Refugio County Press (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 14, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 10, 2011 Page: 3 of 18
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Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011 Page 3A
Former Refugio High School students Jerry Fortenberry and Joe
Lerma learned Saturday that they were stationed near each
other during their tours in Vietnam.
Vietnam veterans from across South Texas met old friends and
made new ones at the Wall.
Hundreds visit the Wall
(Continued from 1A)
thing, don’t need much,” he
said. “From humble begin-
nings, I was given high values
that my parents put in front
of me.”
Playing off Cantu’s message,
Galloway said he, indeed, was
a “problem child,” and he
takes the 5th as to whether
he ever got into trouble.
“(The late Deputy) Charlie
Brown kept an eye on me,”
Galloway said.
Galloway called Vince and
the men of the la Drang
Valley “my best friends, I
would say.”
Looking throughout the
crowd, the author noted the
large number of Hispanic vet-
erans who stood among the
crowd.
“The Hispanic people have
a warrior tradition,” he said.
“They serve and they serve
proudly. They always have.
Per capita, they have more
medals of honor than any
other group in this country.”
In recent years, Galloway
fights a different battle —
one to get the VA to step
up to its responsibilities to
the Vietnam Veterans and to
the soldiers who fought in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
“The VA is not so good
about fulfilling promises,” he
said. “Still we have battles to
fight.”
From the day 42 Patriot
Guard Riders escorted the
Vietnam Wall to Refugio
until it left Sunday, hundreds
of veterans visited the wall.
During ceremonies on Friday
and Saturday, every vet from
every branch of the service
was honored, welcomed and
thanked for their service.
Ram Chavez and the
Corpus Christi Veterans
Band along with the Refugio
and Woodsboro bands played
renditions of patriotic songs
including America the
Beautiful and theme songs
from each branch of the ser-
vice.
Commissioner Ann Lopez
recalled the 1960s at the
Lopez home in Woodsboro.
“There was a steady stream
of mothers and fathers who
visited my father Max Lopez
to ask to keep their sons out
of Vietnam... they thought it
was a war without purpose...
what we learned is patience.”
Photos, page design by Kenda Nelson
Every veteran in every branch of the service was recognized during ceremonies Saturday and Sunday. Above, the Navy veterans march onto
the field. Below that photo, Air Force veterans line up behind their flag as the crowd gives them an ovation.
Richard Sanchez served in three branches of the ser-
vice before his retirement. He is shown with Korean
War veteran Gene Tuttle.
la Drang Valley veteran Vince Cantu says the notori-
ety surrounding Joe Galloway's picture of him on the
battlefield has made him 'a better man.'
Joe Galloway is working on a project to collect pic-
tures of every veteran whose name is on the Vietnam
Wall. He is featured in the History Channel's produc-
tion, Vietnam in HD, that began on Tuesday.
lp^|w CiMH
Sincerest thanks to all our service men and women,
both past and present, who have given their all in
_defense of our great nation._
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Nelson, Kenda. Refugio County Press (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 14, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 10, 2011, newspaper, November 10, 2011; Refugio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth740393/m1/3/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dennis M. O’Connor Public Library.