Page 8 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021 - Online Magazine
P. 8
HONORING SENIORS
Texas Panhandle
WAR MEMORIAL
CENTER
by Perry Gilmore, PhD,
Executive Director
he War Memorial is a not-for-
profit agency; our mission
Tis to honor the men and
women who have given us our first aid kit The veteran
freedom and to keep history alive. from WWI, would be
We have a beautiful Veterans’ Park and a uniform without income
which is maintained by the Randall and other artifacts for about two years
County Master Gardeners. Inside from Brigadier General until the “overpayment”
our building we have exhibits from Lawrence Hoover. was drawn down. The veteran
World War I through Afghanistan, had no transportation other than a
and a world-class Education Center After at least a year off because of bicycle, and no phone or internet
with five computer kiosks with the COVID pandemic, we held our access. We drove the veteran to a
information on 11 wars augmented veteran recognition ceremony on caseworker’s office and obtained
by projections of information and Memorial Day. Our speaker was official documentation that would
images on our 11-foot-high walls. U.S. Congressman Ronny Jackson. correct the record. We called the
Despite predictions of rain, the VA for the veteran and mailed the
We are constantly adding to our ceremony went off without a hitch
exhibit collections of military and was attended by about 700 documentation to them. We took
artifacts. We recently acquired a veterans, family members, and the extra step to inquire about other
used-in-battle World War II map of supporters. Our next ceremony will aspects of the veteran’s life and
a parachute drop zone near Sainte be Veterans Day, November 11, at 11 found that he was not enrolled in
Mère-Église, France on D-Day. We a.m. We are glad to be back on track Social Security, and we got him
also have a map of the Battle of providing these ceremonies to honor enrolled. Although his rent was
the Bulge depicting the German and remember our veterans and being paid, he had no funds for
positions east of Bastogne. We have a Gold Star Families. food, so we got him signed up for
slide rule load adjustment calculator Meals on Wheels and a monthly
for a B-29 bomber, a small personal We have the only Military Chapel in Food Bank box of food.
the Panhandle, and it is being used
more frequently. We have hosted a
promotion ceremony, an enlistment We are open Monday through
ceremony, a military wedding, and Friday 9 to 5. Come see us at 4111 S.
several memorial services. Use of the Georgia in Amarillo, 806-350-8387.
Chapel is free to veterans and active- Admission is free for veterans! If
duty military personnel. you have time on your hands, come
and volunteer at the museum.
Helping veterans and their families
is an important mission of the War The Texas Panhandle War Memorial
Memorial. Last month, we helped is so much more than a memorial.
a Vietnam-era veteran whose VA We invite you and your family to
retirement checks (his only source visit us and see for yourself.
of income) had been suspended
based on incorrect information.
8 Amarillo Senior Link
