Memorial Day

Never-Ending Salute – Memorial Day 2019

May 6, 2019 by Bailey LeRoux

In the common area of VFW Graham Memorial Post 8567, a “welcome home” table has been carefully laid: white plate, red napkin, and red flower in a black vase circled by a thin yellow ribbon.

The table will stay forever set in honor of Danny Lee Widner, who left for Vietnam at age 25 and has yet to return.

Staff Sgt. Widner, U.S. Army, was a 1961 graduate of Graham High School and is the only soldier from Graham who is still listed as missing in action.

May 10-12, 1968

Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of the U.S. forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968, was at Kham Duc, South Vietnam, on May 10, 1968, when he made the decision to hold the location. Westmoreland ordered the 106th Light Infantry Brigade, the 1st Infantry Regiment, and the 46th Infantry Regiment to report to Kham Duc as reinforcements. Staff Sgt. Danny Widner was a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, “Recon Team Snoopy.”

The reinforcements arrived on May 11, and Danny Widner’s platoon, which included 34 soldiers, was stationed on a hill. During the bombing of that hill, Danny went missing.

Discovery Mission

In 2006, an excavation was performed by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Command, according to The Graham Leader. Danny’s sister, Vicki Gannon, met personally with Dr. Bradley Sturm of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, who was part of a group that searched for soldiers’ remains, including Danny’s, for about three months. A bunker was uncovered at Kham Duc as were three soldiers including their dog tags, billfolds and boots. However, the searchers were unable to locate anything from Danny.

Two years ago, Vicki and her brother, Don Widner, organized a service and graveside ceremony to give their brother a resting place at home. Don and Vicki arranged for Danny to have a plot at the foot of their parents in Young County’s Pioneer Cemetery. Don, a veteran of the Korean War, worked with the Graham VFW to obtain a bronze military tombstone memorial from Washington, D.C.

Etched in Memory

The name of Danny Lee Widner is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and on the Veterans Memorial in Graham.

On July 4, 2018, Young County unveiled an addition to the memorial, the New Century Veterans Memorial, which includes the names of veterans who served since Jan. 1, 2001, as well as names that had been left off of the original memorial. The addition also houses empty panels for those who will serve in the future.

Young County provided locations for the New Century Veterans Memorial and the original memorial, which was completed in 2000 and includes more than 5,000 names of those from the area who have served.

“Young County gratefully appreciates, respects, and thanks all of our military veterans, and our Commissioners Court, with much gratitude, joyfully provided the locations for these Memorial Walls,” shared Young County Judge John Bullock. HH – The Graham Leader contributed information to this article.

Memorial Day: Remembering Hugo J. Ehlers – ‘Everybody’s Friend’

May 15, 2018 by County Progress

Joy Melts to Sorrow

Tragic Telegram Delivered as Town Celebrates Peace

By Julie Anderson, Editor

The Armistice went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 (French time), and as word spread across the globe, townsfolk took to the streets to rejoice. The good people of La Grange rested in the knowledge that their young men had been spared, as not a single casualty had befallen them. Or so they believed.

One sunset and one sunrise later, celebration turned to sorrow as a telegram was delivered to the parents of Hugo J. Ehlers stating their son “fell in action.”

An obituary published in the local paper offers a moving description of the depth and breadth of the sadness:

Remains of Private H. J. Ehlers Interred at La Grange Friday

The only toll exacted by the world war from La Grange was Private H. J. Ehlers, son of Hugo and Agatha Ehlers, who died while in service for his country at St. Etienne, France. News of Hugo’s death which occurred October 10, 1918, came to La Grange November 12, just one day after the great news that arms had been lowered and preparations for peace were underway. To celebrate in the hours of one day such glorious tidings as were those which gave us the assurance that armistice had been signed, and in the hours of the morrow bow our heads in sorrow at the unwelcome tidings that Hugo, or Jimmie as we called him – and he whom all had loved so much, had paid the supreme price a few days previous is but another illustration of life’s unfathomable and mysterious ways of awarding destiny.

Hugo was a La Grange boy, in truth and in fact. His was a disposition – never changing – that won him love, respect and good will, divided among all classes. No distinction in such friendship, neither was there preference, he was Jimmie Ehlers to all, that meant everybody’s friend. He cast not his castor into the arena as warriors of old, he went at the call to become a soldier for his country. With the same cheerful smile that had helped to bring cheer to all he came in contact with, Jimmie walked forward and grabbed the rail of the iron horse drawn coach to appear before his superior officer. And he died in the service of his country, a true soldier, on the field, in active service.

In bringing back these crumbling remains of our young friend in order that his dust may mingle with the dust of his native land, we come together to pay our last respects, with a feeling of sorrow, yet recognize our duty. Within the breasts of the all of us there is revived a strong love for patriotism and a sympathy for those who loved him with a prior right. Jimmie was one of our young men, and at this late day, as we lower the human clay to the last rest, we pause long enough to shed a tear.

The remains reached La Grange from San Antonio Friday morning, and lay in state at the Presbyterian church until the afternoon, the ceremonies conducted by Rev. M. H. Arnold of Smithville. At the new cemetery they will rest. In silent manner the many tokens of love – flowers – were placed upon his earthen couch. The attendance was very large and comprised sympathizing friends from all sections. Private Ehlers was a member of Medical Corps, 143d Regular 36^th Division. (Obituary contributed by Rob Brown, http://www.fayettecountyhistory.org/obituaries_e.htm#ehlers_hugh.

Loss in La Grange

Seeking to learn more about Hugo Ehlers, County Progress found at least three sites honoring the young man from Fayette County who died at age 25 on the battlefield in France. According to one record, Ehlers “displayed great courage. He unhesitatingly went forward over open ground and contributed to the capture of several machine-gun nests as well as numerous prisoners. Was killed at his post of combat.”

Along with his parents, Hugo left behind one sister and six brothers: Mrs. J. C. Steinbrook and V. M., Walter J., Alfred, Helmuth, Werner and Leslie Ehlers. We also learned that Hugo was a volunteer firefighter who was known and loved for his cheerful disposition.

Hugo is one of 4,700-plus Texans listed on the Texas WWI Honor Roll who “died in support of the war effort at home and at sea and in foreign land, 1 April 1917 to 31 Dec.1918,” described Danny Jones, creator of the Honor Roll, https://sites.google.com/site/vets4taps/home.

“The Honor Roll is made up of remembrances memorializing the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of these Texans who gave all,” shared Jones.

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Jones is now retired and spends a great deal of time researching records and honoring veterans, especially those from World War I, by creating remembrances. In 2015, Jones launched the creation of The Honor Roll, a two-year endeavor that he completed in 2017, the 100^th anniversary of America’s entrance into World War I. Jones also created a Texas WWI Centennial Facebook Site.

The sacrificial story of Hugo Ehlers is also shared on The Fayette County TXGenWeb Project website, www.fayettecountyhistory.org/, part of the all-volunteer USGenWeb Project. The obituary at the beginning of this article was found on this site, along with a second obituary titled “La Grange Soldier Hero Is Laid to Rest at Home” contributed by Matt Cross. “The remains of Hugo Ehlers, private in the 143d infantry, medical detachment, who was killed in the Argonne, October 10, 1918, were brought here Friday morning and interment was held in the new cemetery the same afternoon at 4 o’clock. The services were conducted by Rev. M. H. Arnold of Smithville and all business houses in the town were closed,” the article reads.

The Fayette County TXGenWeb Project site includes a variety of links, one of which is Footprints of Fayette, a collection of local history articles written by members of the Fayette County Historical Commission, said Rox Ann Johnson, volunteer and lead coordinator of The Fayette County TXGenWeb Project. Johnson also is a member and past-chairman of the Fayette County Historical Commission.

Footprints of Fayette, the brainchild of Fayette County Judge Ed Janecka, includes another moving article on Hugo Ehlers, “Soldier is Lost” (see related stories).

Finally, we located Hugo’s name engraved on a plaque located alongside the Fayette County Veterans Memorial, a brick and stone gazebo-type structure on the courthouse square reflecting the style of the Fayette County Courthouse that sits in the background.

The following is etched into the memorial stone:

“No greater sacrifice can be made by the citizens of a democratic nation than to serve in its armed forces in times of war or in times of peace. Fayette County proudly honors and pays tribute to its citizens who accepted the call to arms and served gallantly in securing freedom for the state of Texas and maintaining it for their nation throughout history.”

Central Texas Veterans Memorial

May 15, 2017 by County Progress

Camp Bowie Site Offers Sacred Spot for Remembrance

By Julie Anderson
Editor

“To those men from Brown County who rendered valiant service in the World War. Who feared not; who believed in the sacred principles upon which this republic is founded; who preferred death to slavery; who signified a willingness to give their lives and perpetuate democracy, this monument is reverently dedicated.”

Hundreds listened intently as Dr. Steve Kelly read these words engraved on the World War I granite monument donated by the Brownwood High School Class of 1921, now part of the Central Texas Veterans Memorial located at Camp Bowie’s 36th Division War Memorial Park. The community dedicated the memorial complex on Nov. 11, 2016, exactly 98 years since the end of World War I.

Brown County residents who died during World War I are among the 259 honored at the Central Texas Veterans Memorial, a project some 96 years in the making, shared Kelly, president of the Central Texas Veterans Memorial Committee. Kelly was a first lieutenant in the Army from 1969 to 1974; he has served as co-chairman of the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs/Legislative Committee since 1992.

Phase one of the $200,000 memorial project included the relocation, restoration and modernization of the original World War I Memorial and its incorporation into the memorial display at the park. While the complex honors all veterans, special homage is given to the 259 from Brown County who made the ultimate sacrifice from World War I forward, Kelly specified. Brown County lost 39 soldiers in World War I, 198 in World War II, eight in the Korean War, 11 in the Vietnam War, and three after Sept. 11, 2001.

The memorial includes 12 granite tablets around a 75-foot diameter concrete circle. Specifically, the 12 tablets honor:

All Veterans;
Brown County’s 259 local heroes with individual names engraved on four tablets;
Fighting 36th Infantry Division-Texas National Guard, which trained at the memorial site in World War II;
Camp Bowie;
Major General Fred Walker – commanding general of the 36th Division in World War II; the memorial represents all officers from Brown County;
Commando Charles Kelly – The One Man Army, the first recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor in Europe in World War II; the tablet represents all enlisted men from Brown County, especially those who returned from all wars with post-traumatic stress disorder;
Lost 36th Division Battalion in the Vosges Mountains of France;
Lost 36th Division Battalion on Java; and
Colonel Jack Bradley, Brownwood’s most decorated combat veteran.

The World War I and World War II monuments were moved from their initial sites to the complex, Kelly explained. The World War I stone remained by the high school building for nearly a century, even when the school was closed in 1961 and became the Family Services Center. The monument was moved from behind a bush at the center, while the World War II monument was moved from its original site at Coggin Park; both were originally erected shortly after the two wars ended.

In addition to the granite tablets and monuments, plaques are in place honoring veterans from the Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kelly detailed. The park also includes static displays of World War II military equipment.

A concrete walking trail just under one-half mile includes a handicapped water fountain and benches for visitors to sit and rest.

The 36th Division Memorial Park is located next to the Brownwood Regional Medical Center and the Brownwood Veterans Outpatient Clinic, all of which are positioned near the former Camp Bowie parade grounds that covered 629 acres.

“Brown County played a vital role in America’s involvement in World War II with the establishment of Camp Bowie in 1940,” Kelly noted. “Camp Bowie represents the most important historical event in Brownwood, and at 123,000 acres was one of the largest military training posts in the country at that time,” he continued.

Efforts to honor those killed in action were initiated in 1921 with the original World War I Memorial. A local business man introduced the idea of a memorial park in 1944; however the project was stalled by the ongoing war. Motivated citizens picked up the idea again in 1998, but lack of funding caused another delay. When Kelly was appointed president of the committee, he led a 14-month effort to complete the first phase of the complex, which was dedicated on Veterans Day 2016.

“We just have to finish it up,” Kelly declared. The committee is trying to raise an additional $50,000 for phase two of the project, which will include a walking trail through the park, landscaping, benches and drip irrigation.

The Brown County Commissioners Court has been very supportive of the memorial, Kelly observed, including the donation of a flag pole to the park.

“We owe these men and women our thanks and gratitude for their service to our country,” said Brown County Commissioner Gary Worley. “The Brown County Commissioners Court is honored to have had a small part in recognizing the brave men and women of our military by donating the flag pole.”

There are still some monuments at the courthouse that could not be moved because of the Texas Historical Commission constraints, Worley noted.

Brown County Judge Ray West attended the ceremony and made brief welcoming remarks on behalf of the county. U.S. Rep. Michael Conaway offered the keynote address.

“Rep. Conaway gave a very moving presentation,” West recalled. “As with any ceremony involving the veterans of this country, the mood was somber; there was a tightening of many throats, increased heart rates, and an overwhelming sense of pride.”

“My father was a Marine during World War II, participating in several actions including Okinawa, and last year my family dedicated a plaque to him at the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, so I have a very acute respect for the veterans of this nation,” West shared.

The Central Texas Veterans Memorial features a monument with 10 emblems showing the seals of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Texas National Guard, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Merchant Marine, U.S. Department of Defense, and the city of Brownwood. The 36th Division’s “T-Patch” sits on top of a pyramid.

This monument describes the purpose of the memorial, “…dedicated to all veterans – active duty, retired, honorably discharged, National Guard and Reserves – living and deceased – who answered the call and served in any branch of our Armed Forces (especially those from Brown County that made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom). We honor all selfless heroes for your courageous service to the United States of America. Your sacrifice is what made this country great. We salute you!”

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Memorial Day 2015

May 1, 2015 by County Progress

Service to Country Followed by Service to Community

By Julie Anderson

Editor

As an only child, he grew up in a small town outside of Cincinnati working on his parents’ 300-acre farm.

As a young man facing the draft, he opted for the U.S. Air Force where he found himself in Weymouth, England, as a communications technician relaying radio signals through England, Spain and Turkey back to the United States.

As an adult who continued serving his country, he was on the ground floor of the transformation of combat communications, when the Air National Guard not only transitioned from gear used in World War II to modern equipment, but also enlarged its mission scope requiring intense training orchestrated by Geeslin at his Guard unit.

Henderson County Commissioner Ken Geeslin’s timeline is characterized by these types of scenarios, all of which point to a pattern typical of many of our U.S. veterans: service to country followed by service to community.

Service Timeline

With the draft nearly upon him, Ken Geeslin, an 18-year-old college student, broke from his studies and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1967. Geeslin completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and radio relay technician training at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., and was then sent on a three-year tour to England, where he maintained a “tropo” site as well as microwave facilities.

“It was a unique facility from the standpoint that it had two 120-foot billboard antennas providing for the longest tropo shot in the world,” Geeslin described. Tropospheric communications is a form of radio transmission that bounces a signal off of the troposphere, or the lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere. This communications link in Ringstead, England, tied transmissions to Gorramendi, Spain, and from there throughout Europe as far east as Turkey, back to the United States. When his three years were up, Geeslin extended for two years in England before returning to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, where Geeslin oversaw all microwave communications with multiple sites including the Pentagon, which included support for closeout operations in Vietnam.

Faced with a potential assignment to a remote mountaintop in Greece, Geeslin transitioned from active duty in 1974 to the D.C. Air National Guard, where he worked full time for five years; he then continued with weekend duty for another decade.

During this time in the Guard, which included stints in the D.C. and Texas units, Geeslin was on the ground floor of two transitions: 1) replacement of still-used World War II-era equipment and technology, and 2) the retasking of Guard and Reserve units, known as “weekend warriors” because they trained one weekend out of each month. Based on lessons learned during the Vietnam Conflict, the Department of Defense decided the Guard would play a more significant role in operations, Geeslin detailed. For example, from 1974-75, the Air National Guard Units were assigned an actual communication mission.

“We went from an organization made up of individuals who were truly weekend warriors to an organization with a critical mission to support the nation in conflicts that required communication,” Geeslin recalled.

Throughout his time in the Guard, Geeslin also took a leadership role in Joint Chief of Staff Operational Readiness Exercises, where units were tested and evaluated on all aspects of communication. In one such exercise, the site was hit with simulated smoke grenades and chemical warfare, forcing the participants to wear gas masks and chemical suits while keeping communications operational. In another exercise, members of the Guard were required to react when a primary facility was blown up, meaning the rerouting of all communication traffic; participants were evaluated on the quickness of their response and their efforts to minimize impact on their overall mission.

Geeslin retired from the Guard in 1989 as a decorated Master Sergeant and then went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force Reserve from 1989-2003.

While still in the Air National Guard, Geeslin took his engineering and telecommunications experience into the private sector, signing on with MCI Telecommunications in 1980. His leadership responsibilities consisted of budgets, engineering, construction, operations and executive-level program management. In fact, Geeslin became the driving force behind many industry innovative solutions such as the leadership of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Leased Interfacility National Air Space Communications System, the network that supports all U.S. airspace for civil and military air traffic control. His work on this high-profile project earned Geeslin awards from both the FAA and MCI.

Geeslin led the first large-scale deployment of single-mode fiber optic communications cable between Washington, D.C., and New York. He later led the deployment of high-density polyethylene pipe for outside plant fiber optic installation that became the industry standard, as it hardened the network, reduced cost and sped up the installation process.

His career highlights also include the development of emergency restoration processes for restoring microwave radio towers, followed by the development of fiber optic network disaster recovery initiatives.

After 25 years in the corporate world, Geeslin returned to his small-town roots, moving with his wife, Katherine, to Athens, Henderson County, in 2001. The following year, Geeslin and his wife established a joint venture offering consulting services to failing companies with a turn-key timeline to profitability. In 2005, the Geeslins began representing fortune 500 companies with restoration and relocation of fiber optic outside plant networks.

Geeslin’s 26 years of military, Guard and Reserve service, some of which overlapped with his 25 years in the private sector, all focused on improvements that affected a nation. As he settled into a smaller setting, Geeslin turned his sights to the local community, educating himself by attending Commissioners Court and school district meetings along with other town events.

In 2005, he ran for County Commissioner but was not elected. However, Geeslin continued to attend county meetings and successfully ran for the Commissioner’s seat in 2010. He was recently re-elected to his second term and serves as a full-time Henderson County Commissioner.

Converging Experiences

Serving. Communicating. Training. Leading. Transitioning. Planning. Responding. The skills and worth ethic acquired and refined during Geeslin’s military service and related career in communications have all been put to good use in his role as Henderson County Commissioner. For example, one of the first items of business upon his election concerned the county purchase of a bank building that would be converted into a county annex. The plan necessitated the replacement of phone and Internet service, and Geeslin’s experience was vital when it came to negotiating the contract. Geeslin advised replacing the existing system with a voiceover IP system, “which resulted in charges being cut in half,” he reported.

On the road and bridge side, Geeslin was instrumental in connecting the county with a government surplus program resulting in the purchase of military trucks with very few miles being converted into county dump trucks.

“We’ve been able to upgrade equipment in our precinct utilizing that government program,” Geeslin shared, “buying dozers, welding equipment, and oil in bulk all at a fraction of the retail cost saving thousands of dollars.

“The equipment is reliable, and the taxpayer didn’t have to pay that premium,” he continued.

In his years on Commissioners Court, Geeslin has maintained a focus of “putting procedures in place that streamline county government and, in the long term, save our taxpayers money.”

When it comes to his favorite part of the job, Geeslin cites “making a difference.”

No doubt his timeline of service has made a difference in his family, especially considering one of his daughters followed his footsteps into the U.S. Air Force.

Ken and Katherine Geeslin have four children, sons Matt and John and daughters Jennifer and Malia. They are also proud grandparents of five granddaughters: Sarah Grace, Sidney Elizabeth, Ella Marie, Cora Maree and Meredith Grace. Geeslin’s daughter Jennifer is now a Major with the Massachusetts National Guard.

Finally, Geeslin’s commitment to effective and efficient communication, one of the focal point of his military and private careers, has translated into an obvious steadfastness when it comes to keeping his constituents informed; Geeslin maintains a comprehensive county web page, http://www.henderson-county.com/departments/commissioners-court/commissioner-precinct-4, complete with organizational chart, the latest road reports, community information, voting locations and more.

This type of commitment fits right in with one of the Air Force Core Values that a young Ken Geeslin memorized back in the 1960s when he put on the Air Force uniform: “Excellence In All We Do.”

Veterans: Thank You For Your Service

November 11, 2014 by Christi Stark

County Progress is building a running list of our veterans. This list will run both here online and periodically in our printed publications. Please send your name, office, military branch, and dates of military service to janderson@zacpubs.com so we may add you to this distinguished listing.

Mark Allen
Jasper County Judge
U.S. Air Force, 1988-1994

Allen Amos
Concho County Judge
U.S. Army, 1964-1966

James R. Arthur
Comanche County Judge
U.S. Air Force, 1961-1967

Stan Barker
Fannin County Commissioner
U.S. Marine Corps 1968-1973

Don Beeson
Johnson County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1966-1968

Downing Bolls, Jr.
Taylor County Judge
United States Marine Corps, 1968-1972

John Brieden
Washington County Judge
U.S. Army (airborne-ranger) 1972-1977

John M. Britten
Armstrong County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1965-1967

Daniel Burkeen
Limestone County Judge
U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, 1983-1994

Jon Burrows
Bell County Judge
U.S. Air Force, U.S. Air Force Reserve, 1969-2000

Drue Bynum
Grayson County Judge
U.S. Army, 1991-2000

Kirby Campbell
Collingsworth County Commissioner
U.S. Navy, U.S. Navy Reserve, 1964 – 1971

Wilton Cantrell
Throckmorton County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1966 -1968

Albert H. Cobb Jr., M.D.
Hays County Judge
U.S. Air Force, 1971-1979

Johnny Countryman
Kaufman County Treasurer
U.S. Navy, 1964-1968

Thomas Cravey
Camp County Judge
U.S. Army, 1965-1969

David C. Davis
Haskell County Judge
U.S. Army, 1970-1971

David Dubose
Orange County Commissioner
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, 1969-1975

Donald G. Engleking
Bell County Justice of the Peace
U.S. Air Force, 1969-1975

Bill Eyler
Upton County Judge
U.S. Air Force, 1968-1972

Tom Ferris III
Armstrong County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1970-1972

John Firth
Coryell County Judge
U.S. Army, 1969-2000

Neil E. Fritsch
Calhoun County Commissioner
U.S. Air Force, 1965-1969

Roger Galvan
Calhoun County Commissioner
U.S. Air Force, 1966-1970

Ken Geeslin
Henderson County Commissioner
U.S. Air Force, 1967-1974
D.C. & Texas Air National Guard, 1974-1989
U.S. Air Force Reserve, 1989 -2003

Tommy Hahn
Colorado County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1971-1973

Jerry D. Hefner
Hutchinson County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1962-1965

Joe F. High
Stephens County Commissioner
U.S. Army 1956-1958

Jerry Hogan
Rockwall County Judge
U.S. Army, 1959-1979

Wayne Johnson
Terry County Jail Administrator
U.S. Navy, 1969-1975

Ronald R. McBroom
Johnson County Justice of the Peace
U.S. Air Force, 1966-1970

Barry McCallister
Pecos County Treasurer
U.S. Air Force, 1973-1977

Ronnie L. McKinnney
Gregg County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1968-1970

Virgil Melton Jr.
Van Zandt County Commissioner
U.S. Marine Corps, 1967-1971

Ronnie Moorhead
Stonewall County Judge
U.S. Army, 1967 to 1973

Tommy A. Munoz
Brazos County Justice of the Peace
U.S. Air Force, 1966-1987

Martin Nash
Tyler County Commissioner
U.S. Coast Guard, 1969-1975

Loyd Neal
Nueces County Judge
U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, 1959-1989

Adrian Norman
Culberson County Commissioner
U.S. Navy, 1996-2000

Frank “Skipper” Osborne
Matagorda County Sheriff
U.S. Marine Corps, 1966-1969

Jim Pack
Erath County Commissioner
U.S. Navy, U.S. Navy Reserve, 1966-2003

Susan Pamerleau
Bexar County Sheriff
U.S. Air Force, 1968-2000

Roy H. Parker
Kent County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1954-1956

Richard Peet
Gray County Judge
U.S. Air Force, 1962-1966

Michael (Mike) Pigg
Childress County Sheriff
U.S. Army, 1979-1982

William Menchaca Piña
Bastrop County Commissioner
U.S. Navy, U.S. Navy Reserve, 1967-1978
U.S. Army National Guard, U.S. Army, 1978-2007

Don Pozzi
Victoria County Judge
U.S. Army, 1968-1970

Hugh Reed
Armstrong County Judge
U.S. Marine Corps, Reserves, 1970-1991

Eloy Rodriguez
Bee County Commissioner
U.S. Marine Corps, 1966-1969

Delbert R Roberts
Kimble Count Judge
U.S. Nvay 1962-1966

Keith Self
Collin County Judge
U.S. Army, 1975-1999, 2002-2003

Willis Smith
Lipscomb County Judge
U.S. Army, 1968-1970

Chuck Statler
Taylor County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1977-1981

Sammy Stone
Bowie County Commissioner
U.S. Air Force, 1963-1969

Joe Strong
Fannin County Commissioner
U.S. Air Force, 1976-1982

J.A.”Jack” Walston
Tyler County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1972-1974

Jim C. White
Kent County Judge
U.S. Army, 1969-1971

John F. Wood
Blanco County Commissioner
U.S. Army, 1966-1968