2016 SALUTE
TO SERVICE
HONORING CENTRAL TEXAS VETERANS
2016 Salute to Service |
Inside this issue Veterans Day a time to honor those who serve
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Free veterans day events, promotions
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Veteran Profile: Retired Master Sgt. William Wilson
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Veteran Profile: Retired Sgt. 1st Class Acquanetta Pullins
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Veteran Profile: Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Elijah King Jr.
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Group plans local Vietnam War memorial
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Ceremony honors POW/MIA
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Local vets receive congressional commendation
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Vets for Vets holds fundraiser for programs
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Central Texans make sure veteran gets proper burial
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Peer-to-peer support groups help veterans
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2016 Salute to Veterans | A Fort Hood Herald publication. Contact Us Editorial: news@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7542 Advertising: 254-501-7500 | Circulation: 254-501-7400 On the cover: Clockwise from top left: retired Command Sgt. Maj. Elijah King Jr., retired Master Sgt. William Wilson and retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Acquanetta Pullins. Photos by Eric J. Shelton, Amy Proctor and David A. Bryant.
| 2016 Salute to Service
Find more news at forthoodherald.com.
Veterans Day a time to honor those who serve
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s Veterans Day comes once again, it’s important to remember the sacrifices made by all veterans, both those who served in peacetime and those who served during wartime. It’s also important to remember those family members who have stood by their veterans during their time of service and after, as their service members readjusted to life after the military. Serving in the military, regardless of which branch of service, isn’t easy. Whether it’s training, deployment or a nine-month rotation to any of a dozen areas of the world, service members spend a lot of time away from home. They sacrifice their personal and family time to train or fight for this great nation. This year has seen great triumphs and loss for veterans — to include
sarge’s corner David A. Bryant
those still serving in uniform. The Nov. 5, 2009, Fort Hood Shooting Memorial, honoring the 13 people killed and more than 30 wounded in the tragic shooting, officially opened in Killeen. And last December, hundreds of thousands of veterans mourned the loss of Elizabeth Laird, known as the Fort Hood Hug Lady. Her loss will be felt for many years to come by those returning to
Fort Hood from around the world. The communities surrounding Fort Hood are filled with veterans, many of whom ensure the great things that happen in this area are done to honor our active-duty service members and veterans. Many of those serving as mayors or council members are veterans themselves. Here at the Herald, it’s our job to tell the stories of those veterans and soldiers to highlight the great things we can accomplish as a community, together. Some of those stories you have heard before — other stories are waiting to be told. What is important is that they are told, and not just on Veterans Day, but every day. As a retired soldier, I love interviewing my fellow veterans and soldiers. I love learning about
where they’re from, what they’ve gone through and how they became the outstanding individuals who continue to serve long after they take off the uniform. It keeps me connected, and the sense of camaraderie within the veteran community keeps alive the one thing we all miss when we leave active service — the military family we always know we can count on. On this Veterans Day, we’ll be telling some of the stories of veterans who served during times of strife, from World War II to the War on Terror. And there are plenty of stories still to tell. So if you know a veteran or soldier with a good story to tell, please give me a call. David Bryant is an Army retiree and the military editor for the Killeen Daily Herald. You can reach him at dbryant@ kdhnews.com or 254-501-7554.
2016 Salute to Service |
Parade leads free events, promotions on Veterans Day Veterans Day Parade in Killeen The annual Veterans Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the corner of College Street and Avenue D in Killeen. The route will follow along Avenue D to Eighth Street, north up to Sprott Street, west to Gray Street, south to Avenue C and then continue west before ending at College Street. More than 75 floats and high school participants signed up for the parade. A short ceremony will occur at 10:30 a.m. in front of City Hall prior to the parade where a certificate from the Veterans Administration will be presented to Mayor Jose Segarra for the city’s efforts in honoring the nation’s veterans. For more information on the parade, a map of the route or to register to participate, visit avaccentex.com.
Chas Skelly Meet and greet UFC fighter Chas Skelly, who will be signing autographs at the III Corps Express from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 11. The III Corps Express is at the corner of T.J. Mills Boulevard and 761st Tank Battalion Avenue.
Army Corps of Engineers Recreation Areas The U.S. Army Corps of Engi-
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Eric J. Shelton | Herald
Fort Hood soldiers participate in the 2015 Veterans Day parade in downtown Killeen.
neers is waiving all day use fees at more than 2,400 recreation areas nationwide. This waiver is available to all veterans, active and reserve component service members, and their families. Only verbal confirmation of service is required.
Great Clips Free Haircut On Veterans Day, customers who come in for a haircut at any U.S. Great Clips salon will receive a free haircut card to give to an active/inactive/retired military member of
any branch, including the National Guard. Veterans can also visit any U.S. Great Clips salon on Nov. 11 to get either a free haircut that day or to pick up a free haircut card to use later.
Home Depot
Golden Corral
Home Depot offers a free “Build a Veterans Day Jet” workshop for children ages 5-12 to help teach them about Veterans Day. Event is from 9 a.m. to noon while supplies last. Register online, or arrive at the allotted time, while supplies last. A 10 percent discount is also offered to all other military veterans on Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Veterans Day.
On Nov. 14, from 5 to 9 p.m., Golden Corral offers a free sit-in “thank you” dinner for military veterans, retirees, and active duty members.
Hooters Free Meal Hooters invites all veterans and current servicemen and women to a Hooters Veterans Day free meal from their select Veterans Day menu by presenting a military ID or proof of service at any Hooters location across the country on Nov. 11.
Lowes Home Improvement Lowes honors all Veterans on three specific holidays: Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Veterans Day. During these three holiday weekends, Lowes extends a discount to all veterans who served honorably and who present a valid Form DD214 or other proof of service.
Meineke Free Oil Change This Veterans Day, all veterans and active duty will receive a free basic oil change at participating Meineke locations.
Sports Clips Free Haircut Many Sport Clips locations will offer free haircuts to active-duty U.S. service members and veterans on Veterans Day with proof of service.
U.S. National Park Service Free Admission The U.S. National Park Service is
IHOP Eric J. Shelton | Herald
Myah Williams, of Girl Scout Troop 6183, holds a flag in her mouth while saluting as she participates in the 2015 Veterans Day parade in Killeen.
waiving fees at most of its day-use recreation sites over the Veterans Day holiday weekend. Go online to find a national forest or grassland near you.
Free admission to the Bush Presidential Library & Museum The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station will honor military members and their families again this Veterans Day by offering free admission to all active duty, retirees, veterans, reservists, National Guard, Coast Guard members and their families. Free admission is available for one service member and up to five members of his or her family.
To commemorate the contribution of veterans to the success of the Gulf War, the Presidential Library will give a free copy of the book “25th Anniversary: The Liberation of Kuwait” to Gulf War veterans and their family members. Books will be available at the admission desk while supplies last.
Western Union Western Union is offering consumers the opportunity to make U.S. domestic money transfers — and transfers to and from U.S. military bases around the world where Western Union has a retail Agent location — for zero fee on Veterans Day using promo code HERO.
On Veterans Day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., participating IHOP Restaurants around the nation will be honoring the brave men and women who have served, or are serving, in the United States military by offering them free Red, White and Blue pancakes. Select IHOP restaurants will also offer a combo of two eggs, hash browns and choice of two bacon strips or pork sausage links as part of the promotion. The promotion is for retired and active-duty military personnel.
Applebee’s Veterans and active-duty military can select a free meal from a limited menu for Veteran’s Day. Proof of service is required. For a complete list of participating restaurants, go to www.thebalance.com/veterans-day-free-meals-1357348.
2016 Salute to Service |
Photos by AMY PROCTOR | HERALD
Valor Quilt recipient retired U.S. Army Master Sgt. William Wilson listens during a ceremony honoring his service in World War II and the Korean War on Oct. 30 in Killeen. Wilson enlisted in the Army on Nov. 7, 1939, and is 98 years old. | 2016 Salute to Service
‘I always wanted to serve’
Killeen resident, World War II vet recalls trek through Europe, Korea By Artie Phillips
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FORT HOOD Herald
ome people spend much of their young adult lives trying to figure out what they want to do as a career. It generally takes a lot of soul searching, and sometimes several years of college taking general studies courses before a person is ready to commit to a life path. Retired Master Sgt. William Wilson, a resident at Rosewood Living Center in Killeen, never had to do any of that. “I always knew I wanted to go into the Army,” he said. “I always wanted to serve.” Wilson, 98, was born on a farm in Arkansas on Aug. 27, 1918. Soon after he turned 21, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, joining up in 1939 near the start of World War II. “I joined up as a combat medic, got through basic training, then left New York, went through the Strait of Gibraltar up to southern France, and landed in Marseille, France, in 1944,” he said. “I saw six months of combat before the war ended.” When Wilson went to war, he was a member of the 103rd Infantry Division, and worked hard to protect the members of his regiment.
Europe
“Throughout the war, I was in France, Germany, Austria, and Italy, working to evacuate casualties and help the wounded,” he said. “We sent them to M.A.S.H. hospitals and field hospitals. I’d see between 30 and 60 patients every day while I was there.” It was rare that Wilson would end the day in the same place he started. In World War II, the 103rd marched the entire length of France to reach
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Jean Wilson, left, presents a valor quilt to retired U.S. Army Master Sgt. William Wilson during an Oct. 30 ceremony at the Rosewood Living Center in Killeen. Wilson, 98, served in World War II and the Korean War.
Belgium during the German occupation, then headed south to reach Austria before the war ended. While Wilson said he mostly enjoyed his time in the service, he grew somber as he remembered the amount of wounded he saw as a combat medic. “Some days there were so many casualties, we had to stack them up outside of the building in a pup tent,” he said. “We managed to save a lot of people, but we lost a lot of people, too.” After the war, Wilson spent several years in Europe, enjoying what he called an “extended vacation.”
“After the war, I spent three years over there in occupation, and I went everywhere,” he said. “One day I managed to see the changing of the guard at the Buckingham Palace, and that was amazing to see. “Another time, we went to Venice, Italy, and we actually got to go down the Grand Canal,” Wilson said. “We were on one of those little boats with the man in the back, poling us up and down the canals. Venice is an amazing city, and it has the juiciest fruit that I have ever eaten. Every bite would cause juice to drip down your chin.”
Korea
Unfortunately, the exploration could not last forever, as Wilson was shipped to Korea in 1951 for the Korean War. “As soon as we touched down on the Korean shore, we hiked inland 18 miles to our designated staging area,” he said. “We started preparing and scouting the area while our vehicles were assembled down on the beach.” Wilson said he would hike and scout most every day while in Korea, getting the lay of the land and learning the area. He said most Continued 2016 Salute to Service |
Photos by AMY PROCTOR | HERALD
Retired U.S. Army Master Sgt. William Wilson’s grandson, Travis Wilson, left, and son, retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Wilson, hold the World War I veteran’s valor quilt during an Oct. 30 ceremony at the Rosewood Living Center in Killeen.
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of the time he didn’t have problems with the constant hiking, but the worst days were when it rained. “One day we were out on a hike when a strong flash flood hit,” Wilson said. “When we got back to camp we found that it had washed all of our pup tents down flat to the ground, and everything was soaking wet. Flash floods were the worst.” Wilson said he thought flash floods were the worst only outside of fighting. He said he still thinks everyday about the combat he saw in Korea. “One night the Chinese attacked our location, and just swarmed the place,” Wilson said. “We could fight a hundred of them, maybe, but we couldn’t fight a thousand. We couldn’t fight ten thousand.” Wilson said they were pushed back from their position in the night, and when they were able to return in the morning, they found a taunt that had been left for them by the enemy. “In the middle of the field was the
body of one our officers that had been killed in the night,” Wilson said. “They just left him out there, posed. Every time one of our men would try to go out and get him, they would gun him down. He was out there for three days before we could get to him.” At this, Wilson became quiet for a time, lost in memories. ... “I think about the soldiers I saw die every day,” he said, tearing up. When he returned from the Korean War, Wilson remained in the Army for several more years before eventually retiring in 1960. Even after he retired from active duty, he still was not done working with the military. He immediately began working for the Veterans Affairs hospital in Temple for 15 years. During his time in the Army, Wilson received two Bronze Stars for serving as a combat medic in two different wars. Despite the hardships he suffered and saw, he still remembers his time in the service fondly.
Items showing important moments in the life of retired U.S. Army Master Sgt. William Wilson are displayed at a valor quilt ceremony.
“Doing something for someone else, seeing the results and seeing
you made a difference — you feel good,” Wilson said. “We saved a lot
of lives all over the world.” artie@kdhnews.com
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Photos by DAVID A. BRYANT | HERALD
Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Acquanetta Pullins served her country as a medic in the psychiatric ward of various Army hospitals. 12 | 2016 Salute to Service
Fighting on the battleground of the mind By David A. Bryant
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Fort Hood Herald
ot every veteran fought overseas during times of war — some faced a different kind of battle back
home. For Killeen resident Acquanetta Pullins, a retired Army sergeant first class, that battlefield began in 1972 during the Vietnam conflict. As a medic in the psychiatric ward of various Army hospitals, Pullins helped soldiers returning from an unpopular war fight inner demons of depression, anger, anxiety, alcoholism, drug addiction and what is now called post-traumatic stress. And she did it during a time when women were still segregated into the Women’s Army Corps. “When I joined the Army, I joined the Women’s Army Corps. We were all women units, all women training posts,” Pullins said. “It wasn’t long after that women were training with men. At the time I joined, I didn’t think that would ever be possible. As far as how I was treated as a woman in the military, there was a lot of camaraderie in the psych unit because you depended on each other. At the
Retired Sgt. 1st Class Acquanetta Pullins shows mementos from her service in the Women’s Army Corps.
time, I felt I was accepted as a young soldier. But when I became a (noncommissioned officer in charge), acceptance was a little different. There
weren’t that many women NCOICs at that time.” Abolishing the Women’s Army Corps and making women a part of
the regular Army was the best thing that could happen to women, she said. Continued
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“We were able to get rank, good assignments. We knew men weren’t going to be happy with the idea, but that was their problem as far as I was concerned,” she said. “I was going to make the best of it — I was going to go to school, be involved as much as I could and do the best for me and my family.
‘Part of the Army’
Pullins grew up as a military brat and enjoyed the travelling she did until her father retired. It was the desire to continue that lifestyle that led her to join the Army herself. “It was what I knew, what I appreciated. The thought of joining the military as a woman never crossed my mind. I just wanted to be a part of the Army,” she said. “I started off going to nursing school right out of high school, because it’s what my parents wanted me to do. I finished a semester of nursing school and it came time for us to start doing bed baths and bed pans and I said, this is not what I’m going to do. So I quit
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nursing school and then told my parents. They asked me what I was going to do now and I told them I was going in the Army.” Pullins recruiter found her what she described as the perfect job — working as a psychiatric technician. While she didn’t go to Vietnam herself, she would soon find herself on the flight line at places such as Fort Dix, N.J., and Landstuhl, Germany, waiting to pick up soldiers fresh from the war who were dealing with the problems of an unpopular war. “For me, it was a matter of seeing people in pain and in need, hearing their stories and trying to give them hope that things would be better and that it would be all right. You heard the stories of living at that time, of the Vietnam War, people not being happy about us being there and the welcome home issue that soldiers did not get,” she said. “But when they came to our unit, they did get that welcome home in the sense that we took care of them. We tried to help them straighten out their lives
Acquanetta Pullins shares a scrapbook from her days in the Women’s Army Corps.
and find hope through treatment, be discharged and reunited with their families. Looking at what their future was going to look like. That was our job.”
Fulfilling job
And it was a fulfilling job, one she would continue until she retired at Fort Hood in 1993 after Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. “It taught me a lot about people — people in pain, having to go through changes and adjustments after what they had seen, and always at the same time treating them like people. That’s what they were,” Pullins said. “One of the most rewarding parts was when a soldier was discharged and having them come back and say, ‘Thank you for treating me like a person.’ That was what it was all about. Because seeing what was happening on the TV, how these soldiers really weren’t welcome ... But here they had a chance to adjust and get prepared to go back out in the world.”
Many of the issues she saw over time remained the same. Separation issues, adjustment issues and problems caused by domestic problems. Probably the biggest change she said she saw as the 1980s came around was an increase in seeing family members. “We saw a lot of separation issues in terms of people having to adjust to being in a foreign country. You’re looking at young people, young wives, who would come over with their spouses and then that spouse is always in the field,” she said. “They’re trying to figure out what they are going to do and wanting to go back home. The military did change a lot — but the reasons people came to the psychiatric unit remained the same.”
Battles to fight
While Pullins didn’t go to combat, she said she had her own battles to fight at the psychiatric unit. “We had to tackle people often, use
restraints and if need be, medications. That was just a normal, everyday work day. You had to defuse situations, try to talk them down, and that wasn’t always possible,” she said. “They often became combative, violent. That’s the nature of working in an environment like that, and I accepted it. I did it for 20 years. That was just part of the job. But at the same time, when you have someone restrained because they were out of control, you still sat and talked with them, tried to reason with them. They may be hallucinating, totally out of touch with normal reality, but they are still a person and you just have to try and work through their issues.” Not every story was a success, but Pullins said the most satisfying part of the job was watching a soldier be discharged from the psych unit under their own power, able to care for themselves once more. And after she retired, she continued to do what she could to help her fellow veterans.
“It’s what I know, what I do and what I believe in. It would be hard to sit at home and not get involved, because you see the need. My plan was to go home, sew and work in my garden, but I was home for only a week until I realized I have the knowledge, the information and the ability. You run into people and realize you can help them,” she said. “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve been military my whole life. It’s what I do and what I continue to do.” Overall, women have achieved a lot in the military and will continue to do so, she said. “It’s unusual to run across people today who have negative things to say about women in the military, but you work where you can make a difference. It’s what the military did for me,” Pullins said. “I was able to make a difference in my life, in others lives, and it was the best thing for me. I would do it all over again.” dbryant@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7554
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Elijah King Jr.: ‘I refuse to fade away’ By Abbey Sinclair
‘
O
Herald correspondent
ld soldiers never die, they just fade away” intones the ballad of the III Corps Retiree Medley, but retired Command Sgt. Maj. Elijah King Jr. has no interest in such things. “I refuse to fade away, I’m here to serve the community,” he said. “We don’t live this life for ourselves, but to help our fellow man. After 35 years in the Army, that mindset tends to carry over into civilian life.” Born and raised in Tuskegee, Ala., the retired command sergeant major attended Florida A&M University before joining the Army in 1977. “It was a difficult time economically and financially for my family, but the military was common ground for us,” he said, noting that his father had served in the Navy, and both his younger and older brother also served in the Army.
A long resume
After training at Fort Sill, Okla., King reported to Fort Hood for his first duty station with the 2nd Armored Division. After other stints in Germany, New York and Korea, King deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991. He served multiple times at Fort Hood and Korea. Upon the completion of Sergeant Major Academy, he served in multiple units before heading to Operation Iraq Freedom I. Upon returning from the OIF I he remained with 4th Division and was appointed as the Command Sergeant Major 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He is the recipient of numerous awards and decorations. Among them are the prestigious Legion of Merit and three Bronze Star medals for service in combat operations. 16 | 2016 Salute to Service
These days, King keeps busy. He is the co-chair with retired Gen. J.D. Thurman of the III Corps/Fort Hood Retiree Council. From 2010 to 2014, King also served as Fort Hood’s representative reporting to the Army Chief of Staff, traveling each year to the Pentagon to discuss issues and provide recommendations about matters that concern and affect retired soldiers. After three and a half decades of service to his nation, King retired in 2007.
Reflections
Decades in the military has given King a clear perspective on life and those around him. “Living that life wasn’t always easy,” he said. “The constant separation from loved ones is tough — with the younger soldiers, and even among senior leaders, many experienced divorce. Throw in posttraumatic stress disorder, which is a very real thing, and family members just can’t understand what their soldier went through. When you see your best friend blown away, it does something to you. A lot of soldiers come back unable to deal with some of the things they’ve experienced.” King, who is himself remarried, said he nevertheless always encouraged his soldiers to try to seek help for themselves and their relationships through avenues such as counseling or talking with a chaplain. “I would tell anyone — do whatever it takes,” he said. The retired soldier also spoke somberly of lives lost. “On my second brigade rotation, we lost 53 soldiers,” he said. “My most traumatic loss was five soldiers in 3-16 Field Artillery that I lost in an IED vehicle attack in 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07. I had trained these soldiers before I moved up to brigade.
Each one of those soldiers, I knew personally. Losing them brought the reality of war even closer.” Despite the challenges and hardships of military life, King emphasized there were also many lifelong memories made. One such recollection centered around a particularly memorable night in Iraq during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. “My commander needed someone to stay and wait for our engineers to come and dig out firing pits (for our howitzers), so I volunteered,” he said. “There I was, along with my driver, in the middle of the Iraq desert all alone. It was very dark and we were wide awake all night. We were so frightened — terrified — and no more than a few miles from Iraq units. We didn’t sleep for 24 hours straight,” he chuckled. Another memory involved King’s first support mission to Kuwait in 1993 with Task Force 1-9 of the 1st Cavalry Division, his first of three support missions. “I reported to the Task Force Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Minosky to let him know we had arrived,” he recounted. He asked “who are you and why are you here?” I informed him that I was his heavy artillery support. “He said, ‘Well, I don’t have anywhere for you guys to stay, but there is an abandoned Iraqi barracks about 5 kilometers to the east, you can occupy those. There’s just one thing, though — you have to cross a minefield to get there.’ Frank
lives here in Central Texas and is one of my very best friends. I’ve never let him live that down,” King said, laughing.
Past, Present, future
King, who is married Debbie Nash-King, is also a father of four: Celeste Smith, Stephanie, Elijah III, Elizabeth Nash; and a grandfather to Brandon Smith and Sassy King (family dog). Joining him in retirement is his younger brother Ronald, who also retired from the Army in 2001 as a the 82nd Airborne Division, Medical Center Operations Sergeants Major, making the pair, at that time, one of only eight siblings to retire out of the Army at that rank. His daughter Stephanie continued the family’s commitment by serving five years in the Air Force Nurse Corps. These days, King keeps busy. He is the co-chair with retired Gen. J.D. Thurman of the III Corps/Fort Hood Retiree Council. From 2010 to 2014, King also served as Fort Hood’s representative reporting to the Army Chief of Staff, traveling each year to the Pentagon to discuss issues and provide recommendations about matters that concern and affect retired soldiers, a tour of which King states he is rather proud. Most recently he was recognized by Congressman John Carter as a recipient of the prestigious Congressional Veterans Commendation. Additionally, King serves as the chairman of the Area Veteran’s Advisory Committee Central Texas, where he has been a member since 2008. He is a member of the Lifeway Fellowship Church in Killeen. King is pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership. Looking toward the future, “I’m just looking at life with open eyes, taking care of others,” he said. “We do not live this life to serve ourselves but to serve others.”
Photos by DAVID A. BRYANT | HERALD
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Elijah King Jr. holds the Congressional Record at his home in Killeen. 2016 Salute to Service | 17
Central Texas group plans local Vietnam War Memorial By Valerie L. Valdez
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Herald correspondent
ill Whittaker walked through the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery three years ago for the dedication of the Korean War memorial, but the Vietnam veteran felt something was missing. There was no memorial for the Vietnam War. “I thought, ‘That’s not right, and we have to do something about it,’” said Whittaker, president of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 1000. That started the ball rolling for the fundraising and design of a Vietnam memorial at the cemetery. In a chapter meeting at VFW Post 3892 in Harker Heights on Monday, board members discussed their fund-raising efforts and the memorial’s design. “This memorial will be “dedicated to the men and women who died in Vietnam,” he said. “We have raised $43,000 for the memorial, and paid $12,000 down for the four black granite panels.” The total for the panels is $23,400, with costs for the engraving estimated at about $20,000. The granite panels are coming from a quarry in India and will be engraved by Central Texas Memorial Company in Belton. Emerson Construction Company in Temple is donating the founda-
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Artist’s rendering | Courtesy of Troy Kelley
tion the memorial will stand on. Donations for the memorial have come from local churches, businesses, private citizens and some other veteran and civic organizations. Salado sculptor and Vietnam veteran Troy Kelley, who designed the Fort Hood Nov. 5, 2009, Memorial, offered his design services for free. “It’s basically a combination of all Vietnam veterans in the Central Texas area, but Chapter 1000 has taken the lead on the memorial with all the fundraising,” Kelley said. “As I thought about the design, I realized ‘The Wall’ in Washington, D.C., is the iconic symbol of the Vietnam War,” he said. So his design resembles “The Wall.” The memorial will stand 6
feet tall and slope to 4 feet, measuring 12 feet wide. Its 126-degree angle matches the angle of “The Wall” and each panel is 8 inches thick. A 5-foot-wide, handicap-accessible sidewalk will surround the memorial, which will be located below the bell tower with a bench in front. Additional funds may be needed to pay for the sidewalk. The headline is WELCOME HOME. Also on the panels are the five seals of the services and the seals of the Vietnam Commemoration. Located on the far right panel will be the POW /MIA seal. Below the seals will be personal sayings and quotes of Vietnam veterans. Don Kennedy, a Vietnam veteran and Chapter 1000 treasurer, wrote
a poem about the war before he recently died that Kelley wants to include as the first engraved quote. Along the bottom of the panels will be engraved images depicting the equipment used by each service branch during the war, like the F-4 aircraft, a Swiftboat and a Huey helicopter. One of the quotes is from authors Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway, who wrote, “The country that sent us off to war was not there to welcome us home.” That statement sums up what occurred to many Vietnam veterans, Kelley edited. To donate to the project, checks can be mailed to Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1000, P.O. Box 2123, Harker Heights, TX 76548.
POW/MIA tribute says soldiers ‘never forgotten’ By Kyle Blankenship
F
Fort Hood Herald
or the families and friends of more than 1,600 missing or unaccounted American military, the search is still on, said retired Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch at the National POW/MIA Recognition Day on Sept. 16 at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood. The annual event honors those U.S. military members listed as captured or missing in war and was hosted by the Armed Forces E9 Association and III Corps. Earl Williams, with the Armed Forces E9 Association and the host for the event, said that events like these are important for the families, friends and comrades of those still lost. “We just hope it brings a little peace,” Williams said. “We just want them to know that you are not forgotten.” More than 20 wreaths presented from veterans groups were arranged in front of the memorial as family members of POWs/MIAs looked on. The POWs/MIAs represented stretched back as far as World War II. The veterans groups represented were national and local and included the VFW posts from Killeen, Copperas Cove and Harker Heights,
Amy Proctor | Herald
Retired Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch speaks at a Sept. 16 ceremony for National POW/MIA Recognition Day on Fort Hood.
the national Military Order of the Purple Heart, and organizations representing veterans of the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf wars. The event also featured the Texas Killed in Action Memorial, which features the faces and names of more than 690 Texans who have been killed in combat from 2001 to 2014, eight of whom were servicewomen. The memorial is permanently kept at the Military Order of
the Purple Heart in San Antonio. Lynch, the keynote speaker for the event, said most of the American public is unaware of the cost of war — a price that POWs/MIAs pay in every conflict. “This is really important,” Lynch said. “Based on polls, only one percent of Americans have served in the military and about 76 percent don’t know exactly what the military goes through. Let’s make it a
point of letting Americans know that there is a cost to freedom.” This year’s event focused on the 1,618 Americans still listed as missing or unaccounted for during the conflict in Vietnam. For Lynch, history has treated those who served in Vietnam unfairly — an historical injustice that needs to end. “I was blessed when I came back from Iraq and Afghanistan that I could barely walk four feet in the airport without being thanked for serving,” Lynch said. “(Vietnam vets) weren’t only not thanked, they had to change their clothes in the airport because they were spit on. But Lynch also said that POW/ MIAs of all wars are still underappreciated by an American public that shows little appreciation for the American flag and the values it represents. “When I see people disrespecting our flag, I am heartbroken. If they had been at this event, they would know that freedom isn’t free.” Lynch also discussed the ongoing attempts to locate and account for the Vietnam missing. Despite progress made in establishing search efforts in Laos and Cambodia, the funding for these projects has been hard to come by. “We need to take accounting for these 1,600 or so people seriously,” he said. “Families are still grieving.”
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Amy Proctor | Herald
Ten veterans were honored Oct. 22 at Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen at the second annual Congressional Veterans Commendation ceremony hosted by U.S. Rep. John Carter. Nine of the 10 veterans from Texas District 31 were present to receive awards.
Local veterans honored with congressional commendation By Quinton Lilley
I
Fort Hood Herald
n front of nearly 150 residents, family and active-duty military personnel, 10 veterans were honored at a Congressional Veterans Commendation ceremony at Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen on Oct. 22. The group of honored veterans included eight from the Army, one
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former Marine and one former sailor. The Army veterans included retired Lt. Gen. Pete Taylor, a former III Corps and Fort Hood commander, and retired Sgt. Maj. Elijah King. The other former soldiers are: Donald Schliesser, Otis Evans, Shirley Stevens, Frank Thompson, George White and Robert Halverson, who was unable to attend. Also honored were Roberto Vasquez, a former Marine corporal,
and Troy Cole Sr., a former sailor. “I am honored to be included with this tremendous groups of veterans,” Taylor said. “Sometimes, veterans are forgotten about, but this kind of honor makes it all worth the sacrifice.” Schliesser, a former Army specialist, said: “This has been the highlight if my military life, I am truly humbled and honored.” U.S. Rep, John Carter, R-Round
Rock, handed out the commendations to the veterans. “This is one of the great things I get to do, to honor these fantastic veterans for all they’ve done for out country is a duty I take great pleasure in.” Many of the retired veterans who were honored on Saturday still live in the Killeen area including King, who had the best quote of the day saying: “Old soldiers never die, and I refuse to fade away.”
Vets for Vets benefit raises funds for local groups By Bob Massey
T
Herald Correspondent
he Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association’s Central Texas Chapter 23-5 hosted its fifth annual Vets for Vets fundraiser Sept. 3 at the Pit Stop Bar and Grill off Farm-to-Market 439 in Nolanville. James Kincaid, owner of the establishment, said a goal of $10,000 had been set with proceeds benefitting the Fort Hood USO and the Veterans Memorial at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen. “We raised close to $9,000 last year,” Kincaid said. About 500 veterans and their families were expected to attend this year’s occasion and participate in a wide variety of activities, including the awarding of door prizes, a live auction, 50/50 drawing, items on sale from six vendors and a presentation of official pins to 17 survivors as part of the national commemoration of the 50-year anniversary of the Vietnam War. Musical entertainment was provided by Greg Showman and the Back Creek Band of Kempner and Lady Zion and the Babylon Boys. Bobby Henline, a veteran who was wounded in the Iraq War, turned his personal tragedy around and eventually became a popular comedian. This was his second appearance at
Amy Proctor | Herald
A Vets for Vets fundraiser to help Fort Hood USO and the Central Texas National Cemetery Vietnam Memorial at The Pit Stop Bar and Grill in Nolanville was hosted by the Combat Vets Motorcycle Association on Sept. 3. People bought raffle tickets to help support the fundraiser.
the Vets for Vets fundraiser. The entry fee of $10 included the entertainment and a barbecue plate with pulled pork or chopped beef with all the trimmings. “I’d just like to say thanks to the community for coming out and supporting us,” said Kincaid, a retired
veteran with more than 20 years of military service. Victor Trujillo, commander of Central Texas Chapter 23-5 of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, said: “In the past, we’ve raised funds to buy items for the veterans home in Temple, Operation
Phantom Support and Fisher House on Fort Hood.” Other sponsors were United Clubs of Waco, Operation Phantom Support, Black Moon Tattoos, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and Texas Barbeque and Steakhouse.
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Vets groups band together to ensure veterans receive proper burials By David A. Bryant
I
Fort Hood Herald
t was a situation no veteran wants to face — one which stressed James Cogan until shortly before his death Sept. 9 at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Temple. Cogan, a Purple Heart Medal recipient, had been exposed to the side effects of Agent Orange in 1972 after being drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam, making it impossible for him to find a life insurance company who would give him a policy. Because of it, he and his family were unsure how they would come up with the money to bury him. “All of the support is so good, because we started with nothing,” said Cogan’s wife, San Juana ‘Janie’ Cogan, at his funeral Sept. 13 at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery. “Nobody could insure my husband because of his pre-existing conditions. But with the help of Mr. Eddie Bell, we got things started and got to where we are now.” Bell, a local veteran and the state president for the Korean War Veterans Association, immediately set about ensuring Cogan received the honors he was due once he found out about the family’s predicament. With the help of veteran organiza-
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Eric J. Shelton | Herald
Staff Sgt. Christopher Gilbert, right, gives San Juana “Janie” Cogan, wife of James M. Cogan, an American flag during James Cogan’s funeral Sept. 13 at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.
tions from the Fort Hood area and Scott’s Funeral Home in Copperas Cove, enough money was raised to give Cogan a proper burial. “Scott’s Funeral Home in Copperas Cove came through for us, and they are doing a fantastic job taking
care of our veterans,” Bell said, adding that the funeral home cut the cost down to $3,500. “When I received the phone call about this particular situation, it reminded me of Willie Browning, when they were having issues with interment for her. It
clicked real quick that we can’t keep going through this, and we need to do something.” Browning was a beloved veterans service officer in Harker Heights who helped more than 100,000 veterans receive their disability benefits. Pastor Ray Ashby, a Gatesville resident who will take over as Coryell County commissioner Precinct 4 in January, donated his time to preside over the funeral. “I just wanted everyone to know that it’s an honor to be able to stand up here and speak to you for a few minutes,” Ashby said. “It’s no accident we are all standing here today. We’re all here for a reason, because God puts us where he needs us to be when he needs us to be there.” While Bell was able to gather the funds needed for Cogan’s funeral, he said he quickly realized it would not be the last time funeral arrangements would need to be taken care of for veterans. “I started a separate fund through the Texas Korean War Veterans Association specifically for this,” he said. “We are not going to get ourselves in the position again when we have a situation like this. Hopefully, we’ll be able to raise enough money that we won’t have to worry about this in the future.” Bell said the fund will only be used
Veterans prepare to remove the casket of James M. Cogan at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.
to pay for funerals, that veterans will be vetted to ensure they are able to use services provided by veteran organizations and all funds will go through KWVA. “The Korean War Veterans Association is a nonprofit, so any funds
donated are tax deductible,” he added. “The fund is also one which will be audited regularly, with all expenses listed, and is a public record. That means anyone can see exactly where the money is going at any given time.”
Although Cogan’s family mourned the loss of a loved one, family members said they were truly grateful for help in honoring him the way he truly deserved. “If it wasn’t for the organizations who have helped us, and by the grace
of God, we wouldn’t have made it,” Janie Cogan said. “All these people didn’t even know him, but came because they were all in the military. (James) always said the military was his family and they stick together.” dbryant@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7554
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Eric J. Shelton | Herald
Maureen Jouett, executive director of Bring Everyone in the Zone, calls out bingo numbers during a military peer network meeting at the Killeen Help Center.
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Peer-to-peer group working to combat PTSD issues By Jacob Brooks
M
Fort Hood Herald
aureen Jouett took a pause from spinning the round metal canister of Bingo balls. “Are you having fun yet? You guys are awful serious,” she said to the dozen or so people in a room at the Killeen Help Center last December. Usually, this peer-to-peer group meeting of people with post-traumatic stress disorder isn’t quite so jovial. After all, the combat veterans and others in the room aren’t here because they’ve had easy-going, jovial lives. They’ve all experienced trauma in some way. Dealing with it together, however, seems to be a recipe for success. “Holidays (like Christmas) can be a trigger” for those with PTSD, said Jouett. Group member Everett Kelley spent 22 years in the Army as a weapons calibration technician, retiring as a chief warrant officer 3. “Before I came and started interacting with the group, I was in a depressed state. In a lot of pain,” he said. A therapist told Kelley about the group, and “after a little prodding” he decided to come to a meeting about two years ago. “After a couple of meetings, you realize that these people are just like you,” said Kelley, who attributes the group with helping him come “back” to a life where he can socialize and be
part of a community.
Peer to peer
As PTSD continues to play a part in some of the worst news in the Killeen area, this peer-to-peer support program is helping people cope with the mental condition, said veterans and others. Since the program was formed in Central Texas in 2008, groups have popped up in Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Temple, Belton, Lampasas and Gatesville. The program has also spread around the state. “In some cities (such as Fort Worth), there’s like 40 groups meeting,” said Jouett, executive director of Bring Everyone in the Zone, the Killeen-based nonprofit that manages the program and provides training to get new groups started. In the last five years, Everyone in the Zone trained about 1,000 people to become facilitators in the program. Facilitators guide the discussion along and try to give everyone a chance to speak. Some come from other veterans support organizations or health care facilities, and many are volunteers who want to start their own group. “We train people from around the state who want to do peer week,” said Jouett. “It’s a 40-hour class.” Potential facilitators must also pass a background check. The program was started in 2008 by
some Vietnam veterans who were at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Waco and became disenfranchised after a lot of the therapy for combat veterans was being provided by mental care providers who may have been qualified academically, but didn’t have military or combat experience. Having veterans relate to each other is the key that makes the program work, Jouett said. “Hardly a month goes by where I don’t have a veteran who says, ‘This group saved my life’,” she said, adding the ages in the groups range from early 20s through late 60s. Everyone in the meeting signs a confidentiality agreement to not “share what was at the meeting with other people.” There are some exceptions. For example, if someone says something about harming others, a facilitator could disclose that information outside the meeting. Individual groups can adopt additional rules, too. “Fort Worth has a rule: Don’t throw chairs through the window,” Jouett said. Apparently, that happened once. The bottom line is to get the group members to talk about their PTSD and how they are dealing with it. At the end of each meeting, “We ask (each attendee) how they benefited from tonight’s meeting.” That gives all the attendees one more opportunity to speak during
the meeting.
Keep it small
Typically closed to those without PTSD or family members, the Herald got a rare, inside look at one the meetings when a Killeen group held a potluck and played Bingo in lieu of it’s regular format of sitting in a circle of chairs and discussing how PTSD affects their lives. While the Department of Veterans Affairs has similar programs, this one is different, said Arsenio Laboy, 63, a member of the Killeen group and a retired sergeant first class. “I’ve been to the one in the VA — it sucks,” he said. “It’s not the same. It’s not comfortable.” One of the reasons he said the VA program doesn’t work is there are too many people. By contrast, the local peer-to-peer meetings, held weekly, are kept small — no more than a dozen people. Laboy, a Desert Storm veteran, said the success of the program hinges on people not just listening, but talking. With attendees sitting in a circle, each meeting starts the same way, with the facilitator calling on attendees to read the preamble and “statement on sharing” from the program’s discussion guide. The group can then go into a discussion topic for that particular meeting, choosing from a number of issues: anger, authority, trust, loss and others — all Continued
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outlined in the discussion guide. “Anger can be a very useful emotion in a war zone,” according to the discussion guide. “Survival often depends on a swift and aggressive response.” After reading about anger, questions are then asked that prompt discussions: Under what conditions is anger useful? Do you experience road rage? What strategies can be used to calm anger when it flares? “Go ahead. Let it out,” Laboy said, adding there’s a good chance that others in the group, at some point, have felt the same way. For veterans, healing can come when they hear others say they’ve overcome various PTSD issues, said proponents of the program. “I share things that I came home with,” said Copperas Cove resident Sam Thorpe Jr., a former infantry staff sergeant who served four combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He heard about the program when he retired out of Fort Hood in June after serving 20 years in the Marine Corps and the Army,
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PTSD peer support meetings Post-traumatic stress disorder peer support weekly meeting times in Central Texas: Killeen 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Killeen Help Center, 717 N. Fourth St. (females only) 6 p.m. Thursdays, Killeen Help Center, 717 N. Fourth St. Belton 6 p.m. Mondays, Goodwill Learning Center, 2601 Commerce St. Lampasas Noon Tuesdays, adult probation building, 901 Pecan St. Gatesville 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Republican Party HQ, 660 Leon St. Temple 10 a.m. first and third Wednes-
He said the meetings have helped him be “more relaxed,” and with other combat veterans in the group, there’s “no fear of reprisal or people
days, Feed My Sheep building, 112 W. Avenue G. Copperas Cove 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Cove Soup Kitchen, 201 N. First St. 6 p.m. Mondays, Cove Senior Center, 1012 North Drive #5 Fort Hood 10 a.m. Tuesdays, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center Chapel. 2 p.m. Thursdays, Darnall Army Medical Center Chapel. Details Want to be a volunteer facilitator? Call Christa Hudson, volunteer coordinator for Bring Everyone in the Zone: 254-813-5834. For more information, go to www.bringeveryoneinthezone. org or call Maureen Jouett at 254681-9112.
trying to use it against me.” Thorpe, who is now a facilitator, said the Copperas Cove group has been growing in recent months, and a
new group will likely to have to form to handle the increase. “We’ve had great success,” he said. “One individual said he’s stopped drinking.” Others combat veterans have told Thorpe they’ve been sleeping better since attending the meetings. Activeduty soldiers are welcome, too. Tony Smith, a retired Army first sergeant, comes to the meetings with his son, who is also a veteran, and others who are troubled by PTSD. He said he’s constantly telling people about the program and encouraging those with PTSD to attend a meeting. “I’m making it my mission to do that,” he said. “I see a lot of guys out there that need to and don’t.” Copperas Cove resident Barbara Simpson, who served two years in the Women’s Army Corps helped the program get kicked off in 2008. “My husband had PTSD” but he didn’t talk about it, said Simpson, who acts as a facilitator and trainer for the program. “If you can talk about it, you can heal faster and stay well longer,” she said.
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