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American Legion
Veterans’ Breakfast Well Attended - May 26, 2003
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 Guests at the annual Veterans’ Breakfast hosted by the
McKenzie American Legion at Lori’s Kitchen in downtown
McKenzie equaled last years’ record setting number of
62, although there were a few new faces and some old
ones that were missed. The breakfast is held each year
at 6:30 a.m. on the Sunday before Memorial Day.
As the restaurant began filling with veterans from World
War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the first Gulf War, as well
as peacetime veterans, conversations sometimes went back
to days of old in wartime Germany and beyond. Kermit
Holland recalled so far back as 1919 when the blare of
whistles from downtown McKenzie led his mother to saddle
her horse and, with six-year-old Kermit in tow, ride to
town to see what the uproar was about.
“World War I was over,” Kermit said, smiling. As a young
Marine, he would serve on the Pacific islands during
World War II. He recalled finding the tropical vistas of
Ellice and Gilbert Islands beautiful, but remembered as
well the first bombing raid he experienced. “I thought,
‘Gee whiz, a fella could get hurt here,’” he said.
Charles Lindburgh spent six weeks on the islands, Kermit
related, giving confidence to pilots by showing them
what their airplanes were capable of. “He would go on
strikes with them,” he said. Kermit was finally relieved
of duty on December 7 the year he came home.
 “I got off the train on Christmas Eve; my brother picked
me up,” said Kermit, who stated in those days seven
passenger trains a day stopped at the McKenzie depot.
There were two livery stables near the dept then, one
where Lori’s Café is now located. Kermit and Richard
Moore, who returned to McKenzie last year after many
years away, recalled Mule Days and Dog Days that were
once held downtown, as well as the many different
businesses that filled the downtown shops throughout the
years.
State Representative Mark Maddox, whose participation in
the annual breakfast has become legend, showed up
bleary-eyed but happy after a two a.m. playtime session
with his baby daughter. “Thank you very much for the
life you created for all of us,” he stated sincerely.
 Regarding Mayor Walter Winchester’s participation in the
event, American Legion President Bailey Moore Wrinkle
announced, “This is the first time we’ve ever had a
mayor here.” In addition to Mayor Winchester’s active
participation in city and county events, he is himself a
veteran, having retired from the U.S. Air Force before
retiring in Mayor Winchester’s hometown of McKenzie some
eight years ago.
LST 325 TO TOUR TOWNS ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI/OHIO
RIVERS
Mr. Wrinkle, a legend in his own right after traveling
to Greece where he worked in the sweltering heat to help
restore an LST to running capacity and served among the
crew that sailed her back to the United States in 2001,
announced the ship will be navigating the waters of the
Mississippi River on a tour that begins June 3, when the
ship will leave Mobile Bay for its first stop in
Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The ship will be powered by tug boat, since, Mr. Wrinkle
wryly states, “They’re afraid we’ll knock down all the
bridges.”
Mr. Wrinkle hopes to be able to board the ship when it
docks at Mud Island in Memphis on June 13. The ship will
be on display there for five days during which visitors
can board the craft for a first hand look at the World
War II / Korean War vessel. Costs for touring the vessel
are $8 for adults, $4 for students K-12 and $20 per
family.
“If the Lord is willing,” says Mr. Wrinkle, he will
continue with the ship for the rest of the
two-and-one-half month tour which will dock at the
following ports where visitors may board:
Friday - June 20 – Cape Girardeau, MO (5 days)
Thursday – June 26 – St. Louis, MO (11 days)
Thursday – July 11 – Evansville, IN (11 days)
Thursday – July 24 – Jeffersonville, IN (4 days)
Thursday – July 31 – Paducah, KY (3 days)
Friday – August 8 – Greenville, MS (3 days)
Thursday – New Orleans, LA (4 days)
Tuesday – Mobile, AL (home port)
 Guests at the breakfast were given “P-38” can openers as
mementos of the occasion. The can openers were used to
open cans in the old “K-rations” and “C-rations” before
the newer “MREs” (meals ready to eat) utilized easily
opened plastic bag containers. Mr. Jack Thompson
displayed on his key ring the 70-year-old P-38 he has
kept since his long ago military service.
Each year following the breakfast, Legion members and
other veterans disperse to area cemeteries to place
American flags on the graves of deceased veterans. Mr.
Wrinkle reported that around 400 flags are placed at
Mount Olivet Cemetery, with a total of around 800-900
flags placed at Shiloh, Memorial Gardens and rural
cemeteries. |
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or
Fax (731) 352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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