State Commander’s Column

Commander Macey takes pictures with Post members and Texas State Guard at the 4th of July Tecolotes Dos Laredo baseball game. Over 350 free tickets were distributed to veterans and active duty. Commander Macey says hello to all who were seated in the veterans section.

STATE TEXAS VFW COMMANDER’S COLUMN

NORMAN MACEY

“A Pair of Dirty Hands”

THE YEAR WAS 1979. I wasn’t there, but in my mind I see it happening something like this. It was a typical Houston mid-morning summer day (in the 90’s and humid.) The man’s name was Ebert Dupree, but everyone called him “Spud.” Spud was a foreman with the Longshoreman’s Union. He was also a WWII veteran who spent his 18th birthday on a ship to Germany. He was wounded while serving in General Patton’s Third Army. On this day he was looking for a church to attend for his family. When he arrived at the Pentecostal Church on E. Mt. Houston Rd., he saw a man picking weeds in the flowerbed. When he asked to see the pastor, the man stood up. He wiped the sweat from his face and the dirt from his hands. He then reached out and shook Spud’s hand. “Hello he said, I’m Pastor Franklin Jones.” Now Franklin Garner Jones was also a veteran. He was a Navy man, a First Class Gunner who served on the USS St. Paul off the shores of Korea. Although years later both men lost their battle with cancer, they both still influenced the lives of many people. You see, I married Spud’s daughter Sharon in 1987 and my Uncle Frank became Bishop Jones. Because of his servant leadership way of life, his church now has four locations.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP: We are not elected to Rule, we are elected to serve.

National Commander-In-Chief Fritz Mihelcic said at the National Convention “The Time Is Now.” I say the time is now for all of us to stand up and lead. Leadership does not reside in position but in attitude. The members of our Post, Districts, and Department must have trust and confidence in those in leadership positions. Leaders understand that communications are the vehicles for creating that trust and confidence. Remember that people want to be led. “They reject intimidation or manipulation. They want to be inspired,” said Roben Rosen. Rosen also said. “A self-serving leader who is addicted to power, recognition and who is afraid of loss of position is not likely to spend any time or effort in training (mentoring) their replacements.” Let us always remember that “The measure of a leader is not the number of followers he/she has but the number of people they serve. It’s amazing what can get done when no one cares who gets the credit.” “Now Is The Time.”

Norman J. Macey III

State Commander