Veterans honored at local ceremonies

Scurry County residents didn’t let inclement weather stop them from honoring the nation’s military veterans Monday.
At Western Texas College, the cold and blustery conditions canceled a flyover by the Commemorative Air Force and moved the college’s Veterans Day salute indoors to the Scurry County Museum, but a large crowd was on hand to hear featured speaker John Rogotzke talk about his career in the U.S. Air Force and his respect for fellow veterans.
“My time in the military laid the foundation and the discipline for the rest of my life,” Rogotzke said. “I was able to train for the job I loved. I was and still am an aviation nut.”
During his address, Rogotzke shared some statistics to give the audience an idea of just how many men and women have served their country in the military.
• During World War II, more than 12 million men and women served in the U.S. military, approximately 9 percent of the country’s population.
• More than 5 million men and women served during the Korean War, with about 1.7 million of them seeing combat.
• During the Vietnam War era, more than 9 million men and women served, with more than 2.7 million serving in combat areas.
• In contrast, less than 1 percent of the U.S. population is on active military duty in combat areas today.
Rogotzke said Veterans Day wasn’t just for veterans, either.
“Families of those military people served, as well,” he said. “They had to make sacrifices. Deployment doesn’t just affect the service personnel, it affects the family, too.”
During his Air Force career, Rogotzke served as a jet engine mechanic and instructor, sometimes figuratively rubbing shoulders with his counterparts in other branches of the military.
“Sometimes, you hear about inter-service rivalries, but I didn’t see that,” he said. “Everybody who went to Fort Sill (Okla.), whether they were in the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marines, were treated the same. They were no different from anybody else. Everyone was working toward the same goal.”
At Snyder High School, speech/debate teacher Zachary Carlock talked about why he chose to serve in the U.S. Air Force. He said he served his country after meeting James Koonce, a master sergeant in the U.S. Army.
“Joining the Army was his dream since he was four years old,” Carlock said. “He was a soldier’s soldier. He was described as a real-life GI Joe.”
Carlock said Koonce was always helping others, but the day-to-day grind of being in the military was weighing on him.
“He started seeing a face in the mirror that was not his,” he said of his friend who died after returning to the United States from Iraq.
Carlock said Koonce would want to be remembered for his dedication and would tell people if he was alive today to do three things.
First, Carlock said Koonce would want people to believe in their service, whether to the country or community. Koonce, according to Carlock, would also want people to believe in their dreams like he did in joining the Army. Finally, Carlock said his friend would want people to believe in themselves.
“That is what he would tell people and that is the message I bring to you today,” Carlock said.