The Rootseekers Genealogical Society were honored to have as their speaker veteran Robert (Bob) Johnson. Bob’s subject title was “Veteran’s Memorials”.
Bob and his wife paid a visit to all the Veterans memorials in the Tri-County area. He thought the memorial in Kaufman at the top of the list as far as, how well it is kept. High on his list is no trash and mowed. Athens Memorial was next, his only complaint was he had to walk a good ways because they had it blocked off. With his bum leg and a cane it was a long walk. Next was the Mabank Memorial although it was well kept and mowed he did not think the area where the names were to be big enough. Since there are no restrictions at this memorial, he knows there has to be more veterans in this area who have not had their names put on the wall. If anyone is interested in having their name, a fathers name, uncle or anyone they wish on the wall, please contact the city of Mabank to find out the cost. Last on his list was the Canton Memorial. Bob says it was not mowed and trash was all around it he assumed because it was on a corner.
Bob started his search to find out just what a veteran is, he was taught it was a person who has served 180 days of Active Duty Military Service. The general public thinks it is anyone who has served in the Armed Forces.
In U.S. law it is a former member of any branch of the military who meets the requirements for the extension of some benefits or privilege provided by law to honorably discharged servicemen.
At the VA it is anyone who enlisted after Oct. 16, 1981, must have served 24 continuous months of active duty, or the full period for which they were called to active duty. Combat Veteran is a veteran who has been in armed conflict or served in a combat zone (i.e. Vietnam or Iraq) for 30 consecutive days or 60 cumulative days.
Bob finally came up with his own definition of what a veteran is- as many definitions as recipes for potato salad.
Bob was born in Dallas and lived with his grandparents in Mabank. He joined the Army at MEPS Center in Dallas at the age of 18 in 1968. His Army training consisted of Basic training at Ft. Bliss, El Paso, TX., Swamp survival training at Ft. Polk, La, Jungle survival training, Ft. Gordon. GA., Desert survival training, White Sands, New Mexico. In all he served three tours in Vietnam from 1969 to 1972. He spent 4 1/2 years in the Army. After he was discharged a while he decided to try something different so he joined the Navy and served 18 years there until his retirement. His service here consisted of a tour on the USS Nimitz in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, he was off the coast of Lebanon when embassy people were pulled out in 1976, he spent most of his Naval career on the west coast deployed to Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. Was on the USS Midway off Japan where he met his wife. His home base was in the Philippines. He was on the USS Enterprise when MT. Pinatubo blew and they had to evacuated people. The USS Lincoln was his last ship and was deployed to the Western Pacific and the cease fire campaign during the Desert Storm Gulf War. Bob retired after 22 1/2 years of military service.