Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 5-27-16 Online Edition

Memorial Day Event Local
Military Organizations Plan 19th Annual Memorial Day Program
MELVIN COLLINS Commander VFW Post 1339
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Each year, local military organizations of Veterans of Foreign Wars, (VFW) Post 1339, Post 10140, American Legion Post 167, and the Buf- falo Soldiers join forces to host the Annual Memorial Day Pro- gram. The event will take place on Monday, May 30th, at 10 a.m., at the Rest Haven Me- morial Park Cemetery, 4615 E. Hanna Avenue.
The theme for the program this year is “To Our Women Who Serve.”
This year, the keynote ad- dress will be delivered by Chief Warrant Officer (Retired) Doris H. Hull, of the U. S. Coast Guard.
C.W.O. Hull enlisted in the U. S. Coast Guard Reserves under the Direct Petty Officer Program as a Yeoman First Class Petty Officer. She be- came the first woman in the Southeastern United States to be advanced to a Permanent E-6, within 24 months of meeting all mandated require- ments.
C.W.O. Hull enlisted as an Active Duty member in
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER (RETIRED) DORIS H. HULL ... Guest Speaker
1980. Nine years later, C.W.O. Hull became the first African American woman to advance to Chief Yeoman Petty Officer (E-7). In 1995, still moving up the ladder to suc- cess, C.W.O. Hull became the first Active Duty African American female to advance to the rank of Chief Warrant Of- ficer.
C.W.O. Hull is married to CWO Ronald Hull, USCG- Retired and is the mother of three adult children. Two of their children also served ac- tive duty in the Coast Guard.
Commander Melvin Collins, Commander of VFW Post 1339 said, “This is the 19th year we have hosted this event. We do it in honor of our veter- ans and to show support and pray for those who are in harm’s way to keep us safe.”
On Saturday, May 28th, be- ginning at 7:30 a.m., the or- ganizations will begin placing flags on the graves of individ- uals who served in the military whose graves bear the military headstone.
For more information con- tact Commander Collins at (813) 238-5627 or (813) 293- 8313.
Teen Overcomes Illness To Graduate With Her Class
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
It has often been said that adversity builds character. And, if this is true, then one teenager is the poster child of character.
Eighteen-year-old La Tray Johnson was observed by her Guidance Counselor dancing at her prom. Typically, this is what is expected of teenagers.
However, the journey to that moment in her life was anything but typical for this young lady. Her story began four years ago, when she was in 7th grade.
La Tray started having headaches and being ill at school. The teachers would send her to the nurse and they would notify her mother, Ms. Saskia Johnson.
“My mom took me to the doctor about five times, but he never could find anything wrong. Then at the end of January 2012, I was really sick and my mom took me to St. Joseph’s Hos- pital,” La Tray said.
At that point, doctors administered a C.A.T. (Computerized Axial Tomography) Scan and discovered that La Tray had a tumor the size of a softball in her head. La Tray remembers her mother, Ms. Saskia Johnson, crying when she was given the news. She is an only child.
The surgery to remove the tumor took place two days later. She also had to undergo radia- tion and chemotherapy. During this time, La Tray was enrolled in the Home Bound Pro- gram.
LA TRAY JOHNSON
During her recovery period, La Tray un- derwent Physical Therapy. Her treatment ended in 2014 and La Tray entered Brandon High School during the 3rd 9-weeks as a soph- omore.
She couldn’t walk to classes and used a scooter to get around the campus. As her health improved, she was able to accomplish her goal and graduate with her class.
And, the same young lady who used a scooter just two years before helped decorate for Homecoming and danced at the Prom.
La Tray is graduating with a 3.5 grade point average, and hopes to enroll at the Uni- versity of Central Florida in the future.
FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A