 |
Navy veteran Tom Nolen,
Jr. places a flag on his father's grave. Nolen stated
he is the only local veteran who was stationed in Cuba
during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. He
served as an aviation electronics technician and
piloted airplanes in "mercy missions" as well as cargo
and mail carriers. His father served in the Army 21 and
a half years and was a World War II veteran.
McKenzie
CLICK HERE FOR
McKENZIE SERVICE
CLICK HERE FOR HUNTINGDON SERVICEVeterans Decorate Graves Sunday
After gathering at Keith's Restaurant in downtown
McKenzie Sunday, veterans fanned out to area cemeteries
to pay respect to departed comrades, placing United
States flags on some 800 graves, including about 400 in
the Mt. Olivet cemetery on Cherrywood Road.
American Legion Post 37 in McKenzie sponsors the
Memorial Day event, offering veterans city-wide free
breakfast at the 6:30 a.m. fellowship. This year,
guests enjoyed a delicious country ham, eggs and
biscuit breakfast plus gravy, bacon, sausage, Danish,
watermelon, cantaloupe and strawberries.
Several new faces were in the crowd, as well, as
younger veterans become involved in veterans affairs.
Among those were Army Reserves Major Foster Hudson, who
recently returned from Iraq after a year on active duty
with the 461st Personnel Services Battalion. Hudson
facilitated the delivery of mail to soldiers throughout
the region, cutting the distribution time by half over
the course of ten months. He is the son of Rita McSwain
of McKenzie.
In town on 30 days leave from Iraq was Amber Heffernan,
the 24-year-old daughter of Darrell McCadams and sister
of Lucas McCadams of McKenzie.
"I don't know what happened; I was Air Force, she's
Army," joked McCadams.
A 1998 graduate of McKenzie High School - as well as
Miss McKenzie in 1998 -Heffernan is in her second
Middle Eastern tour, having previously served in Kuwait
for six months. A member of the 368th Cargo
Transportation Company based in Fort Story, Virginia
(near Virginia Beach), Heffernan is a family readiness
liaison, ensuring the well-being of spouses and
children as well as maintaining immunization records.
She deployed to Iraq on February 14 this year and will
return Tuesday, June 1, to finish her last eight months
in the country.
While she believes the war in Iraq is about money and
settling old scores, she acknowledges, "I'm glad we're
helping the people there. I've met a lot of local
(Iraqi) people. They're happy we're there; they saw
Saddam as bad. They don't have to live by somebody
else's rule. They like Bush. They're just glad we're
there. They don't feel oppressed anymore.
Having joined the Army after studying for two years at
the University of Martin, she has about two years left
of her enlistment, at which time she plans to return to
school to become a pharmacy technician and possibly a
pharmacist.
Her father is a Vietnam era veteran who served as a
pharmacy technician at NKP Thailand.
George Nolen of McKenzie, a member of the 230th Air
Support Group in Dyersburg who just returned from two
weeks of training on Coronado Island in California,
advised his unit was recently placed on alert for
deployment to Iraq.
American Legion member Eddie Lankford reported on the
cannon that for several generations has sat in
McKenzie's downtown park. Records show that on August
23, 1926 city officials asked Legion Commander M.C.
Marshall to determine a site for the cannon and that
five years later its wheels were sent to Owensboro
Wagon Works in Kentucky where the weathered spokes were
repaired for $12.00.
The cannon itself is a World War I era model made by
the German "Fried. Krupp Company" in 1906, according to
the date stamped on the cannon. The top of the barrel
is stamped with a coat of arms and the German words "Ultima
Ratio Regis", meaning "the king's last argument",
implying the final or highest force in weaponry.
The actual history of the weapon, and whether it was
used against the Allies in World War I, remains a
mystery although it is known German cannons was rounded
up and shipped back to the States for display in cities
across the country.
After Friedrich Krupp committed suicide in 1902, his
daughter Bertha (for whom the "Big Bertha" guns were
named, succeeded him in running the company, which
flourished under Nazi rule and remains in full force
today as the Fried. Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp Company.
In recent months Lankford spearheaded the effort to
repaint the aging cannon.
Commander Bailey Wrinkle advised the American Legion
lost five members this year including Paul Carroll,
Jimmy Allen, Howard Morgan, Earl Hughes, and Doug
Featherstone. Several more veterans died throughout the
year in the region. Fifteen veterans' names were added
to the Mt. Olivet cemetery flag list this year, not
counting other cemeteries, Wrinkle stated, adding he
has heard that up to 1700 World War II veterans die are
dying each day.
Among other endeavors, the American Legion post
sponsors a local student at Boys State every year, is a
sponsor of Steve McCadams' annual "Casting for a Cure"
Fishing Rodeo held at Carroll Lake, and visits
residents of the Tennessee State Veterans' Home in
Humboldt. One of two 120-bed facilities in the state,
the other being in Murfreesboro, the home offers long
term care for veterans and their spouses.
The American Legion, which is at 141 percent strength
in McKenzie, is the largest veteran's organization in
America, according to Wrinkle, with 2.7 million members
nationwide.
"All of you here are special," Wrinkle advised the
veterans, "You served your duty and we appreciate it
and everybody else appreciates it." As a memento of the
occasion, guests received a ruler printed with photos
of the 43 United States presidents and the pledge of
allegiance.
VFW Wall of Honor Attracts Veterans,
Others
The VFW Post 3949 Open House, sponsored by the Ladies'
Auxiliary, was wildly successful as veterans and other
citizens enjoyed perusing photos of veterans both
living and deceased.
"There's lots of history here," said one guest poring
over 144 photographs displayed in nine frames, each
accented with individual lighting. Above the frames,
which are situated on two parallel walls, are displayed
plagues representing each of the armed services: Army,
Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.
In another section off the foyer, the ladies served
punch and cake to guests enjoying the camaraderie the
day offered.
Auxiliary members touted the workmanship and support
offered by Mr. Dan Baker of "The Picture Frame".
"He deserves a lot of recognition for this," said
Treasurer Janet Barton, who also praised Mrs. Virginia
Claire Edwards, saying, "This wouldn't be near what it
is without her."
Virginia Claire explained her role came naturally:
"They're all my friends, the World War II people." Her
knowledge of who's who in the earlier war years, and
her efforts in contacting the veterans or their family
members, was crucial in ferreting out photos of
veterans for the display.
 |
|
