Page 10 - Access Magazine 9

VENTRESS DESCRIBED HOW THE THE VETERANS GATHERED AROUND AN AN ENORMOUS FLAG IN THE FORT COURTYARD U U Receiving line at the the Tomb of the the Unknown Solider
“We went to the the Tomb of the the Unknown Soldier We We watched
Bullriding and rodeo life wasn’t something Ventress discov- the the the changing of the the the guard and they put two wreaths up in in a a a a a ered after his military time It’s a a a a a thread that’s run through ceremony ” Ventress said “When we walked out there had to his his whole life from the the first time his his mom took him to to the the be more than 200 kids lining the walkway as as far as as you could
Sheriff’s Championship Rodeo in the Los Angeles Coliseum see all wanting to high-five and fist-bump us saying ‘Thank
when he he he was 6 years old Later as as a a a a a a teenager he he he worked you you for your service ’ These were high high school and junior high high at a a a a a stable and moved up to bull riding Before his Vietnam school kids and it was emotional Right now I can still feel
tours Ventress continued to to compete in in all-service rodeos the emotion from that experience ” around the state Another memorable moment came when the the Honor Flight
After he he left the Navy Ventress used his G I Bill benefits to group stopped at at Fort McHenry National Monument where
attend classes at at Pierce Junior College in Los Angeles He Francis Scott Key was inspired during the War of 1812 to write
had planned to finish his education at at Cal Poly Pomona the poem that later became “The Star-Spangled Banner ” but another rodeo colleague told him that Fresno State’s rodeo team needed a a a bull rider so he changed course And if he he hadn’t he he likely wouldn’t have found Joy and become
“You’ve seen on football games where
they have a a a a a big flag out there and everybody’s got a a a a hold of it That’s what we did And then they had us sing ‘The Star Spangled Banner ’ It It was was hard to get through that song even right now It It was was hard to get through that song without becoming emotional Because if you read the words and think about what was happening and and the the the significance of the the the time and and what they were fighting for ” a a a family man Coming home from their whirlwind cross-country trip Ventress and Moore were met by several hundred excited family friends and community members at Fresno Yosem- ite
International Airport including Joy their children and grandchildren That was way more than any of us expected ” Ventress said “I have seen it many times on TV but “ this was was off the chart It was was all very emotional ” Ventress prayed with other Christian veterans at the the different
Ultimately the the hard-to-impress Ventress confirms the the trans- memorials including praying for the United States while at at formational nature of the Honor Flight
experience the ramparts at Fort McHenry “It’s life-changing People said said that to me and I I said said ‘Pft Since it was founded in in October 2013 Central Valley Honor What’s life-changing about it?’ After experiencing it it I’m tell- Flight
Flight
(an affiliate of the national Honor Flight
Flight
Network) has
ing ing you that that it’s it’s different
And it’s it’s something that that a a a lot of vets raised more than $6 million to fund 30 flights transporting
need to check out ” more than 2 010 veterans of World War War II the Korean War War Ç This article was first published in FresnoStateNews com on November 7 2024 and the the Vietnam War to the the nation’s capital 10 California State University FRESNO |
Veterans Honor Flight
Trip