Veterans from both Cuero and Yoakum’s Nursing and Rehabilitation were honored with a special pinning ceremony by DeWitt County Veteran Service Officer Jeff Zengerle on November 19.
Both Zingerle and Activity Director Jennifer Wilson said it was their first Veteran program at the care facility on Broadway Street.
“We’re only a week late,” Wilson quipped, “but that’s alright.”
Nine Veteran residents from Cuero and five from Yoakum, as well as spouses of Veterans, were celebrated by a full program, including a beautiful rendition of the national anthem by April Hernandez and ending with taps played by Aiden Alcazar of Cuero High School.
The facility’s social worker, Kenneth Mac-Carthy, is also a Navy Veteran who offered the invocation and concluding prayer.
As guest speaker, Zingerle, a native of DeWitt County, told stories of his 24-year career with the Texas National Guard. He had several overseas deployments, including Kosovo, Afghanistan, Egypt and Kuwait.
“I’ve seen more of the world than I have of Texas,” he said.
Zengerle said his favorite assignment was helping Afghanis establish sustainable farming and agriculture. He said the public didn’t hear about this type of mission because it was also wartime.
Training for the deployment included time in the states, learning from the Amish community how to farm without technology.
“I was used to tractors,” he said. Their main crops were wheat and alfalfa and his unit helped the farmers sustain crops throughout the year.
They also shared humane animal care practices for livestock that had no boundaries.
“They would eat sticks, paper, wood,” Zengerle said.
He described the planting of tomatoes and squash in buckets, digging wells, checking soil samples, as well as the bee farm they maintained on base.
Zengerle’s daughter, now in middle school, was born while he was in Afghanistan. Every few days he would mail home an undershirt he had worn on patrol. His wife would put the shirt in his daughter’s crib, so she would know his smell.
He said his last deployment of two years in the middle east was the most difficult time away from family. Now that he is retired and home for good, he is spending as much time as he can with his wife and children.
“I haven’t missed a game since I’ve been home,” Zengerle said.
He acknowledged the service of spouses who keep everything together. He said none of his family life would happen without his wife.
After Zengerle’s talk, a solemn ceremony of pinning each Veteran ensued with each man’s name and service branch called out.
Cuero Nursing and Rehab Veterans honored: James Morris (USMC); Gordon Kaiser, (USA); William Jenssen, (USA); Dalton Metting, (USA); Thomas Slater, (USMC); Donald Stokes, (USA); Richard Fletcher, (USA); Luther Boysen, (USA); and Gilbert Gibbs, (USAF).
Yoakum Nursing and Rehabilitation Veterans honored: Michael Blakeslee (USA), recipient of two Purple Hearts; Trey Stout (USA); Bobbie Aitkens (USA); and William Zumwalt (USA).
