Veterans and Their Families get a Show of Thanks

Traci Shurley - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH -- It wasn't all cowboy hats at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo on Monday, as plenty of Army, Navy and Air Force ballcap-wearing veterans came out for Military Appreciation Day.

Fort Worth-based Encore Acquisition Co. sponsored the event, which included free entry and rodeo tickets for retired and active-duty military members and their families.

"I think it's wonderful," said Bob Jones of Arlington. He spent 22 years in the military and proudly wore his Navy cap Monday.

"It's nice to be appreciated," Jones' wife, Norelei, added.

The day's activities also included a reminder of the sacrifices that soldiers and their families have made in Iraq and other wars. The Snowball Express, a charity that has arranged vacations in California and the Metroplex to bring together the children of fallen soldiers, was part of the two rodeo shows.

Melanie Mason of Springtown and her four daughters, ages 5 to 15, received a hearty round of applause as they circled the arena in the Snowball Express wagon, pulled by two black Percheron draft horses. Mason's husband, Anthony, was killed in a Chinook helicopter accident in Iraq in September 2008.

"It means a lot to them to know that their daddy hasn't been forgotten," she said.

'Stumbling for Words'

The Mason girls waved small U.S. flags as they sat in the wagon. Ashley, 15, said the recognition was "a really awesome way to remember everybody."

Snowball Express organizer Kevin Barker said giving soldiers' children good memories is the charity's purpose.

"It's connecting those kids with kids just like them, teaching them it's OK to smile again. So, it's all about fun," he said.

The Stock Show has had a Military Appreciation Day since 2005, and Encore has sponsored it each year.

In the stands at the rodeo, veterans greeted one another with handshakes and exchanged thank-yous for their service.

John Urbank, who served for 20 years in the Air Force, said he's noticed rising appreciation for military service in the last few years, with people routinely offering their gratitude when they find out he's a veteran. He was a medical technician.

"It's kind of a new thing," said Urbank, of Fort Worth. "The first time it happened, I was stumbling for words. I didn't know what to say."

Rodeo Riders

Several members of the command at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth also joined in the rodeo, riding horses in the grand entrance at the start of the show.

It was the second year for Command Master Chief Ellen Zubke. Capt. T.D. Smyers, commanding officer, and Cmdr. Richard Augenstein, executive officer, also rode.

"Them inviting us here means a lot," Zubke said. "It means a lot when you go to a base and there's lots of community support."

----

More offbeat news

More Entertainment

Copyright 2012 by Fort Worth Star-Telegram