A standing room only crowd gathered at the Central Texas Veterans Memorial where Brownwood held its annual observance of Veterans Day at 11 a.m. Thursday morning.
PF&E founder Calvin Fryar introduced Brownwood’s highest-ranking veteran – Rear Admiral Jeffrey Lemmons, a 1975 graduate of Brownwood High School, who was the recipient for a plaque on Generals’ Row at The Central Texas Veterans Memorial for his service.
“I grew up in a culture where you don’t spell team with an I,” Lemmons said. “If it weren’t for shipmates, which is a special word in the Navy, it takes a lot of folks to get a lot of things done to allow a guy like me to stand up at this ceremony in front of you. I thank you all for this distinction, but I want you to know it’s very humbling for me to be here in front of you.”
Lemmons then reflected on his path to military service.
“I was fortunate to grow up and service was an easy choice for me,” Lemmons said. “My grandfather served, both of his brothers served, my dad served, both of his brothers served, my brothers served, my son is serving. Service was always a given, it wasn’t option, at least to me, growing up. The examples to me in family were all of service, and when it was your time, the expectation was that you were going to serve to. And that was not just inside the family, it was inside the community.
“My principals were veterans, my coaches were veterans, our mailman served, the men I knew at church served. I had all these male role models around me all the time. But probably the greatest group to influence me were the friends of Aubrey Russell Clements. He had a garage on 8 1/2 Street where he helped me rebuild a pick-up truck. And his friends, who I got to know through the years, this crowd of people influenced me profoundly because they were outside my family.
“You know the old saying it takes a village, and it really does. The influence of family and community are strongly profound and made such a deep impact on me, that service wasn’t an option. What a great place to grow up, what a special place to be from, what great role models and influences we had. There’s an old Irish proverb that says “It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.” and so truly growing up in the shelter of all of you, we learned lessons in life that influenced our decisions to serve.”
Other speakers at the event included Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes, State Senator Dr. Dawn Buckingham, and State Representative Glenn Rogers
Haynes stated, “I’m always proud to represent our community, but I never feel prouder than what I stand at this spot on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. It gives me great pride, it gives me great hope in our future, and it gives me great admiration for the people of this community to know that we have this place to come, and to know we have people that will come. As we gather, we want to be sure and remember our veterans and say thank you. I know as one has never served in the military the words thank you seem hollow and inept and lack the meaning that they need, but they’re more than just our words because they’re surrounded by our attendance this morning. We’re here today to give our presence, and we’re here today to give you our thanks. It’s such an honor to see all the people from this community that came out to remember our veterans.”
Buckingham said, “I am truly humbled to stand before you today because we are the land of the free because of the brave and you all are the brave. I was really lucky last week to be in Mar-a-Lago and hear President Trump speak and his whole speech was about courage and how we’re exceptional, how we are the land of opportunity, At the time we were founded we were this radical experience and now we are the shining star that leads the world and Texas is the state that leads the country. If you look at our military service throughout our history, Texans have served, Texans have stepped up, and if you weren’t a Texan when you went into the military, a whole lot of you settled here because you came through here at some point in our various military installations and then you come and stay with us. So it is our honor to salute you, and it is your courage that we try to mirror in the legislature.”
Rogers remarked, “People say I’m a vet, but I’m a veterinarian, I’m not a veteran. I don’t know what it’s like to be overseas and away from my family for long periods of time. I’ve never stood at the gates of the enemy and marched head first into danger. I’ve never had to patch up a wounded brother. What I have done is raise children and I’ve been blessed with grandchildren. I’ve been a father to my sons and three daughters, the youngest of which is a senior in high school. When I look at my children and I get to wrap my three grandchildren up in my arms, it reminds me why we remember, why I am so grateful for today and for the service of every veteran from across this country. The reason I get to hold my grandchildren, the reason I get to watch my daughter grow into an amazing woman in this free country, is because of those of you who are and were on the lines fighting against those who seek to rob those children of their God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the greatest nation in the world.”
Prior to the conclusion of the event, Col. Tom Gray, Commander Of American Legion Post 196, stated nine members of the post will be honored for the service to the veterans of the county with granite bricks to be placed at the Central Texas Veterans Memorial.
Gray offered his thanks to the City of Brownwood for recent improvements to the Central Texas Veterans Memorial such the installation of a sprinkler system along with the addition of restrooms and a playground. The restrooms feature a mural of a soldier kneeling and praying.
“We did that for a reason,” Gray said. “When the children come to play, they’ll look at it and get curious and ask ‘what is that?’”
Navy Commander Chaplain Jim Looby then closed Thursday’s ceremony by leading those in attendance in the singing of “God Bless America.”
