31 May Memorial Day 2010
Colonel Michael Steele and USAAF WWII veteran Monroe “Buddy” Stamps ~ two heroes
This is the thirteenth year that Roswell Rotary and the City of Roswell have jointly sponsored Roswell Remembers, a tribute to all our veterans and the men and women who are serving in our military today.
Our keynote speaker was Colonel Michael Steele. A native of Georgia, he attended UGA and was an offensive guard for the Bulldogs. One of his worldwide deployments was as a Company Commander leading the Rangers during combat operations in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993. The book and movie “Black Hawk Down” were based on this mission.
Colonel Steele spoke with emotion about the war memorials in Washington, DC, in particular, The Wall which he often visits at dawn, he explained, to reconnect, to remember, and to refocus. He quoted John Stuart Mill who in the 1800s said: “… The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” Colonel Steele said that he is inspired by “better men.”
One of the most moving parts of the program is “From the Heart” when veterans come up to an open microphone to speak. Several of them, not without tears, spoke the names of their fallen friends.
Two Better Men
So I would like to take this opportunity to name and to remember the two “better men” closest to me who died in their service to our country.
On 22 June 1967 Alvin Gene Hill of Bartow, Florida, was killed in action in Dak To (about 6 miles from the Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam border) in the Republic of Vietnam. Gene enlisted in the army the year we graduated from high school. Gene was awarded the Bronze Star, 2 Purple Hearts, the Military Merit Medal, and the Gallantry Cross with Palm. He is listed on the Wall, Plate 22E, Line 41.
My high school class has stayed in close touch all these years. All through school, Gene was just one of those great guys … easy going, athletic, good. His death hurt us all. The war became real.
Ace and his Mother, our Grandmother Emma 1945
And years earlier … on 9 August 1950 Second Lt. Ace Allen was killed in action in Korea. He was a World War II veteran, then went back to Washington State College where he was the top reserve officer training corps student in his class. A platoon leader, he went into active combat August 7th at Taegu. The army wrote to Ace’s mother, “The unit suffered heavy casualties but accomplished its mission bravely and heroically.”
Ace was 25 years old. He was my uncle.
Charlie Hayes
Posted at 16:16h, 29 MayI pray for Gene and family. He was such a good friend to all.
Please everyone on Memorial Day stop and give thanks for his time here.
Take care, Charlie Hayes