The Front Page
The Risk is Real - Serving our Country
Remembering those that have served and those that are serving our country.
You know sometimes it doesn't hit you until it is personal.
Please remember these Santa Anna folks that are serving our country in military combat, training, or support: Maricela (Marty) Siller, Clay Stewardson, Eddie Dawson, Ike Garza, James Watson, Austin Voss, Randy Casey, Mike Montgomery II, Mark Rutherford, Allen Tucker, James Culpepper, Shane Watson, and Brandon Beloat.
I have another new name to add to the list. It was just brought to my attention that Glen Donham has been in the Navy now for over ten years. I wasn't sure if Glen was still in the Navy or not and it has been a while since I have seen him or his family. I am not sure what Glen is doing now, but he served as a recruiter when he was in Brownwood and actually recruited some of the others in this list. He and his wife Kristen Keeney Donham, also of Santa Anna, live at the Naval Air Station in Lemoore California.
1669 American soldiers or sailors have died in Operation Enduring Freedom as reported by the
Department of Defense and the
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. Pray for our country, its' leaders, and our soldiers and sailors.
Please remember the many serving as volunteers for various groups and those that may be working for the media or one of the many Department of Defense contractors that have employees in support roles in Iraq including Santa Anna's Jason Dane. These folks are serving an important part in the rebuilding of Iraq and the danger is just as great if not more for them as it is for soldiers.
The
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count has also tracked the deaths of 83 American contractors working in Iraq so the risk is real.
Many service men and women return home safely. Operation Tribute to Freedom Homecoming Photographs.
We must never forget the sacrifices of men and women serving our country from all generations. Tex Wright recently sent me this information:
The Coleman County Historical Commission has started work on a new project.
Since this year is the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII, we (Texas Historical Commission statewide) have started a project to honor the ones who served.
We (I) have set up a Web Page to keep people posted on what is being done and to ask for their help in remembering those Men and Women.
The Web Page is:Coleman County Historical Comm.
WW2 Commemorative Activities
Class of 2005
Special thanks to Janice Fellers for this submission.
Janice, a longtime member of the Santa Anna School Board switches tassel for son, Bryan.
The auditorium was packed with family and friends for the Class of 2005 Graduation from Santa Anna High School. David Robinett, Principal welcomed everyone, Angel Deleon gave the opening prayer, Bryan Fellers delivered the Salutatory address, and Shawna Brewster delivered the Valedictory address. The class presented white roses to their families. Paul Martin presented Micah Pritchard with the Lamar Medal; David Robinett announced all the scholarships the class had received, then presented the Class of 2005, and Roger Walker presented the Diplomas. Micah Pritchard led everyone in the Alma Mater and did the closing prayer.
The members of the Class of 2005 are Shawna Brewster, Garrey Cannon, Tracy Davis, Chaplin Dela Rosa, Alexis Deleon, Angel Deleon, Bryan Fellers, Ramiro Guerrero, LaShawn McDowell, Jeramy McGee, Amanda Moreno, Micah Pritchard, Richard Rankin, Miguel Rodriguez, Montana Salazar, and Matthew Vasquez.
Whatever happened to .. ? Part II
I wonder whatever happened to .. Randy Casey?
I almost forgot to finish/followup on.. whatever happened to Randy Casey? Randy who now lives in Austin with his family which includes another longtime friend of my wife Cindy's, Holly Smith Casey, and their children Nate - 8, Bek - 5, and Bree - 2.
Randy was another one of those guys that I kind of grew up with. I am sure that if he had lived in town we would have got in a lot more trouble! We were in Scouts together for a while and we had a lot of fun camping and looking for the Scatahoochee on the old Wilson Dairy place near Blackwell Crossing.
Randy joined the National Guard after graduating and did real well and went on to Ranger School and later to officer school I think. He became the commander of the Armory in Brady and then went to work for full time in Austin where he is over most, if not all, of the computer and network operation of the Texas Guard I believe. I am pretty sure he is a Captain but for all I know he may be a General by now!
I haven't heard from Randy for a while but I see him every once in a while at his Mother-in-law, Jane Smith's, who lives across the street from Cindy's Grandparents, Robert and Maggie Robinett on Eighth Street. Holly sends us a Christmas card picture too every year and I hope I have the kid's names and ages right.
Spurs make it to NBA Finals
Well it isn't really Santa Anna news but I am running out of things to write about!
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals Wednesday night to advance to the NBA Finals.
I am sure you are getting tired of hearing about me and I was hoping some of you would send me some graduation photos or Little League photos or scores. Oh well.. that's all you get for now.
More Summer League Basketball
Cindy called me at work Tuesday and said we had two basketball games at six and eight in Santa Anna. It just happened to fall on a night when I was going to have to come back to work and do some after hours maintenance which sure has made for a long night! The Pink Santa Anna team played at seven but I had to miss it to go home and eat a little supper. The first team that the Orange team played only had three girls so we had to pitch in a couple of players and subs for them. It was really a close game and ended up in a tie after a 2 minute overtime. The Pink team won the second game over the team from Rising Star pretty handily and then helped out the Orange team in their second game which they lost to the White team from Bangs. They were all pretty tired having already played one game and it really showed in the second half.
The Orange team that Jessica is on is coached by Billie Gay Abernathy and the pink team is being coached by Ross Guerrero.
See the Sports Page for more Summer League game photos.
Memorial Day Holiday Weekend
I hope that you all had a nice holiday weekend.
We spent most of our weekend visiting with family members. Saturday Cindy, Jennifer, Josh, Jayden, Dawson, and I went to one of Cindy's family reunions in Bangs for the Boyd Family which Cindy is member of through her Grandma, Louella Boyd Pierce of Valera.
Cindy, her brother Troy Pierce, and I went out to Valera Saturday afternoon to mow Grandma Pierce's lawn. We finished just as the big storm blew in and just in time to go to Big O's for a some barbecue and burgers. After some good eatin' we stopped by Robert and Maggie Robinett's for some more visiting before heading home for a few games of chess. Troy and I have been playing chess with each other for the last twenty three years or so and well.. Saturday he got the best.. or worst of me. I am not sure how we stand overall but we are probably pretty even I think.
Sunday came and I picked up a brisket and some pork ribs at the Shoppin' Baskit and I spent most of the afternoon cooking them for all the kids. Jason, Chrystal, and Jessica returned from a float trip to New Braunfels and I knew they were going to be pretty hungry. It wasn't my best but they seemed to like it. We also watched the exciting Indy 500 finish together.
Monday was a little more laid back for everyone except Chrystal, who had to work, which I was pretty thankful for since she just got out of school! The rest of the kids went for a swim at Hords Creek Lake while I baby sat my Grandson Dawson and we played and watched a few old war movies. I was glad that one of my favorites, The Green Berets with John Wayne, was on. As we were flipping channels I stopped on C-Span for a while to watch some of the ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and was reminded what the holiday was all about. That is to remember those that have given their lives in service to our country. I remind myself every day and I hope that you do too, about the price of freedom.
I got to see the Changing of the Guard at the Cemetery when I went to Washington D.C. on my trip to the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia in 1981 and I have never seen anything like it. It is an awesome experience that you must see for yourself if you ever get the chance. The Arlington National Cemetery has some more information at theirOfficial Arlington National Cemetery web site and I found this unofficial Arlington National Cemetery web site.
I was curious too about the origin of Memorial Day and found a lot of information on the Internet. It is generally considered to have started, as we know it, after the Civil War in the 1880's as several states had Decoration or Memorial Days. It was declared in May of 1888 by Major General John A. Logan, then a Congressman from Illinois and head of the Union veterans organization called the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), that May 30 should be Decoration Day. The day was meant to spread flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers.
I wasn't until 1971 that it became a National holiday when Congress declared it to be the last Monday in May.
Many community organizations place small American flags on the graves of soldiers as is done at Arlington National Cemetery every year.
I was also reminded of one of my favorite songs from my days as a Scout, called Taps, that was originally used to signal the end of the day for soldiers but has become the standard for military funerals. We usually sang it at as the last song at a campfire to top off an evening with something with meaning and more solemn after singing campfire songs and having fun. Although their are no official words to Taps, it originally started with "Go to sleep, Go to sleep" and there have been many verses added over the years but we only sang it as what is now considered the first verse:
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.
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