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| 8/6/2007 1:20:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article | City shows soldiers gratitude
Rep.’s office celebrates with baseball benefit
SEAN BOWLIN
City Reporter
Mike Davis braved the late afternoon heat Saturday as he stood in the southernmost parking lot of Dell Diamond, awaiting 11 tour buses of Fort Hood-based soldiers and their families in-bound for "Soldier Appreciation Day" at the stadium.
The Round Rock lawyer - a Marine Vietnam veteran who served two back-to-back combat tours as an artilleryman - was one of about 200 Williamson County political, social, economic and religious leaders and their families who'd volunteered to serve the soldiers and their families dinner under tents before treating the contingent to a Round Rock Express ball game.
The pregame event - collaboratively conceived and coordinated by U.S. Rep. John Carter and his chief of staff, Jonas Miller, who ran it - was meant to say an enthusiastic thank you to the warriors who served America - whether they had been down-range in Iraq, Afghanistan, or were awaiting deployment from Fort Hood - and their loved ones who stood by them.
"This is great," Davis said. "It's what these boys need. They've got to know that there are people at home who are really for them."
And Davis gestured at the crowd of volunteers, who were busily setting up stacks of boxed Gattiland-donated pizza and Wag-a-Bag donated-beverages.
"It seems like there are more volunteers here than there will be troops. In Williamson County, you get that kind of turnout," he observed.
The tour buses arrived and by now Davis had already joined the volunteers, who had been formed into a tunnel of two facing ranks as the neatly-attired soldiers and their families stepped quietly down the stairs of their buses which were underwritten by Landy Warren and First State Bank of Texas.
And as the contingent walked quietly, smilingly and humbly through the human tunnel, the clapping and thanking began. It lasted for about fifteen minutes.
John Carter would have loved it.
But he was deep at work in the nation's capitol, helping to shepherd legislation that would modernize intelligence gathering.
In his place was U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who, after the welcome and blessing, was among the first of the volunteers to man the serving lines, which the soldiers, wives and children passed through in a relaxed, orderly fashion.
While this was happening, Precinct 1 County Commissioner Lisa Birkman smiled.
"I'm just glad to see the community support the troops," Birkman said. "Whether or not you agree with war, it's important to support the troops."
And their contingent's officer-in-charge, Capt. Joe Gonzales, said the troops were overwhelmed.
"Some of them on my bus were going, 'Oh, no, I don't believe this,'" Gonzales said. "And you should have seen the looks on their faces. I know they appreciate it."
Cpl. Matthew Kuhn concurred with his commander.
"We weren't expecting all of these people," Kuhn emphasized as he grinned from ear to ear. "We had no clue they'd all be out here."
And Sen. Cornyn - like Birkman, was raised by a military father - put his feelings to words simply.
"I'm just honored to be here with these great patriots," he said, emphasizing the last word. "These men, these women, and their families have been through enough."
Cornyn - among the last in the crowd to eat, graciously waiting until almost everyone else had dined - briefly spoke about his role on the Senate's Armed Services Committee.
Then he closed.
"I have three things to say - thank you, thank you. And thank you."
And Davis - who said that upon returning to America after his service in Vietnam, he had been told to take his medal ribbons off of his uniform because of heckling war protesters at the airport - looked happy.
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