Planning continues for an Armed Forces Appreciation Day event scheduled for May 18 at the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce fairgrounds on North U.S. 63.
The event is a collaboration between the chamber, Houston’s American Legion Post 41, the local Fleet Reserve Association and other veterans organizations. Organizers said it’s designed to honor all active duty military and veterans, as well as gain community support for them, offer help and resources, encourage younger veterans and families of all veterans, and to educate the public. Planned activities and attractions include an opening with color guard, a car show, live music, guest speakers, recognition of specific veterans, two flag retirement ceremonies, appearances by area politicians and a free meal served to attending veterans.
“The reason we’re doing this is to say ‘thank you’ to the veterans and their families,” said Post 41 commander Bob Joens (who served with the Army from 1961 to 1965 and was stationed in Germany during the build-up of the Berlin Wall).
“That’s something we think doesn’t happen enough and can never happen too much.”
As part of a “veterans fair,” representatives of various agencies will be on hand at the event to discuss issues with veterans and potentially provide them with direction and solutions. A handful of individuals will receive special recognition, including 95-year-old Barbara Curtis, a World War II era telegraph operator who is Texas County’s oldest living Coast Guard veteran (and one of the oldest in Missouri).
Using vans and buses provided by various organizations (including the City of Houston and Texas County Memorial Hospital), Legion representatives plan to round up aging veterans from several area nursing homes and transport them to the event. Celebrating the service of older veterans is crucial, Joens said, because they’re already being forgotten and time for them to be recognized is running short. Several local World War II vets in addition to Curtis are expected to be on hand, including Wilburn Elmore, Bill Gladden and Edgar Rust.
“There just aren’t many World War II veterans left,” Joens said, “so giving them a chance to be recognized is important.”
Younger veterans are encouraged to attend, too, as well as Gold Star Family members (widows and other family members who have lost a loved one to military service). The youthful side of the U.S. military will be represented by a “Young Marines” group from Fort Leonard Wood that is expected to perform various drills (Young Marines consist of kids ages 8 to 18).
Post 41 member Jerry Snyder served with the Army in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968. He was wounded by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) in February 1967 and used his M-16 rifle as a crutch to reach his friend, whose leg had been shot off.
Snyder believes people should view the upcoming Armed Forces Day event as a way to pay deserved respect to living veterans and to honor fallen soldiers of all wars.
While not an official public holiday, Armed Forces Day was created in 1949 to replace separate days recognizing the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force and Marines. It now includes recognition of the Coast Guard and annually falls on the third Saturday in May.
President Harry Truman was instrumental in the multi-branch recognition day’s creation, and the announcement of its implementation was made by Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson. The day was first celebrated in 1950.
“Everyone should be patriotic to the country,” he said, “and by doing that they should also be patriotic toward the veterans who served and suffered.”
After being injured, Snyder spent about five months in a hospital in Japan.
“I was fortunate to not come back home to all the people protesting because I was on a hospital plane,” he said.
Snyder said the event could act as a way for young people to offer older veterans the attention and respect they too often don’t receive.
“I think some of the younger generation just look at them as old people past their time,” he said. “There are a lot of patriotic young people, but there are a lot of millennials who don’t appreciate the older generation.”
About 2.8 million members of the U.S. military served “in country” during the Vietnam War, and only about 800,000 of them are still alive. More than 52,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam, and about 300,000 were wounded (with about 150,000 of those sustaining serious injuries).
“People don’t think about what other people sacrificed,” Snyder said.
Post 41 member Robert Demitry served with the U.S. Navy in Vietnam before transferring to the Army and retiring with that branch. He said honoring the service of fallen U.S. soldiers is a duty to all Americans.
“You can’t put a price on the lives they gave to keep our freedoms,” Demitry said.
Post 41 chaplain Greg Berglund and member Bob Simpson have been in charge of fundraising for the event, and have received lots of positive feedback.
“We haven’t had one person say anything negative about what we’re doing,” Berglund said. “We’ve been really blessed, and we’re glad to do this for our veterans.”
The Houston City Council has pledged a financial donation to the event, and other donations are sought. Anyone wishing to contribute can stop by the Post 41 building (on U.S. 63 next to Pizza Hut) during weekly meetings that start at 9 a.m. each Thursday.
Cabool VFW Post 473 will conduct the event’s dual flag retirement ceremonies, and the public is welcome to turn in American flags at the Houston Visitors Center (at U.S. 63 and Walnut Street) for proper retirement.
All veterans who attend the event will be given a commemorative T-shirt. The shirts are also available for anyone to purchase through the chamber or Opportunity Sheltered Industries in Houston.
Armed Forces Appreciation Day T-shirts are available through two sources in Houston: The Houston Area Chamber of Commerce and Opportunity Sheltered Industries.
Armed Forces Appreciation Day in Houston isn’t limited to local residents; veterans and their relatives from anywhere are welcome to attend.
Demitry said recognizing veterans’ service doesn’t happen often enough, but doesn’t go unnoticed when it does.
“The veteran has always been something we don’t pay enough attention to,” he said. “I was in a Walmart one time and a man came up to me and handed me a thank you card. I was shocked.
“We can’t do enough for the veterans because of what they gave us.”
Berglund said well over 300 veterans have already shown interest in attending.
“Let’s give them and their families something to be proud of,” Joens said.
For more information, call 417-967-2220.
“Everyone should be patriotic to the country, and by doing that they should also be patriotic toward the veterans who served and suffered.”
VIETNAM VETERAN JERRY SNYDER