thedrifter
05-24-09, 11:05 AM
Nerves of steel, hearts of gold
Area gets ready to honor fallen troops
Becca Nelson Sankey
Special to the Standard-Times
Sunday, May 24, 2009
SAN ANGELO, Texas — As a retired fighter pilot who served in Vietnam, Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Capt. Dan Cain has dedicated 36 years of his life to serving his country.
Cain, a 1963 Central High School graduate and a resident of Florida, is the keynote speaker Monday morning for the Vietnam Veterans of America’s Memorial Day program, starting at 10 a.m. at the memorial, near the entrance to Mathis Field.
Cain said he hasn’t been to San Angelo for an extended stay in 40 years.
“I’d like to see some of my old friends I haven’t seen in a gazillion years and laugh about how much we’ve changed in looks,” he said.
It’s those friends who last year Googled the retired fighter pilot, found him in Florida and asked him to come back for a speaking engagement.
“He had a very distinguished career,” said Tom Davis, a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 457, who has spearheaded the group’s annual Memorial Day program. “Because he had ties to San Angelo and because he was a decorated war hero in three wars, we thought he would be an ideal speaker.”
Cain said he declined the invitation at first, but the appeal of a reunion with old friends won him over. They certainly have some catching up to do: Since leaving college after his first year, Cain joined the Marines during Vietnam, calling the experience “a wake-up call” that forced him to grow up.
“It was quite a war,” he said. “I just felt that everything we were doing was right ... I still believe we did the right thing. I just felt the need to answer the call and serve my country.”
Cain later went back to school, graduated and went through the flight program to become a Navy F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot.
Cain is “quite a man,” Davis said. “It’s just amazing that he took the time out of his life in Florida just to talk in a 45-minute program, but he’s that committed to doing that because not only is he interested in remembering those who gave their all, but he’s also interested in letting people know he’s a Central Bobcat, and he’s proud to do that.”
The group also will recognize others with local ties who were killed in war: Central High School graduates Michael Quinn of the Navy, Oscar Juarez of the Marine Corps and Leroy Burks Jr. of the Army all died in Vietnam. Elizabeth Jacobson of the Air Force was assigned to Goodfellow Air Force Base and killed during a tour in Iraq.
“I’ve (included) male, female, different nationalities in trying to mix it up to get a good sampling,” Davis said.
The All Veterans Council of Tom Green County will have its own Memorial Day program at 6 p.m. the same evening on the lawn of the county courthouse.
Tim L. Vasquez, director of the Tom Green County Veterans Service Office and an officer with the All Veterans Council, said the veterans organizations intentionally set different times so the community would be able to attend both ceremonies.
Vasquez said attendance at the evening program varies each year, but the group is expecting as many as 200 people this year, including a crowd from Goodfellow Air Force Base who will be attending to hear base commander Col. Richard Ayres speak.
“This is the first year we’ve had Ayres, so we’re excited about that,” Vasquez said.
Other aspects of the program, such as the Twin Mountain Tonesmen’s musical contribution, remain the same.
“That’s really enhanced our program because they sing such beautiful patriotic songs,” Vasquez said. “They’ll narrow it down to three songs, one of those being the national anthem. It’s really touching, and (Director) Mark Clark has been great about coming back every year with his group.”
Other special guests include the family of Marine Lance Cpl. Elias Torrez III of Veribest. Torrez died in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, Tom Green County’s first casualty in the war.
Torrez’s recognition is the start of what Vasquez hopes will be an annual tradition of recognizing a specific war veteran.
“We’re trying to personalize our Memorial Day to show the accomplishments of our veterans in the area,” Vasquez said. “Memorial Day really emphasizes the sacrifice of our veterans. It’s more specific (about) those who put their life on the line and didn’t come home and because of that we are free to this day.”
Memorial Day events
These events take place in San Angelo on Memorial Day:
■ 8 a.m. — San Angelo Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol will place flags on the graves of veterans at All Veterans Cemetery.
■ 9 a.m. — Memorial Day exercises presented by Fort Concho and the Daughters of the American Revolution, Fort Concho parade grounds
■ 10 a.m. — Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 457, Memorial Day Program, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, past Mathis Field entrance on Knickerbocker Road
■ 10:30 a.m. — Dedication of the Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Abilene, 7457 West Lake Road
■ 6 p.m. — Memorial Day presented by the All Veterans Council of Tom Green County, Tom Green County Courthouse, east side of lawn
Ellie
Area gets ready to honor fallen troops
Becca Nelson Sankey
Special to the Standard-Times
Sunday, May 24, 2009
SAN ANGELO, Texas — As a retired fighter pilot who served in Vietnam, Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Capt. Dan Cain has dedicated 36 years of his life to serving his country.
Cain, a 1963 Central High School graduate and a resident of Florida, is the keynote speaker Monday morning for the Vietnam Veterans of America’s Memorial Day program, starting at 10 a.m. at the memorial, near the entrance to Mathis Field.
Cain said he hasn’t been to San Angelo for an extended stay in 40 years.
“I’d like to see some of my old friends I haven’t seen in a gazillion years and laugh about how much we’ve changed in looks,” he said.
It’s those friends who last year Googled the retired fighter pilot, found him in Florida and asked him to come back for a speaking engagement.
“He had a very distinguished career,” said Tom Davis, a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 457, who has spearheaded the group’s annual Memorial Day program. “Because he had ties to San Angelo and because he was a decorated war hero in three wars, we thought he would be an ideal speaker.”
Cain said he declined the invitation at first, but the appeal of a reunion with old friends won him over. They certainly have some catching up to do: Since leaving college after his first year, Cain joined the Marines during Vietnam, calling the experience “a wake-up call” that forced him to grow up.
“It was quite a war,” he said. “I just felt that everything we were doing was right ... I still believe we did the right thing. I just felt the need to answer the call and serve my country.”
Cain later went back to school, graduated and went through the flight program to become a Navy F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot.
Cain is “quite a man,” Davis said. “It’s just amazing that he took the time out of his life in Florida just to talk in a 45-minute program, but he’s that committed to doing that because not only is he interested in remembering those who gave their all, but he’s also interested in letting people know he’s a Central Bobcat, and he’s proud to do that.”
The group also will recognize others with local ties who were killed in war: Central High School graduates Michael Quinn of the Navy, Oscar Juarez of the Marine Corps and Leroy Burks Jr. of the Army all died in Vietnam. Elizabeth Jacobson of the Air Force was assigned to Goodfellow Air Force Base and killed during a tour in Iraq.
“I’ve (included) male, female, different nationalities in trying to mix it up to get a good sampling,” Davis said.
The All Veterans Council of Tom Green County will have its own Memorial Day program at 6 p.m. the same evening on the lawn of the county courthouse.
Tim L. Vasquez, director of the Tom Green County Veterans Service Office and an officer with the All Veterans Council, said the veterans organizations intentionally set different times so the community would be able to attend both ceremonies.
Vasquez said attendance at the evening program varies each year, but the group is expecting as many as 200 people this year, including a crowd from Goodfellow Air Force Base who will be attending to hear base commander Col. Richard Ayres speak.
“This is the first year we’ve had Ayres, so we’re excited about that,” Vasquez said.
Other aspects of the program, such as the Twin Mountain Tonesmen’s musical contribution, remain the same.
“That’s really enhanced our program because they sing such beautiful patriotic songs,” Vasquez said. “They’ll narrow it down to three songs, one of those being the national anthem. It’s really touching, and (Director) Mark Clark has been great about coming back every year with his group.”
Other special guests include the family of Marine Lance Cpl. Elias Torrez III of Veribest. Torrez died in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, Tom Green County’s first casualty in the war.
Torrez’s recognition is the start of what Vasquez hopes will be an annual tradition of recognizing a specific war veteran.
“We’re trying to personalize our Memorial Day to show the accomplishments of our veterans in the area,” Vasquez said. “Memorial Day really emphasizes the sacrifice of our veterans. It’s more specific (about) those who put their life on the line and didn’t come home and because of that we are free to this day.”
Memorial Day events
These events take place in San Angelo on Memorial Day:
■ 8 a.m. — San Angelo Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol will place flags on the graves of veterans at All Veterans Cemetery.
■ 9 a.m. — Memorial Day exercises presented by Fort Concho and the Daughters of the American Revolution, Fort Concho parade grounds
■ 10 a.m. — Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 457, Memorial Day Program, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, past Mathis Field entrance on Knickerbocker Road
■ 10:30 a.m. — Dedication of the Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Abilene, 7457 West Lake Road
■ 6 p.m. — Memorial Day presented by the All Veterans Council of Tom Green County, Tom Green County Courthouse, east side of lawn
Ellie