Page 3 - Veterans2016

Col. James Phillips to
release autobiography
at Fordyce reception
FORDYCE — “Memories of a Colonel,” an autobiogra- phy by James H. Phillips, Colonel (retired) United States Army, was released on Nov. 6 during a reception at the Dallas County Museum following the Annual Veterans Day Program at 2:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Fordyce.
Written by Phillips, the book “is a spellbinding 396-page look into his life, from his boyhood days in Little Rock, Arkansas, through his military career in Korea, Vietnam and beyond. He also reveals his private life and how he met his lovely wife, Agnes, and raised a family with her,” according to a news release about the book.
“From childhood, Phillips was adventurous and cou- rageous and seemed to take advantage of every expe- rience that came his way. His life spaces a depression childhood, sports that led him to a college scholarship to Clemson, the draft, Army life as an enlisted man with the first two weeks on KP, Army of Occupation in Japan, University of Arkansas football, Korea, Vietnam, attaché duty in the Diplomatic Corps, developing nuclear policy at the Pentagon, command of a training brigade, a last military assignment as secretary of the Mississippi River Commission, retirement and civilian life as director of the Arkansas Waterways Commission.
“The original manuscript was completed in 1984 and placed in an album, where it remained until its discovery in the spring of 2016. He dedicated it to “my wife, Agnes, and our three sons, Jim, Ray and Doug.”
“Memories of a Colonel,” published by Turtlehull Publishing, is available at the Dallas County Museum with all proceeds going to the museum.
Courtyard Rehab and Health honors veterans
History
Continued from Page 2
of the government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.”
On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, adminis- trator of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), designating him as chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.
In 1958, the White House advised the VA’s general counsel that the 1954 des- ignation of the VA admin- istrator as chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA adminis- trators.
Since March 1989, when VA was elevated to a cab- inet level department, the secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee’s chairman.
The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three- day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day.
It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recre- ational and cultural activ- ities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production.
Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their origi- nal dates.
The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much con- fusion on Oct. 25, 1971.
It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriot- ic significance to a great number of our citizens,
and so on Sept. 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual obser- vance of Veterans Day to its original date of Nov. 11, beginning in 1978.
This action supported the desires of the over- whelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organiza- tions and the American people.
Veterans Day continues to be observed on Nov. 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls
The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to Nov. 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A cele- bration to honor America’s veterans for their patrio- tism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
This article was provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
News-Times Staff Report
EL DORADO — Veterans at Champagnolle Landing Senior Center were invited to share their stories with the readers of the News- Times for the Veterans Day edition.
Frank King
El Dorado Veteran Frank King was a corporal in the Army in 1969.
He was drafted at the age of 19 and sent to Fort Polk in Louisiana for basic training.
“Another senior, Fred Belin, said I kept him in trouble at Fort Polk,” King said.
King was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where he was a cook and fed the troops.
He served during the Vietnam War era, but did not serve in Vietnam, rath- er King served his tour of duty at Fort Bragg.
King said he was “excit- ed/scared” his first day of military duty, but by the end of his service, he was ready to go home.
His brother, Russell, was also in the Army, but unlike King, Russell vol- unteered.
King said he is still in touch with Belin, who is also from the El Dorado area. “He comes to Champagnolle Landing Senior Center,” King added.
David Lout
Veteran David Lout of El Dorado spent six years in the Army Reserves, and he is a retired accounting supervisor.
He and his wife, Pamela, have a son, Jonathan.
Lout was drafted at the age of 19 and went to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. After boot camp, he was stationed in El Dorado where he was a food inspection specialist.
Lout served in Vietnam and he was honorably dis- charged.
He described his first day in the military as “hell” but said his last day in the ser-
vice was great.
The most valuable lesson
Lout said he learned from his time in the military was to “serve with pride.”
Lout said he is still in touch with friends from his days in the military, including Larry Kinard, Mike Beebe and Wallace Moody.
Jerry Gibson
El Dorado resident Jerry Gibson was 18 when he joined the Army in 1971 to better himself.
He was an E-5 in rank when he separated from the Army, and he went to Fort Knox, Ky., for his basic training. Later he was sta- tioned at Fort Ord, Calif., and Fort Lee in Virginia.
His duties in the Army included supply clerk, truck driver and mainte- nance.
His brother, Freddie Gibson, also served in the Army.
His most valuable lesson from the experience? “A little bit of everything.”
James White
Veteran James White of El Dorado served in the National Guard for 10 years and 11 months, reaching
the rank
of E-5
before he
was dis-
charged.
as a pipe layer and con- struction worker.
“I was drafted when I was 20
years old,
and I vol-
unteered
for the Air Force,” Turner recalled.
He was sta-
tioned at Turner Lackland
Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
“It was cold that November when I showed up,” he said. “Who knew Texas was that cold?”
In the summer of 1966 Turner was transferred to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina.
“I went to Shepard Tech School for aircraft mainte- nance,” Turner said. “I was in aircraft maintenance, C-130s.”
Turner served during the Vietnam War, but was never sent to Viet Nam. He was stationed in England, Japan, South Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and the Wake Islands.
“My favorite memory is playing basketball in England for Mildnehall .”
Turner said his first day in the military was excit- ing, but at the end of his tour of duty, he was “glad to go home.”
The most valuable lesson Turner learned from his
time in the Air Force was discipline.
Turner was in touch with friends from the service, but lost touch with them over the years. “I was in touch for a long time, but lost contact,” he said. “One was in Toledo, Ohio, and the other was in Louisville, Ky.”
Alfred Cox
Veteran Alfred Gene Cox spent five years in the Army, leaving the service with the rank of sergeant.
He resides in El Dorado with his wife, Teressa Cox, and he is retired after a 32-year career at the Medical Center of South Arkansas.
Cox was 18 when he enlisted in the Army. “I had buddies who were going to join, but didn’t,” he said.
He went to bootcamp at Fort Chaffee in Fort Smith and he was stationed there from 1958 until 1963. He was an office worker in the military.
Cox said he remembers his first day in the Army as being hard and his last day was worse. “It was ter- rible,” he said. “I got really sick with seizures and dou- ble pneumonia.”
When asked what was the most valuable lesson he learned in the Army, Cox said, "You can’t get the help you need when you get sick – when all the bad sickness was going around.”
It’s never too late to thank a veteran, even at the end of life
Life Touch Hospice
EL DORADO — Americans across the country celebrate Veterans Day on Nov. 11, a special day to salute the men and women who have bravely served our country in the military.
These fellow Americans have made profound sacrifices in defense of free- dom and they deserve our heartfelt thanks and appreciation. Honoring our nation’s Veterans includes sup- porting them throughout their entire lives, especially at the end. As our nation marks Veterans Day, Life Touch Hospice deepens our commitment to increase Veterans’ access to the com- passionate, high quality care available from the nation’s hospice and pallia- tive care providers. A couple of the ways we’re making this happen is through our Operation Appreciation program and our active involvement with We Honor Veterans, an innova- tive program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization that was created in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
There is something else that’s important for every American to do – and that is to say, “thank you” to our country’s Veterans. Not just on Nov. 11 but all year long. Operation Appreciation will be out thanking veterans who live in our long term care partners facilities across our ser- vice area. Each veteran will receive a certificate of thanks and be pinned by one of our veteran or current military volunteers:
Ceremonies were held in Camden on Nov. 7 at Ouachita Nursing and Rehab and at Pine Hill Health and Rehab; on Nov. 8 in Magnolia at Wentworth Place, Magnolia Health and Rehab and Dudneywood Assisted Living; on Nov. 9 in El Dorado at Hudson Memorial Nursing Home and Timberlane Health and Rehab; on Nov. 10 in El Dorado at Oak Ridge Nursing and Rehab and Courtyard Rehab and Health; on Nov. 10 in Chapel Woods Health and Rehab in Warren and at 10 a.m. today at Champagnolle Landing Senior Center in El Dorado and at 2 p.m. today at
Grace Point and Ella Manor.
Ask your friends, neighbors,
coworkers and others in your com- munity whether they have served in the military (you may be surprised how many have) and thank those who have served for their sacrifice.
It surprises many Americans to learn that every day, 1,800 Veterans die. That’s more than 680,000 Veterans every year – or 25 percent of all the people who die in this country annually.
If you know a Veteran who is in need of the special care hospice brings to people facing serious and life-limiting illness, reach out and help them learn more about care options by visit- ing lifetouchhospice.org or call us at 1-866-378-0388.
To all our nation’s Veterans, thank you, said Marsha Cowling, outreach coordinator at Life Touch Hospice.
If you would like to support work being done at the national level to expand care for Veterans at the end of life, visit www.WeHonorVeterans. org/Support.
News-Times Staff Report
EL DORADO — Courtyard Rehab and Health in El Dorado honored their resident veterans on Thursday.
Americans across the country cel- ebrate Veterans Day on Nov. 11, a special day to salute the men and women who have bravely served our country in the military.
These fellow Americans have made profound sacrifices in defense of freedom and they deserve our heartfelt thanks and appreciation.
Honoring our nation’s Veterans includes supporting them through- out their entire lives.
Courtyard submitted the following veterans to be recognized for their years of service:
Richard Shaddock served in the Navy as a seaman for four years.
William Tarton served in the Marines as a private for two years.
James Launius served in the Army as a private.
Tommy Taunton served in the Army as a sergeant for three years.
Benny Pierce served in the Navy as a seaman for four years.
Elwynn New served in both the Army for three years and the Army Reserves for three years as a private.
Billy Hildreth served in the Navy for 33 years as a lieutenant com- mander.
Earl Hildreth served in the Army for two and a half years as a corpo- ral.
James Tolbird served in the Army for three years as a private.
Local veterans recall days in service
Now retired, he resides
in El Dorado
with his
wife, Trena White.
Charley Turner
Air Force veteran Charley Turner of El Dorado served his country from 1965 to 1969.
His rank at separation was E-3, airman first class, and his civilian career was
White
El Dorado NEWS-TIMES – Friday, November 11, 2016 – 3
ROBERT MONTEITH
1971 - 1975
US NAVY - SEABEES
4804
A TRADITION OF Service
4953
SSGT Charles
Harold Daniels
Korean War 1951-1953
LTC Charles Dwayne Daniels
Iraq, Kosovo, Army National Guard 1987-2007
1LT Charles Tyler Daniels
US Marine Corps 2008-Currently Deployed
SFC Tommy L. Gentle, SR
We are proud of you and the service that you rendered to our Country!
God Bless You!
US Army 1967 - 1973
4835