Business Meeting
The Business Meeting was started by the posting of the colors by a Uniformed Color Guard from Fort Concho.
This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Marv Ahao. Marv started by reading an article written by Red Skelton that has been reproduced below.
As a schoolboy, one of Red Skelton's teachers explained the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to his class. Skelton later wrote down, and eventually recorded, his recollection of this lecture.
I - - Me; an individual; a committee of one.
Pledge - - Dedicate all of my
worldly goods to give without self-pity.
Allegiance - - My love and my
devotion.
To the Flag - - Our standard; Old Glory; a symbol of Freedom;
wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a
dignity that shouts, Freedom is everybody's job.
United - - That means that
we have all come together.
States of America- - Individual communities that
have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities
with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet
united to a common purpose, and that is love for country.
And to the Republic
- - a state in which sovereign power is iinvested in representatives chosen by
the people to govern. And government is the people; and it's from the people to
the leaders, not from the leaders to the people. For which it stands
One
Nation - meaning, so blessed by God.
Indivisible - - Incapable of being
divided.
With Liberty - - Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one's
own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.
And Justice - -
The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.
For All - which
means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.
And now, boys
and girls, let me hear you recite the Pledge of Allegiance:
It was at this point that Marv led the group in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The Business Meeting
The actual Business Meeting started out with a request for information concerning the crews' desire to continue with reunions for just our ship or to join in with the US LST Association. The overwhelming majority wanted to stick with just our ship. There was a request made to allow other sailors that served on ships within the Division the "Tom" was assigned to and this did not carry either.
A lot of discussion concerned the location of the next reunion and what some of the characteristics of the selected site should be. Size, airline service, and the availability of a coordinator to work with the town selected were the most discussed.
In the middle of this discussion a significant event took place. Claire Sheffield proposed that Ashley Barnett be inducted into the crew with full membership privledges. There was unanimous approval of this proposal so we now have our youngest crew member aboard. The photo below is of Ashley. In case you are wondering, Ashley does not have a beard.
The following press release tells the story of Ashley Barnett's atendence at the reunion.
Former crewmembers of the U. S. Navy Ship, U.S.S. TOM GREEN COUNTY (LST 1159) decided to plan a ship's reunion to honor their ships service to the United States and their service aboard her. As a part of this effort, various volunteers began the arduous task of trying to locate some of the 7,000 former crewmembers to see if they would like to participate.
Last spring, Miss Ashley Barnett, of Rock Hill, received a telephone call asking if this was the home of Cecil Barnett. Ashley explained that " yes, this was the correct home and Cecil was her father, but had passed away about five years ago". The caller told her the reason for the call was because of the planned reunion
Ashley explained to the caller that until about the age of thirteen she had not known her father well, and that when he passed away, she obtained a package with photos and momentos from his service in the U.S. Navy. Ashley told the caller she was very interested in learning more about her father and the kind of person he was when he was young like herself. The caller provided her the name and phone number of another former crewmember who was her father's best friend during his service on the "old LST".
Ashley contacted this person and developed a relationship over the phone to learn more of her father, but she also possessed a strong desire to meet and have her father's former shipmates explain many of the photos she now possessed.
When Ashley received word that the plans for the first reunion of former U.S.S. TOM GREEN COUNTY had been finalized and that the reunion would be held 4 - 7 October 2001 in San Angelo, Texas, she decided she would attend the reunion in honor of her father. Most importantly, I was able to share many of my father's experiences with his former crewmembers and I now have a better understanding of his life and I feel closer to him in many ways"
Her decision was quite momentous, as Ashley had never traveled by airplane before and especially by herself. She flew to San Angelo, arriving on the 4th of October to be confronted by numerous strangers, many of whom were old enough to be her grandparents. She was immediately taken under wing by these former sailors and their wives with all the love they could shower her with.
Ashley was unanimously proclaimed an "honorary crewmember" of the Tom Green County, with all the rights and privileges thereto, including the title of "shipmate".
Ashley's commented "she was amazed that so many generations of strangers could come together in a common cause and enjoy reminiscing the good times and the dangerous times they sailed into while serving aboard the Tom Green County. It made me feel good to see these former crewmembers and wives stand together and recite the Pledge of Allegiance in honor of their country and their service, especially in light of the recent events our country has faced".
Ashley also stated "I enjoyed the entire reunion experience. This has been a real Navy family gathering and everyone treated me like a daughter or granddaughter. I was especially honored to be proclaimed an "honorary crew member of the U.S.S. Tom Green County".
Story by:
A Tribute to Dad
Cecil Barnett - 1934-1997
As I write this, summer has officially ended and it is time to change to fall flowers. The cemetery is en route to school and work so I pass by it everyday and I always sneak a peak to check up on dad.
It is hard to believe that this December marks the sixth year since his death. Six years seems too short of a time for an event that seems so far in the past. I have heard it said that people often do not remember events that involve such strong emotional ties, like a wedding or a funeral, but I can recall the events of that day as if on cue.
Daddy has missed out on a lot from my life, most of which was his own fault, but as time goes by bad memories fade and the good times that we shared take their place. He taught me how to drive a stick shift and survived to tell the tale. I think back on those days when it was just me and him and that old blue Dodge. It was hard to let go of that truck. Of course it did not run and I had no use for it, but to me it was a part of him that I had to hold on to.
He also bought me my first softball bat, glove, and ball. I would never let anyone use my ball for fear that they would lose it. I still have the equipment and finally after years of trying I was able to play with the bat.
I laugh when I think of what a 30 ounce bat must have felt like to a man his size and then I remember what it felt like to me, an eleven-year-old girl. I could barely hold it up! I coached our team this year and often wonder what he would have thought.
There are also pictures. A few of which it took years for me to be able to look at. Those pictures are the ones of our last Christmas together and they were made a mere three days before he died.
Sometimes I feel cheated that he died, sometimes I am mad at him for leaving, and other times I simply just miss him. Occasionally I pull his jacket from my closet and put the cuff over my nose so I can smell him.
It is truly the small things that you miss or rather just the thought that they are no longer just a phone call away. I have grown a lot since his death and have a motto of my own:
“Hold on to the memories, especially the ones that make you smile”
 Ashley |  Cecil |
The second significant event occurred when Don Booth proposed an LST 1159 - Tom Green County Organization be established and be responsible for the next reunion and all other activities associated with our ship. Some more discussion resulted in an on the spot election of 7 Directors. One from each cruise. These men now have the responsibility of representing the men from their cruise and getting the next reunion organized and planned. The crew dubbed this group the magnificent 7, and the name seems to have stuck.
The Magnificent 7 are:
To see some tour photos click here
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