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Posted by Paul Cook in Kempner, TX [67.54.192.39] on Sunday, November 08, 2009 at 17:25:22 :
The Army has a program whereby they assist area cities on projects that benefit the community. These projects seldom involve the Army furnishing funds or material. Typically the Army furnishes troops to do manual labor to improve school play grounds and local parks. Sometimes the project fits in with a particular unit’s mission and the soldiers receive useful training in their military jobs.
The Kempner Power Wagon Museum is in a small city with about 1200 residents located 15 miles west of Fort Hood. Our city was incorporated 11 years ago. We have been working to build some new facilities for the benefit of our Kempner residents.
We recently received a donation of some land for building a small park. We were put in contact with the 36th Engineer Brigade to receive assistance with the park. Planners at upper echelons of the Brigade helped in surveying and planning the park. Because it was an Engineer unit, there were many soldiers who operated construction equipment and some of them did the heavy, preliminary land clearing. And, the Army being what it is, other soldiers cleared part of the land with axes and other hand tools.
I am a member of the Kempner City Council and I met a few members of the 36th Engineer Brigade. They were dedicated to the Army and their mission. They welcomed the chance to give of themselves to help our small city.
In Kempner, like in most other area communities, the residents include many active duty soldiers and many Army retirees. Many area residents work at Fort Hood as civilian employees or contractor personnel. Almost everyone in the vicinity of a large military installation knows someone there.
Most of you do not have these close involvements with a military community. Some of you do and can really understand. Unlike the days of compulsory military service, comparatively few of you out there have served in the military, but I hope you understand how close the military community is. All of us who have served to protect your right to free speech ask that you respect our service and use that freedom where it is more appropriate than in the middle of a tribute to out fallen heroes.
I have a special reason for asking this. One feature of our new park was a Veterans Memorial to honor all former and current military personnel in our area.
Now we stop to honor those members of the 36th Engineer Brigade who only last week were helping to build that Memorial.
Four of 13 killed at Fort Hood were members of the 36th.
Eleven of 30 wounded were members of the 36th.
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