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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVeterans Day Program, 2015VETERANS DAY CEREMONY Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015 • 4:30 p.m. Louis L. Adam Memorial Plaza, Veterans Park & Athletic Complex 3101 Harvey Road • College Station, Texas 2015 Board of Directors and Officers Memorial for all Veterans of the Brazos Valley, Inc. John Anderson .........................................Audit Committee Steve Beachy ............................. Special Assistant to the President Anne Boykin........................... Chief Information Officer Committee Glenn Burnside................................................Chaplain Irma Cauley .................................Brazos County Representative Chip Dawson ...................................History Committee (Chair) Chris Dyer ..................................ACBV Ex-Officio Representative Jerry Fox ..................................................... Treasurer Mike Guidry ............................................Event Committee John Happ....................Vice President, Development Committee (Chair) Brian Hilton .................................................. Secretary Randy House ................................................. President Fain McDougal ..................................Development Committee Mike Neu ....................... Chief Information Officer Committee (Chair) Louis Newman ..................................Development Committee David Sahm .................................Design Committee (Vice Chair) David Schmitz .........................City of College Station Representative Jim Singleton ....................................Design Committee (Chair) Travis Small............................... Special Assistant to the President Mike Southerland ............................ City of Bryan Representative Perry Stephney .........................................Event Committee John Velasquez .........................................Flag Coordinator Bill Youngkin .................................... Event Committee (Chair) Veteran Affiliations American Legion . Veterans of Foreign Wars . Disabled American VeteransOrder of Daedalians . Air Force Association . Vietnam Veterans of AmericaBrazos Valley Marine Corps League . Military Officers Association of AmericaVietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Veterans Day Program Honor Wall Roll Call Bill Youngkin, Esq. BVVM Board of Directors Welcome Remarks LTG Randolph House, USA (Ret.) President, BVVM Board of Directors Invocation MAJ Glenn Burnside, USMC (Ret.) Chaplain, BVVM Board of Directors National Anthem, Texas Our Texas The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band History of Veterans Day MAJ Glenn Burnside, USMC (Ret.) Special Recognition of Bill Youngkin, Esq.Brazos Valley Heroes Service Medley The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band Keynote Address Michael Beggs Special Presentation of the LTG Randolph House, USA (Ret.)Advocate Award, Patriot Award Rifle Salute Ross Volunteers Texas A&M University Taps Texas Aggie Band Bugler 11 November 2015 4:30 p.m. Brazos Valley Veterans MemorialVeterans Park & Athletic Complex College Station, Texas “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.” -UNKNOWN Michael Beggs Michael Beggs was born in Tyler, Texas, and attended schools all around the southeastern portion of the United States due to his father’s employment. He attended 7 high schools, graduating from the one at Athens, Texas, in 1964. He enrolled at Texas A&M thereafter, and spent his college years as a member of Squadron One in the Corps of Cadets, a Ross Volunteer, and a Yell Leader. He married the former Darragh Fertitta of Beaumont, Texas, received his commission as a Marine Corps officer after college, and embarked upon what he intended to be a career in the Marine Corps. However, he sustained wounds in Vietnam that resulted in his being medically retired from the Marines, and he subsequently went to work in the defense industry as a systems engineer, project manager, and program manager for various weapons systems which were primarily related to the US Navy and Marine Corps. He spent over 30 years in that role while working in various divisions of the Northrop Grumman Corporation, where his duties required travel throughout the world. Mike and his wife raised their 5 children on a farm outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia. As years went by, the desire to “go home” to Texas became stronger, so in 2011, Mike and his wife sold the farm, retired from their jobs, and moved to College Station, Texas. Mike is now retired, spends his time with grandchildren, and serves in the Association of Former Yell Leaders and the Ross Volunteer Association. KEYNOTE ADDRESS Bryan Rotary Field of Valor | Nov. 8-15 During the week of Veterans Day, Bryan Rotary displays 1,000 American flags at Veterans Park. Rotary members also lead tours of the American Mile and Lynn Stuart Pathway history trails for more than 1,470 fifth-grade students. Want to dedicate a flag or become a Veterans Week docent? Go to http://bryan-rotary.org/SitePage/field-of-valor-2015. 2015 Advocate Award This award recognizes businesses which have shown a commitment to the support of veterans by donating goods or services to the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial, thus honoring veterans who have served in the uniformed services of the United States. 2015 Patriot Award Established in 2010, the Patriot Award is presented to individuals, groups or businesses that show outstanding support to the Memorial for all Veterans of the Brazos Valley, Inc. and its mission. Previous winners: The B-CS Eagle, Texas A&M Univ. Corps of Cadets, The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, Pete Huddleston, Bryan Rotary, JaCody Inc. Special Veterans Day Presentations 2015 Wall of Honor David F. Ahlers USA John Albers USMC Dr. Carl G. Anderson USA Donald B. Austin USA Elmer Berryhill, Jr. USA M.J. Blackman USN Thomas David Borski USN Joshua Joseph Borski USN Janayle Margaret Borski USN Merle Seth Brower USAF Doyle Eugene Brower USA Oscar James “Jim” Bruffett USN David Linton Burch USMC Auvye Spear Burch USA Gary Lee Byrd USA Thomas L. Calvin USMC Frank Calvin USMC Hubert Calvin USA Warren D. “Sarge” Cameron USAF Sandra J. Cameron-McMillan USA Paul Tyler Carroll USMC Jack Collins USAF James R. Collins, Sr. USA James R. Collins, Jr. USA Matthew J. Collins USA Charles James Collins USAF Willie Edward Colvin USA Joseph H. Cross USN Patrick D. “Danny” Everitt USA Larry O. Fisher USN Jack R. Foster USA Robert Darwin Garrett USN William Perry Garrett USA Lelve G. Gayle USAF Roland Travis Golden USA Lonnie James Green USA Salvador N. Guerrero USN Stephen Halbert USAF Stephen Colvin Hand USMC Bob Louis Hand USN Richard A. Hannah, Jr. USAF Milton N. “Bubba” Harris USMC Eddie Lawrence Hester USAF Henry C. Hill USAF Henry C. Hill II USN James R. Hinderman USA Donald B. Hodges USAF Donnie L. Hodges USAF John L. Kapsen USN Murray Luther Kinman USN Lewis E. LaGesse USN Edmond E. Lagrone USN 2015 Wall of Honor Lynn Laird USAF Robert D. Lancaster USA Joe Lara USA USN Arnold Lara USA Edward D. Lawrence USN Richard Lawrence USMC Charles Leon Leonard USA Henry L. Lesley USA Charlie H. Liles USA Bobby J. Loehr USMC Harold A. Lukefahr USN Kenneth E. Matthews USAF Charles E. McCandless USAF David E. McLeod USA Richard H. Metz USA Richard H. Mueller USMC Michael E. Nugent USA USAF J.C. “Buddy” Oelkers USMC Sergio G. Ortuno USN Phillip J. Paschal USAF Donald Garner Patton USA Jeffrey Scott Patton USAF Chester F. Payton USA Charles Samuel Perrone USA Emory “Al” Ragsdale USN Ross Rayburn USMC James M. Richards USAF Stephan H. Richardson USMC Robert M. Roseman, Jr. USA Daniel Ruiz USA Daniel Ruiz, Jr. USA Daniel Ruiz III USA Daniel A. Ruiz USA David H. Saxby USA Tommy D. Smith USA Austin Hunter Smith USA Roger E. Smith USA Willum Harry Spillers, Jr. USAF Mark Roberston Spillers USN Robert William “Bob” Spoede USA Herman Henry Spoede, Jr. USMC Stuart Lee Spoede USN James T. Stinnett III USAF Billy J. Thames USA USAF Alice Tigerina USMC John F. Udan USAF David Richard Usher USAF Thomas “Jerry” Wade USAF Erwin H. “Joe” Winkelmann USA Gerald K. “Red” Withrow USN William P. Workman USA Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial History The mission of the Memorial for all Veterans of the Brazos Valley, Inc., is two fold: (1) To take a proactive role in honoring veterans who have served in the uniformed services of the United States, and (2) To serve as an educational venue for future generations to learn that freedom is purchased with a heavy price and sacrifice. Chartered in 2000 as a non-profit corporation by the State of Texas, BVVM is generously supported by numerous community residents, organizations and partners including the municipalities of Bryan, College Station and Brazos County. In May 2002, Don Adam, chairman of The Adam Corporation and veteran of the U.S. Army, provided the first major gift to the memorial. In gratitude, BVVM named its main plaza “Louis L. Adam Memorial Plaza” in honor of his father, who also was a U.S. Army veteran. BVVM was dedicated Nov. 10, 2002. President George H.W. Bush attended the dedication, saying: “The Brazos Valley community can stand proud. The names that mark the memorial showcase the sons and daughters who gave dedicated service to our nation so that future generations can share the freedoms we enjoy. Their task was great and their sacrifice even greater, but their legacy stands firm and their memories burn bright.” The red granite Wall of Honor serves as the memorial’s primary feature, highlighting the etched names of 4,846 military service members from all periods of U.S. history who are family and friends to those residing in the Brazos Valley. Notable names on the wall include 24 U.S. Presidents with military service and seven former students of Texas A&M University who received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award given to military personnel. The bronze sculpture mounted atop the wall’s 250-ton granite base is the work of artist Robert Eccleston from Schuyler Falls, New York. Eccleston served as a U.S. Army Ranger in the 10th Mountain Division before his beginning his career as an artist. BVVM Sites & Statues The first of many memorial sites to highlight U.S. military engagements was the War on Terror Memorial, dedicated May 30, 2005. This site features a steel relic from one of the World Trade Center Towers in New York City struck by U.S. enemies on Sept. 11, 2001. The Lynn Stuart Pathway, a half-mile trail connecting all of the BVVM war memorials, was dedicated Sept. 22, 2006. This trail honors Brigadier General Louis Lynn Stuart (U.S. Army), whose support and leadership were critical to the initial development of BVVM. The American Revolution site, titled Liberty or Death, was dedicated July 1, 2010. A bronze Continental soldier is shown standing in dramatic pose. The War for Texas Independence site, titled Come and Take It, was dedicated Oct. 2, 2010, the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Gonzales. The bronze statue depicts a rugged frontiersman. The Korean War site, titled Katchi Kapshida or “We Go Together,” was dedicated Nov. 11, 2010, around the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. The site features two bronze statues, one Korean soldier and one American soldier, standing together against a common enemy. The first World War II site statue, titled Day of Infamy, was dedicated Dec. 7, 2011, the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The site features a bronze statue in the likeness of President George H.W. Bush as a young U.S. Navy airman. The War of 1812 Memorial site, titled Don’t Give Up the Ship, was dedicated June 1, 2012, the 200th anniversary of the start of the war. The second World War II site statue, titled Letters from Home, was dedicated Nov. 11, 2013. Sculpted in the likeness of C.J. Allen of Bryan, Texas, the statue features a U.S. Army infantryman resting on a stone wall while reading a letter from home. The memorial pays tribute to those who served in Europe as well as those who supported the war effort back home. The Vietnam War Memorial site, titled HOT LZ, was dedicated May 31, 2014. The site monument features a bronze UH-1D Huey helicopter with soldiers preparing to drop onto a dangerous (or “hot”) landing zone. The Civil War Memorial site, titled Going Home, was dedicated April 9, 2015. The site monument features two bronze statues in the likeness of soldiers from opposing sides, each looking back at his former enemy. Each site statue was designed by local artist and scupltor J. Payne Lara. His work serves as the focal point of each war memorial site and provides a vivid portrayal of the look and character of many military veterans throughout our history. Photos of the two Civil War Memorial statues at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex, dedicated April 9, 2015. Left: Confederate States Army soldier Right: Union Army soldier THE ROSS VOLUNTEERS Sincerest thanks to these partners for their generous support CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, CITY OF BRYAN ***SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS, BOOKMAN PETERS, MERVIN PETERS, ADELHEID TRANT, GEORGE NELSON ***MARY ALICE & STEVE BEACHY, DR. & MRS. JAMES B. WOODLEY, NORMA & JOHNNIE HOLLEY, BILL YOUNGKIN, TRAVIS SMALL ***RANDOLPH W. HOUSE, FAIN MCDOUGAL, JIM SINGLETON,JERRY FOX, JACODY INC., A&M TWIN CITY PAINT & BODY Many thanks to all of our contributors! The Ross Volunteer Company, the oldest special unit of the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets, serves as Honor Guard for the Governor of Texas. Ross Volunteers attend all Texas governor inauguration ceremonies and perform the three-volley salute at Texas A&M’s Silver Taps and Muster events each year. The group first organized as the Scott Volunteers on Texas A&M campus in 1887 (then known as Texas A.M.C.) for drill precision. It was named for Thomas Scott, agent of the board of regents and business manager from 1883 to 1891. When Gov. Lawrence Sullivan Ross was appointed college president in 1891, the company was renamed the Ross Volunteers. Lawrence Sullivan “Sul” Ross was the 19th Governor of Texas and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. Ross came to be known as a “Soldier, Statesman and Knightly Gentleman,” and all Ross Volunteers are expected to reflect his traits and values. The company is composed of junior and senior Corps of Cadets members chosen from among their peers on the basis of honor, humility, and character. Reference: Heathman, C. (2013, July 2). Special units within the Corps of Cadets.The Bryan-College Station Eagle. Retrieved from http://myaggienation.com. SAVE THE DATE * JULY 28, 2016 Our site will feature the “Buffalo Soldier,” a term coined by Native Americans in reference to the African-American soldiers of the U.S. military they fought during the Indian Wars. The statue (not pictured) will show a soldier with a hat hanging from his throat as he holds his rifle, McClelland saddle and bridal. He is standing beside a Tonkawa scout who is pointing the way back to the fort. The Tonkawa are a Native American tribe indigenous to present-day Oklahoma and Texas. On July 28, 1866, Congress passed a measure establishing the 9th and 10th cavalries and four infantry regiments (38th-41st) to be comprised of African- American enlisted men. According to the National Park Service, these new regiments were immediately transferred to the Western states and territories for service on the American frontier. The black men were former slaves, freedmen and Civil War soldiers. These statues will allow our community to honor a significant portion of our citizens for the sacrifice their ancestors made for our country and state. We still need your support! With your help, we can install additional benches, markers and plates around each of the 22 sites that make up the entire 12-acre Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial grounds. BVVM.ORG979.696.6247 Indian Wars Memorial Statues of a Buffalo Soldier & Tonkawa Scout P.O. Box 11055 • College Station, Texas 77842 info@bvvm.org • 979.696.6247 bvvm.org Programs by Music by WALL OF HONOR DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION AT BVVM.ORG/CONTRIBUTE/WALL Now accepting 2016 applications We are now accepting applications for placement of military veteran names on our Wall of Honor in 2016. The Wall of Honor is the centerpiece of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial and a patriotic and reverent tribute to all veterans (living, deceased, or currently serving) of our United States Armed Forces.