By Taylor Short/reporter3@trcle.com
At the American Legion Post 50 in Cleburne on Wednesday, a small, dressed table sits in front of the stage in recognition of prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.
A glass and chair, both empty, represent their absence. A sprinkling of salt and a lemon slice on the plate stands for their families’ tears and their bitter fate. The white tablecloth and red rose show their pure intentions and the blood they may have shed for their country.
Ken Peters Jr., Sons of the American Legion Commander II Division, completes the table ceremony surrounded by veterans with hats removed and hands over their hearts in honor of not just POWs, but every serviceman or woman who dons a uniform of the U.S. military.
“The American flag reminds us that many of them may never return and have paid the supreme sacrifice to ensure our freedom,” he said. “Let us remember and never forget their sacrifice.”
As the American Legion members celebrate the lives of soldiers and the hardships they know so well, students at Adams Elementary School learn about the wars they served in from the veterans themselves.
Children sing “God Bless America” as veterans of every foreign war fill the stage — their collective years of service only matched by the number of students flooding the cafeteria Wednesday morning.
Cpl. E.J. Barnes, a two-year veteran, served as the master of ceremonies and introduced the Johnson County veterans one-by-one.
Barnes introduced Cpl. Garnell Baker, a three-year World War II veteran, who stood in his original uniform riddled with awards, medals and insignias.
“I have some hats if someone would like to put them on. This is a German helmet and it is really comfortable,” Garnell said as he passed them around the crowd. “This is a steel helmet, and it is miserable.”
Barnes then introduced Pfc. Rebecka Smith, who announced her departure for Iraq in two months and thanked everyone for coming.
“There’s actually a teacher here, one of my elementary teachers. I don’t know if she remembers me ... Mrs. Foster?” she said as second-grade teacher, Wallis Ann Foster, who was Smith’s fourth-grade teacher at Coleman years ago, emerged from the sea of students. “There are so many other people in this room that I’ve met, and I want to thank them too.”
Back at the American Legion, Johnson County Judge Roger Harmon, whose father served as a guard at a German prisoner camp in Cleburne decades ago, proclaimed Nov. 11 a day for remembrance and support for the military in the county.
“They’ve sacrificed so much so that we have the freedoms that we do today,” Harmon said. “It’s always an honor to participate with them, in honoring them, for their sacrifice.”
Kathryn Fasci, Johnson County Veterans Service Officer, said her job is to help any veterans get state and federal benefits for them and their families, navigating them through the maze of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the government, which is getting more complicated by the day for the more than 13,000 veterans in Johnson County, she said.
Health care continues to be a major issue for veterans, she said, but people can help them in simple ways.
“Just support veterans activities and also let legislators know how important caring for our veterans is and how it should have a high priority,” Fasci said. “They should honor the promises they made the military.”
