Beaumont Welcomes All For Vietnam Vets Event

By Dorothy Meindok

The Post Newspaper Veterans Consultant

A Texas Proclamation of Vietnam War Veterans Day took place in our neighboring county, and I was happy to have been invited (everyone was, but it made me feel special nonetheless and I am always grabbing good vibes).

I visited Beaumont’s Ben J. Roger’s Visitor’s Center welcoming all nine Texas counties, in Jefferson County proper, located off of I-10 just next to Ford Stadium on the feeder road. Beaumont’s home to Spindletop, who’s famous gush, once tapped, spewed over 100,000 barrels of oil a day leading the United States into the oil age. It changed the nation and brought innovation and progress for all. I would say despite the growing pains of development & growth, there’s something golden to be said about getting to the bottom of things.

I thank Vietnam Veteran warriors everyday for my progress as a human being; the story is long so take my word for it and if you catch me around town and want to know more, just ask and we’ll talk more. Suffice it to say for now, they helped shape me either directly or from the sidelines to meet my purpose, always there to guide me and get me through with their resiliency & wisdom.

I cannot honor them enough. I think my friend & American brother-in arms, Fidencio “Junior” Leijia of Santa Fe, might share some of my feelings on this, being a veteran warrior himself. (He’s running for Mayor, stepping up in his community’s pinch of needing another leader to assume office). I’ve shared with you his invite to come out and get to know him in the pics below.

Circling back to this 11:00am ceremony, Beaumont’s Mayor officially proclaimed Vietnam Veteran’s Day as March 29 for all of Beaumont! The Pledge of Allegiance was led by our female, Texas Vietnam Veteran Emma Stembridge, USAF and musical talents graced our ears from SETX Regional Planning Commission’s Christine Jackson. Honors were evidenced by George Mathews, USA & David Snapp, USA. Veteran leaders, Don Smart, USN & Tom Hall, USAF welcomed and prayed with all for all and the guest speaker, Dennis Blessing, USA had us rolling in our seats while gently reminding us of our continuing duty and commitments as American veterans UNITED for all Americans.

It was quite a day filled with veteran & civilian leadership (Blake Hopper, Deputy District Director from our Congressman Randy Weber’s (TX-14) office was happily present) and none of it would have been possible without the veterans spouse’s auxiliary team of Vietnam Veterans of America #292. Thank you, and all who assisted you.

Hail to our Warriors of the Vietnam War & thank you for all of your ceaseless help in paving our warrior road to Eden^[1], healing through all of your suffering; you deserved more and you still gave… wow. Thank you & if no one has told you… welcome home, hand over the baton but don’t stray far ‘cause we still got a lot to learn brothers & sisters and the younger warriors are taking note.

Until next week – Dorothy

^[1] There’s a homegrown song written about that by Round Rock’s and later Houston, Texas’s gal,  singer & songwriter, Renee Montogmery whose profound and poetic lyrics I’ll share online later this week and in next week’s post.

Dorothy Meindok is the Veterans Consultant for The Post Newspaper. She served in the United States Navy and is currently a lawyer advocating for the rights of our nation’s veterans. Her column appears on Sundays.