It is with great admiration that we, the staff of SEMO TIMES, put forth this issue devoted to the Veterans of the United States of America. In June of 2007, Toni and I traveled to the Coronado Naval Base in San Diego for the retirement ceremony of family friend, Commodore Dennis Schulz. The ceremony was on the deck of the USS Midway. Toni sang the song we wrote, “Duty Calls,” and I sang the “Star Spangled Banner.” What an honor. What an awe-inspiring ceremony. After the ceremony, the first of several parties was held on the carrier lift (basically a huge elevator to bring the aircraft to/from the deck). I was listening to all the stories told of the men

It is perhaps one of the most mournful sounds on earth, the sound of a lone bugle, both mournful and peaceful, ringing over the land. The notes ring across a green field with white stones, as orderly as the troops who once marched in rhythmic movements, dressed in sharp uniforms. It’s a sound Ken Swearengin, Cemetery Director for the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, has heard many times. With Veterans Day being observed this week, it’s fitting to think about the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and to give equal thought to the men and women who came back to their country, lived lives in and out of military service, but still choose

PHOTO: The picture is of Paul Woods with a large 8-point buck killed a few years ago in Ozark County near Gainesville. Probably the most popular hunting season in Missouri begins early Saturday morning as the 2014 firearms deer season begins. Legal shooting is supposed to start at 6:30 a.m., but most years that I have hunted there are several shots fired at deer a lot earlier than the legal start time. Hopefully, all hunters have read this year’s regulations and are aware of the changes. If you haven’t read the pamphlet for this season, you still have time to get one of the free booklets anywhere permits are sold. Familiarizing yourselves with any changes could save you a big fine

Our latest edition of the SEMO TIMES is dedicated to our veterans. Thank you for your service! Pg 2 - From the Publisher's Desk - Brian Becker Pg 5 - The Echos of "Taps" - Tammy Hilderbrand Pg 6 - John J. Pershing VA Medical Center Pg 7 - Sergeant Shepard, Army National Guard at Kuwait Pg 8-9 - Centerfold of Veterans Day Ceremony at Missouri Veterans Cemetery Pg 12-13 - The Vietnam Vets Reminisce Pg 14 - Wisdom from the Woods Pg 15 - Book Review of Blackdeath 23 http://issuu.com/semo.times/docs/20141113_-_veterans

PHOTO: David Kemna and Jay Brickell honor the 239th birthday of the Marine Corp POPLAR BLUFF – David Kemna of Fort Atkinson Wisconsin and Jay Brickell of Poplar Bluff held a reunion over the weekend to reminisce about their friendship that began in flight school in Florida, their service in the Vietnam War and to honor the 239th birthday of their Marine Corp. We met up at Colton’s Steakhouse. On the table lay Jay’s dress uniform cover (the military term for hat) and an appropriately-decorated Marine Corp birthday cake. The friends met at the Naval Air Station flight school in Pensacola Florida in 1964. Both men had volunteered for service while in college. Upon receiving a whole range of flight instruction,

Well, it has happened again. President Obama is threatening to use his self-imposed executive authority to take sweeping action the majority of Americans oppose. This time he is talking about granting amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. Congress is back in Washington for the end of this session and hard at work, but instead of working with the House and Senate to find solutions on immigration, President Obama has been telling the media he is considering acting solo. In an exit poll from the November 4th election, The Polling Company, Inc. found that 74 percent of voters want President Obama to work with Congress to fix immigration rather than take action on his own. He must not have gotten the