Proud To Be A Veteran!

Yes, I am a veteran! I served in the U.S. Army Reserves for 10 years from February, 1989 - October 1999. I joined the Army Reserves in college while attending Abilene Christian University in Feb. 1989. I attended BASIC Training at Ft. Leonard Wood "Lost in the Woods", Missouri that summer, as a Private First Class (PFC). After returning from BASIC, I was officially assigned to the 490th Civil Affairs Company (now a Battalion) in Abilene, TX. Later this year the first Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, started. I was worried my Reserve Unit would be called into combat, but I was told as a Civil Affairs Unit we would probably not be deployed to Iraq or Kuwait until near the war's end.

In January of 1990, I started training to become an officer and I joined the ROTC unit at Hardin-Simmons University, while still part of the 490th and attending classes at ACU. The next summer I attended an ROTC Training Course at Ft. Riley, Kansas. After a year and a half of ROTC classes, I was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1991. My Uncle Quincy, a Navy veteran of the Korean War, and my Uncle George, a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, pinned my gold bars on my uniform.

As the Gulf War was coming to an end, my Reserve unit was notified that about 25 of us would be called into active service to support the military's rebuilding efforts in Iraq and Kuwait. In preparation of this call-up the Army sent me to an Officer's BASIC Course in Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. While I was at this training, about 1/3 of the 490th was called into active duty. By the time I finished this training, I was no longer needed overseas. However I did get a Army Service Ribbon for being on active duty during a time of war.

Upon returning from Ft. Ben Harrison, I took a job teaching in Winnsboro, TX. I was transferred to the 755th AG Postal Company headquartered in Texarkana, Texas. Since I lived closer to the detachment unit in Longview, Texas I was assigned there by the Company Commander, as the Detachment Commander and Platoon Officer over the 2 platoons stationed there. I was a member of the 755th for just over a year, when I moved back to Abilene and reassigned to the 490th, during this time I was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. I also got a chance to travel to Germany during this time. About a year later the 490th was upgraded from Company strength to Battalion strength. Because the 490th was now at Battalion strength, most of the spots held by 1st Lieutenants were now being filled by Captains, who needed placement within the unit. Due to a lack of a "job" so to say, I was placed into the Inactive Reserves. (BIG MISTAKE!, in my opinion by accepting this assignment.) I was told I would stay in the Inactive Reserves until I reached the rank of Captain or I was assigned to another Reserve Unit elsewhere.

While in the Inactive Reserves, necessary training I needed for promotion, came few and to far between. President Clinton and the Congress were cutting back on on the military budget and the training I needed was being given to Active duty officers first, which left no room for me. After three years of trying to get necessary training, I missed my promotion to Captain. I attempted to rejoin the 755th Postal Company after moving back to East Texas, but I was Honorably Discharged by the Army before I could rejoin the unit.

Now the reason I wrote all this was not to brag on myself, but to let you know I was proud of my service to my country. I wasn't always so proud. During a Veteran's Day ceremony at the school I was teaching at, I chose not to sit on the floor of the gym with the other Veterans who were being honored. I felt that I was not worthy to sit next to men and women who had served in combat during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and other military actions. A veteran, who knew of my service, noticed me in the stands with the kids. After the ceremony he came up to me and asked why I was not sitting with the other veterans on the floor. When I told him why, he was a little angry with me. He told me I had signed on the dotted line to serve my country just like every other man on that floor. He reminded me that I was willing to serve and die for my country and just because I was "lucky" enough not to have served in combat to prove it, I should not be ashamed that I served my country in the Army, even if it was in the Reserves. After the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, I attempted to rejoin the military to serve my country once again, but I was turned down due to age.

Now I am proud of my service to my country, and every time there is a Veteran's Ceremony or Veterans are asked to stand at a ball-game or a church service, I stand with pride. I do this not just because I can, but to honor those who are no longer able to stand and be remembered for their sacrifices, I was lucky enough to avoid combat, but I was more than willing to risk my life to serve the greatest country on the earth, The United States of America.