Page 3 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine

a

letter

Veterans have always had a pretty special place in my heart. My grandmother
lost one of her nephews, Percy, in WWII. His brother, Paul, also a WWII from
veteran, would often stop by my grandmother’s house when I was visiting.
Between my grandmother and Paul, I got to hear a lot of stories, and each of the
them were gifted at sharing these stories in a way that I would never forget
them. For example, Paul shared about being in the 10th Mountain Division,
and his group had only one mule to share. As they marched, they would take publisher
turns holding onto the tail so that they could sleep-walk. My grandmother
shared with me letters that she and Percy had exchanged and the letter that
arrived to tell of his death. She also had the battle flag. Those soldiers fought
through things that a civilian like myself
could never imagine, and I still cherish
Percy’s flag and letters that were given to
me when my grandmother passed away.

Those stories were really the beginning
of my desire to make sure local veterans’
stories are told. The things I learned from
them had a much greater value to me than
anything I learned in a history book. They
were real. They were my family.

This is the first Amarillo Senior Link
Veterans’ edition. These are the stories
of our neighbors and friends - all local to
Amarillo and the surrounding area. It is
my hope that this will be the first of many
veteran editions. We want to provide a
platform for their stories, and we want
to preserve them for future generations.
As you read, we hope you will recognize
the wealth of knowledge and make it a point to share this issue with your kids and grandkids. Help us
encourage the younger generation to take the time to sit at the feet of a veteran, listen to his or her story,
and maybe even write that story to be shared in an upcoming edition. I must confess, my favorite stories
are the ones written through the eyes of young people.

I have one more thing I’d like to address. Many of the men and women we have interviewed are distressed
about the division and discord in our country. I’ve been trying to process what I hear them saying. If anyone
has a right to be upset, they do. They’ve each invested a significant part of their lives to ensure that
our freedom and unity remain intact. Many have friends who have lost their lives; many have disturbing
memories that never go away; many came home to disrespect and mistreatment. And now, in a sense, the
very things they fought for are in jeopardy. Regardless of which side of the fence you are on – division is
disheartening, even tragic. But no matter what else happens, veterans deserve our thanks and gratitude.
May the stories you read in this issue inspire appreciation for the sacrifice of every person who served or is
serving in the military. Thank them. Teach your children and grandchildren to thank them. They deserve it!

Please let me hear from you if you are enjoying this magazine. As we continue to grow, we want to make
sure you are getting what you want out of this. Our next edition is love stories, so if you have a good one, I
want to hear it and help you share it!

Thank you, and to the Veterans reading, may I say, “Welcome home and thank you for your service!”

Erin Agee

{ Thank you to those who have written in this edition, for sharing your knowledge {

and stories and helping to Link us. And thank you to the advertisers who make
this magazine a reality. Without all of you this would not be possible.