Orange County pays tribute to veterans

Erik Onstott

The skies opened up on Sunday afternoon, but that didn’t stop Orange County residents from coming out in full force to the sixth annual Tribute to Orange County Veterans. The tribute was held at the Heritage Veterans Memorial Plaza, on the campus of First Church of the Nazarene on Martin Luther King Drive. The music for the tribute was provided by the Orange Community Band, as well as Harmony Exporters of the Southeast Texas Barbershop Chorus.

Inside the church’s main sanctuary, Pastor Ray McDowell, who has been at the First Church of the Nazarene since November, made light of the situation as he related the story of being told that the tribute had never been rained out before he came to the church.

“Everyone wants to be remembered,” McDowell said with a grin.

On a more serious note, McDowell reminded citizens of the words of Colin Powell, who observed that the United States, in the battles it has fought around the world, has asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in.

“It is only right and good to honor those who have paid the ultimate price,” McDowell said.

There were several emotional moments during the tribute.

Marine Corps Sgt. John D. Edwards presented a flag to the church in honor of Marine Lance Cpl. Shane Goldman, an Orange resident who was killed in Al-Anbar Province, Iraq on April 5, 2004.

I never knew Shane Goldman personally,” Edwards said, his voice choked with emotion as he spoke of the bond shared by Marines. “But I feel I have lost a family member as well.”

The rain precluded the grand entrance of the Patriot Guard Riders, but still they came, as the roar of their motorcycles was heard outside the church sanctuary shortly after the ceremony was moved inside. Beaumont Patriot Guard Rider captain Sandra Womack told of an exchange that put such a circumstance in perspective shortly before the funeral of Daniel Weingarten, a Hardin County soldier killed in Iraq in 2007.

“They didn’t get an opportunity to choose the weather they fought in, or to choose whether or not to go,” she said, relating what she was told by one of her fellow riders, Gary Wagner.

The keynote speaker for the tribute was Dr. George Blake, a 25-year Air Force veteran who is now the pastor at Port Arthur’s St. John Lutheran Church. Blake spoke of God, duty, honor and country as the soldier’s obligation, as he mentioned President Barack Obama’s speech in which Obama said the United States had “shown arrogance” to other nations.

“I do not apologize for my service, or for my nation,” Blake said. “I resent anyone going to apologize to the Europeans, telling them we are arrogant...It was our blood that liberated those countries. We owe no one an apology.”

Orange County Veterans Service Officer Jerry Childress spoke of the importance of remembering the purpose of the Memorial Day holiday.

“Everybody loves a three-day weekend, but I am glad you know it’s more than that,” Childress said. “Let’s take the time to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”



Erik Onstott is a reporter and page designer for the Orange Leader. He may be reached at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2616 or eonstott@orangeleader.com

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