show valid military ID Nov. 11.
Logan’s Roadhouse will offer veterans a complimentary meal from a special menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 11 at participating locations.
Red Lobster will provide veterans, active-duty military and reservists with a free Veteran’s Shrimp & Chip, with a side of fries and coleslaw Nov. 11. Offer is valid for dine-in only and proof of service is required to redeem.
•
Red Robin is offering veterans and
active-duty military a free Red’s Big Tavern Burger and Bottomless Side for dine-in only Nov. 11.
Starbucks will provide a free 12ounce hot or iced brewed coffee for veterans, active-duty service members, and military spouses Nov. 11 at participating locations.
Texas Roadhouse will offer activeduty military and veterans who dine in from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 11 with a free meal voucher that can be used at a later time through May 30, 2025. Offer is valid with purchase from a special Veterans Day menu only.
TGI Fridays will provide veterans and active-duty military members with a free meal from a select menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 11.
Twin Peaks will offer veterans and active-duty military a free lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 11. They can choose from a cheeseburger, chicken tenders, Caesar salad, or chicken street tacos. If they make a donation to Tunnel to Towers, they will also receive a $5 card off their
next meal in December.
store and retail disCounts
Academy Sports and Outdoors is offering active-duty service members and veterans 10% off an online or instore purchase from Oct. 20 to Nov. 11.
Amazon will offer a 20% discount on select items for Veterans Day. No military ID is required.
AutoNation will provide activeduty military, veterans, and their spouses with a 20% discount on all services in-store at AutoNationbranded locations nationwide from Nov. 11- 16.
Great Clips will offer veterans and active-duty military members with either a free haircut on Nov. 11 or a card for a free haircut to be redeemed during a future visit.
Rack Room Shoes will provide a 20% discount for veterans and activeduty military, as well as their families, on in-store purchases made Nov. 11.
Sims Automotive Repair, 801 Leonhard St. in Copperas Cove, will
offer 50 free oil changes to veterans on Nov. 11. Participants must sign-up at the shop by Nov. 6 to redeem this offer.
Sport Clips will provide free haircuts to veterans and active-duty military members, as well as donate $2 for every paid haircut service provided Nov. 11.
Target is offering a 10% discount for active-duty personnel, veterans, and their families from Oct. 27toNov. 11 both in-store and online.
Tractor Supply Company will provide active-duty military and veterans a 10% discount Nov. 11. To redeem the offer, the Hometown Heroes verification process through Neighbor’s Club must be completed.
The Vitamin Shoppe will give veterans and active-duty military a 25% discount for purchases in-store Nov. 11.
Walgreens will provide a 20% discount on regular price eligible store items to veterans, active-duty military, and family from Nov. 8- 11.
