Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 5-26-17

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FLORIDA SENTINEL
FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017
VFW Post To Hold Annual Memorial Day Program
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The idea of setting aside a day to celebrate the lives of military personnel who served their country began in 1868. It began as a cele- bration to honor those who gave their lives during the Civil War.
Since that time, the hol- iday, which takes place the last Monday in May, honors the contributions of those who made the supreme sac- rifice in any military en- gagements involving the United States.
On Monday May 29th, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1339, VFW Post 10140, will host their An- nual Memorial Day Pro- gram. They will be joined by the American Legion, the Buffalo Soldiers, and Hu- mana Insurance Company
representatives.
On Saturday, May 27th,
the organizations will gather at 7:30 a.m., at the Rest Haven Memorial Park Cemetery, 4615 E. Hanna Avenue, to place American flags on the graves of serv- ice men who served during various wars and conflicts in defense of this country. The flags will be placed on the graves with military markers or headstones.
This year will mark the 19th consecutive year that the organizations have re- membered deceased veter- ans locally.
Melvin Collins, Com- mander of VFW Post 1339 said, “We do this to show our loved ones that they are not forgotten. We are ask- ing family members, neigh- bors, and friends to come on out and help us honor our fallen Veterans who
MELVIN COLLINS Commander of VFW Post 1339
served or who gave all for our country to remain free.” On Monday, the official Annual Memorial Day Pro- gram will take place. It will be held at the cemetery, be-
ginning at 10 a.m.
Commander Collins
hosted the first program at Rest Haven Memorial Cemetery on Memorial Day 1997. Over the years, the
program has expanded adding the names of other veterans each year.
“I lost two family mem- bers in one month in May 1967. My brother-in-law, James Bell, died on May 1, 1967. He was the 1964 Class President at Middle- ton High School. Thirty days later, my nephew, Michael Collins, died. He had also recently graduated from Middleton High School. I felt that we should do something to honor the memory of deceased veter- ans. Both had served in Viet Nam.”
Last year, they placed flags on more than 1,600 graves.
The organizations place the flags on those graves with military issued-head- stones. “Any veteran who was honorably discharged is entitled to the military is-
sued headstone. It denotes the branch of the military the veteran served in.”
Commander Collins
said the Boys Scouts will also lend a hand in the cer- emony. “We try to involve the next generation so that they will realize the impor- tance of honoring our com- munity members who have served in the military. I think that it is important that we keep this tradition going. It is important to pay tribute to the memory of those who served their country,” he said.
For more information about the program, contact Commander Collins at (813) 238-5627; Carl Har- ris at (813) 404-3080; or David Harris at (813) 310-1653.
Refreshments will be served after the Memorial Day Program.
Memorial Day Brings ‘Bad’ Memories For Veteran
Plaque Honoring Tampa Man Killed In Vietnam Missing
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Over the weekend and through Monday (the official Memorial Day celebrated), many families will take to the beach, backyards, and gather with family and friends.
But, one Veteran specifi- cally from the Vietnam War era, will not be celebrating when Monday comes.
“I don’t celebrate Memo- rial Day. I celebrate Veterans Day,” Bobby Wilds said. “I don’t celebrate because of the all the bad memories – the things I don’t want to remem- ber.”
Wilds spent 9 months in Vietnam – July 1969 to April 1970.
“I went over for a 1-year tour as part of my Com- mander General’s Inspection Team. My orders were changed once I got there to the Supply and Motor Pool,” he explained.
When he thinks about Me- morial Day, Wilds, a Blake High football player and grad- uate, said he thinks of all his friends that lost their lives over there.
“A lot of the guys didn’t come back, and many of those that were able to make it back, came back with sickness, in-
BOBBY WILDS ...Celebrates Veterans Day, not Memorial Day
jury or loss of limbs. It really hits you that these were 19 and 20-year-olds that lost their lives in the prime of their lives.
“I know I was blessed to go and come back in one piece and in my right mind. That made me want to do things for others – to give back – be- cause I know I was blessed,” he said.
The Vietnam Wall in Washington, D. C. carries the names of so many of those that Wilds remembers.
“Yes, I honor their memory because so many of them I went to school with or played ball (football) with.”
Wilds has 2 brothers who also served in the military: Aaron Wilds served in the Army and John Wilds was a Marine, who served during peacetime.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Mrs. Rosalie Jones
doesn’t know when the plaque honoring Lance Cor- poral John Bell, Jr., dis- appeared. She doesn’t know the circumstances of what happened to it.
She does know the pedestal it rested on remains on the corner. And, she hopes to have the plaque replaced.
She’s not sure what the wording on the plaque was, but she knows that it is part of the Northview Hills com- munity and it should be re- placed.
Very few people are famil- iar with the story of Lance Corporal John Bell, Jr. He died more than 50 years ago.
A Tampa native, Lance Corporal Bell was the only child of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Bell, Sr., of East Tampa. He attended the public schools of Hillsbor- ough County.
He was among the Howard W. Blake High School graduating class of 1963. While at Blake, he served as a 220-pound guard-tackle on the State Championship team of 1962.
MRS. ROSALIE JONES President, Northview Hills Civic Association and Neighborhood Watch Coordinator
In a 1965 interview with the Sentinel, his father said they wanted the son, nick- named “Butch,” to attend college. However, he had other plans and joined the U. S. Marines.
In a letter, which turned out to be the final correspon- dence with his parents, Lance Corporal Bell wrote them a letter that arrived two days before the news of his death.
The letter stated in part:
“I am presently involved in a big push. I hope from the bottom of my heart I can make it. If not, it is the Lord’s way.
“I will always remem- ber you and Dad as the two most important peo-
LANCE CPL. JOHN BELL, JR. 1/26/1945 —- 8/18/1965
ple in the world to me. I do wish that I could have come home to marry Betty, but I don’t think so. Goodbye. Love, Butch.”
Twenty-year-old Lance Corporal John Bell, Jr., was killed in battle on August 18, 1965. He was the first ca- sualty from Hillsborough County to die in the Vietnam War.
In honor of his memory, a street in Northview Hills was named John Bell, Jr., Drive, in his honor. On Memorial Day, residents will remember Lance Corporal Bell and the thousands of other men and women who sacrificed their lives in defense of their country.