It's a chilly Saturday here in Texas.
I use the word "chilly" lightly.
My New England friends would probably laugh at what I am considering "chilly".
Saturdays are usually pretty busy for our family during Aggie football season.
Between games, tailgates, and hunting season, we never have any down time.
Today was a pretty low key day, and we decided to take the kids to our local military museum here in College Station.
As a Marine Corps family, it's really important for us to instill patriotism and the value of service to country to our kids.
This museum was just another perfect way for our kids to see "up close and person" what the military is really all about.
Funny story...
We told Dannika we were gonna go look at "tanks".
She thought we meant "fish tanks", and asked us what kind of fish we would see....lol.
You know when we see a Marine poster, it becomes a photo op.
If y'all didn't know, Nick is an artilleryman by trade in the Marine Corps.
When he saw the display of this 105mm Howitzer (M2A1), he was OVER THE MOON.
He showed/taught Dannika how it worked.
Afterwards, I asked him if he missed the gun line, to which he promptly responded, "yes".
A WW2 era replica pistol
You know you have two Marine parents when the first thing you're taught about guns is weapons safety...
"Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready the fire."
General Vandegrift's great nephew (Lt Vandegrift) and me.
For those who aren't familiar with Marine history, General Vandegrift was the 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps.
He even has a big street named after him on Camp Pendleton!
*Side note...Doesn't he look like Christopher Walken?!?!*
They had a book signing there today, and I HAD to get Nick this book for Christmas.
The author is an former Aggie named Colonel Woodall....
From tamupress.com...
"Every
Medal of Honor represents a story of gallantry, courage, and sacrifice.
Conceived in the early 1860s, the Medal of Honor, awarded “in the name
of the Congress of the United States,” has been presented to more than
3,000 members of the United States armed forces. Seven of the 464 Medals
of Honor awarded during World War II went to Texas Aggies.
Author
James R. Woodall, a 1950 graduate of Texas A&M University and a
decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, carried out a dedicated search of
archives, family collections, and scores of other resources to gather,
for the first time, the complete stories of these seven courageous men.
Texas
Aggie Medals of Honor will undoubtedly be of great interest to former
students of Texas A&M University, members of the Corps of Cadets,
and others associated with the university and its distinguished
tradition of military training and service. But the book will also hold
great appeal, in the words of one advance reader, “to those interested
in the nation’s highest award for valor and the individual stories of
ordinary men who did extraordinary things when confronted by
life-threatening situations in combat.”
“ . . . a fast
moving narrative of short, thoughtful portraits of the lives of seven
World War II Texas Aggie Medal of Honor recipients. . . has meaning for
readers both inside and outside the Texas Aggie Nation, and they will
certainly grasp Woodall’s admiration for these seven men and appreciate
his tenacious research into their histories.”—Southwestern Historical
Quarterly
JAMES R. WOODALL ’50 holds, among other
awards, the Silver Star and three Bronze Stars. Following his tenure as
commandant of cadets at Texas A&M University, Colonel Woodall
retired from the U.S. Army and presently makes his home in College
Station."
Hope everyone's weekend is amazing so far!
We are ending our Saturday watching the Aggues BTHO Vanderbilt!
Great article Hank! This was one of the articles that served as a resource for my entry into hunting. You were one of the first hunters that I came across that provided relatable information, articles, and books. Keep up the excellent work.
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