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A-Team leader hits books
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Kasi Dickerson / THE FLARE
Vietnam veteran Jim Howard was the leader of a special forces unit stationed in Vietnam. He was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star during his third tour.
odging trees, his combat boots stomp the damp mud as he runs with a steady pace. His breathing is heavy and his body is in overdrive. The enemy is close behind, but he will not give up. He pushes through the pain of his aching body to focus on his mission. Vietnam veteran Jim Howard is now 61 years old and is legally blind, but the visions of his past military service are vividly etched in his mind. “The thing that kept me alive was my training,� Howard said. “I once had an older command sergeant major tell me ‘When you are in the s--- of it, you know that you are doing all that you can do. You know you are going to die. Then, you start having fun.’ I used this advice many times.�
The Flare
Howard remembers the day he received his first military draft letter. It was 1969 and he had just graduated from high school. At the time, 18-yearold men were required to notify the Selective Service as soon as they graduated. Howard planned on attending college after waiting a semester out; however, during this waiting period he was drafted by the military. When he opened the congratulatory letter which ordered him to report to Houston for a physical, Howard’s first reaction was throwing it in the trash. Howard grew up in Cameron, La., a very small community, where he says “the Vietnam War was not really an everyday, weekly or even monthly issue.� Howard says that before he was drafted, the idea See VETERAN on Page 6
Friday, November 11, 2011 Vol. 75 No. 9 Serving Kilgore College since 1936
Heroes of
Tomorrow
Part 2: Police Academy
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Jake Scarborough / THE FLARE
Robert Siegmund practices at the Kilgore Police Academy shooting range for class.
Aiming for
PERFECTION Editor’s Note: KC and KC-Longview are home to some of the most acclaimed public service academies in all of East Texas. More than 250 students are enrolled in public service job courses which include those training firefighters, police, nurses and EMTs. This is the second part of a three-part series highlighting these students. Today they are our fellow classmates, but tomorrow they may be our heroes.
3ROLFH $FDGHP\ WHVWV VWXGHQWV ZHHNO\ BRITTANI PFAU Staff Writer
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hey embody a multitude of characteristics necessary for their job. Some of these are perfected naturally, yet others are instilled through in-depth training. The East Texas Police Academy trains and molds its students into the heroes of tomorrow. “The training started out real slow with a lot of academic and book work. Later we were able to move out into the field where we learned traffic regulations, driving
and firearms training and arrest procedures,� said Justin Stringfield from Palestine. “We also had to be sprayed with OC spray (Oleoresin Capsicum, also known as pepper spray). That wasn’t very fun. But the training was fun; I enjoyed it. It was some of the most informative training I’ve had along with the Army. They were some of the best instructors I’ve ever worked with. They made us know our job.� Born in 1966, Kilgore is the main police academy, but is not the See POLICE on Page 4
Smoking policy to ignite change 5HTXHVWV IURP IDFXOW\ VWD˓ VWXGHQWV OHDG WR GHVLJQDWHG DUHDV VWDUWLQJ -DQ ASHTON JOHNSON MELISSA AOUAD Staff Writers Beginning Jan. 1, 2012, KC will have approximately 25 designated smoking areas across campus. KC President Bill Holda announced the policy to the faculty and staff after the Nov. 1 approval from the college’s Executive Council. Student Government Association also approved the policy. “Everyone on this campus does not smoke and do not appreciate having to walk through smoke, or getting the smell on their clothes,� said Brandon Demmings,
SGA president. “We wanted smokers to have a place to still be able to smoke and have time to relax before or in between classes.� KC-Longview moved to designated smoking areas in the summer of 2009. Throughout the months of November and December KC will begin creating designated smoking areas. “Hopefully, this will benefit in an overall cleaner, healthier campus,� said Mike Jenkins, vice president of student development. The Executive Council made the decision based See SMOKING on Page 3
Randi Vinson / THE FLARE
Target practice is part of the East Texas Police Academy curriculum. Students must pass weekly tests with an 80 or above or are dropped.
Celebration honors Veterans 12:15-3 p.m. today KASI DICKERSON Executive Editor
Photo Illustration by Jake Scarborough / THE FLARE
A new smoking policy will be effective Jan. 1, 2012. The policy was approved by KC’s Executive Council and the SGA. Smokers will be restricted to approximately 25 designated smoking areas across campus. See PAGE 3 for list of areas.
KC is hosting its second Veterans Day Appreciation Celebration with ceremonies starting at 12:15 p.m. today in front of the Liberal Arts Building. At this time, the Longview Jr. High ROTC will retire KC’s old flags and raise new ones. Following this ceremony, KC will host a program from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Devall Student Center Ballroom to show veterans within the college, community and local area how much they are appreciated. This is a free event and all veterans and the public are invited to attend. Refreshments will be provided and door prize drawings will be held throughout the celebration. Live music will be provided by Macon Texas Music
Bre a k i n g n ews, videos an d exten ded cover age at www.thef lareonline. com
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See APPRECIATION on Page 3
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