Issuu

2017 resource guide SUMMER 2017

The

Last Greatest Pg.14 of the

2017 resource guide

Seniors

We truly enjoy putting together each issue of the SETX Senior Resource Guide.

2017 is heating up with lots of fun activities for Southeast Texas senior citizens. Our next big event after the June 14th Lumberton Senior Expo is the Fall Mid County Senior Expo:

Wednesday - September 13 Central Mall in Port Arthhur 10a – 2p FREE event for seniors 55+. Family members and care givers welcome. Senior groups & church groups are invited

Free health screenings Opportunity for a free breakfast and lunch. Are you looking for more senior news? Visit our online magazine SETXSeniors.com which publishes over 400 local articles each year for our Golden Triangle seniors. If you’d like to reach Southeast Texans 55+, we’d love to have you as an advertiser. Be sure to ask about our signature Search Engine Optimization program – it is world class.

Call today:

Daryl Fant, Publisher (512) 567-8068 SETXSeniors@Gmail.com PO Box 2131 Village Mills, TX 77663

To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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Lumberton Expo Page 6

The

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Page 18

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Wills Durable Power of Attorney Medical Power of Attorney Grandparent's Rights

Personal Injury / Car Wrecks Nursing Home Abuse Property Transactions Estate Planning / Advanced Directives

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Wednesday, June 14th 10am ~ 2pm LUMBERTON ISD DOME The Lumberton Senior Expo provides: • Fun – games, entertainment, and senior friendly activities • Resources. We bring organizations that serve seniors together so that you can get the answers you need all in one room. • Food – There is an opportunity for seniors to have a free breakfast and lunch • Prizes – Don’t miss our special BINGO where prizes include restaurant gift cards The Lumberton Senior Expo is a free event and part of the Southeast Texas Senior Expo Series. The popular series combines senior fun, free health checks, free classes, and access to organizations that serve seniors. Here are some of the organizations that will be on hand to assist you at the Lumberton Senior Expo: Texan Plus Medicare Advantage Plans for Southeast Texans Do you have questions about Medicare enrollment or Medicare Advantage Plans? Texan Plus will have experts on hand to make sure you get answers. They have an extensive local staff that you can talk with right here in the Golden Triangle. Did you know veterans can have both a Medicare Advantage Plan and VA health benefits? It’s true. For many Southeast Texas seniors, a Medicare Advantage Plan allows them to use their preferred local doctors for most health needs and their VA benefits for other procedures. Would you like to know more about Medicare Advantage Plans? Texan Plus, Medicare Advantage Plans for Southeast Texas (409) 981-7300 Universal-American-Medicare.com To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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Visiting Angels There comes a time when we could all use a little help around the house. Visiting Angels can assist with things like: • Medication reminders • Helping you shop for groceries • Meal preparation (including diabetic and heart healthy options) • Bathing or dressing assistance • Taking the Dog for a Walk • Doing a puzzle, playing scrabble, or other activities • Staying with seniors overnight Do you have something you’d like help with? Talk with a Visiting Angels representative during the Southeast Texas Senior Expo. Do you need help before the Lumberton Senior Expo?

Visiting Angels Beaumont & Southeast Texas Jamie McNeely, Jmcneely@visitingangels.com 1110 Park St #800, Beaumont, TX 77701 Phone: (409) 291-4029 VisitingAngels.com Seniors can get the assistance they need in Southeast Texas. Homecare agencies like Visiting Angels can help.

Senior Box Program Southeast Texas Food Bank The Senior Box program is a new program for Golden Triangle senior citizens. Essentially, qualifying seniors receive a box of food each month to help them stretch their food budget. A typical senior box will contain items you can use to create or supplement meals. No senior should have to go without food. If you have been struggling to create nutritious meal, call today. Senior Box Program, a service of the Southeast Texas Food Bank 3845 S M L King Jr Pkwy, Beaumont, TX 77705 (409) 839-8777 The Southeast Texas Food Bank is working hard to make sure local seniors do not go hungry. Be sure to look for their booth at the Lumberton Senior Expo. Not only can you get information about the Senior Box Program, the Southeast Texas Food Bank often brings fresh produce to senior events that they give away for free. Say, “I saw it in SETX Seniors Guide”

www.SETXSeniors.com

Avalon Place Kirbyville Whether you are looking for long-term care or a resource for a short-term rehabilitation stay after an illness or accident, Avalon Place has a lot to offer. They are a top senior living facility in Kirbyville with a full staff of experts to help you get the most of every day: activity director, nutritionist, physical and occupational therapists, nurses, and more. They have two important focuses that make them special: • Keeping the senior’s family involved at every step. • Helping seniors engage daily in the activities that help keep them happy and fulfilled. Are you looking for a senior living facility in the Kirbyville area? Visit Avalon Place. Avalon Place, Senior Living Facility in Kirbyville TX. Kim Harris, Admissions (469) 916-6100 info@swltc.com 700 North Herndon in Kirbyville Facebook. Avalon Place - Kirbyville

Best Hospice Care of Texas Best Hospice Care of Texas provides a hometown approach to hospice care in the Golden Triangle. Administrator Jennifer Burch has assembled an all-star team of nurses, therapists, and caregivers who have demonstrated a heart for senior care and the mission of hospice – making every day the best it possibly can be. Best Hospice Care of Texas. Administrator, Jennifer Burch 350 Pine Street in Beaumont, TX (Edison Plaza) 409-356-9271 Info@HospiceBest.com Would you like to know more about hospice care? Best Hospice Care will provide a free introductory class during the Lumberton Senior Expo talking about the mission of hospice and the services you can expect – each tailored to helping your loved one live every day to the fullest.

To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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Riceland Healthcare Riceland Healthcare will have representatives available to discuss a wide range of services they offer to improve Southeast Texas senior health. Services include: • Mental health services that can be provided in nursing homes and senior care facilities • Home Health • Hospice • Health Clinics • Imaging Service • Sleep Clinic Riceland Healthcare has facilities across the Golden Triangle – a number of which provide services in local nursing homes and in private residences. Riceland Healthcare Corporate Office: (409) 730-8054 Riceland Hospital Winnie: (409) 296-6000 Riceland Imaging Center Beaumont: (409) 981-5500 Riceland Clinic Hull Daisetta: (936) 536-6057 RicelandHealthCare.com Call today – or visit the Lumberton Senior Expo to find out more about how Riceland Healthcare serves Southeast Texas seniors.

PAM Rehabilitation Hospital When you or a loved one are looking for high quality rehabilitation services after an accident or illness, you can feel comfortable turning to PAM Rehabilitation Hospital in Beaumont. The facility has extensive resources for physical therapy and occupational therapy. They even have special bedroom and kitchen setups to ensure you are comfortable performing normal daily tasks before you return home. At PAM Rehabilitation Hospital, that is always the goal – to get you home. 3340 Plaza 10 Drive Beaumont. TX 77707 Phone: (409) 835-0835 WarmSprings.org/OurFacilities Did you know at PAM Rehabilitation Hospital your spouse can stay with you in a private room while you recover? They know family is important for our seniors. Talk with a PAM Rehabilitation Hospital representative at the event to find out more. You can get help recovering from an accident or illness PAM Rehab Hospital is ready to assist you or a loved one. To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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Southeast Texas Veteran’s Service Group If you have been to a funeral with military honors in Southeast Texas, chances are good that you have met some of these gentlemen. Made up of all branches of the service, they help ensure local veterans are buried with dignity. SETVSG.com (409)365-3508 or (409)718-8502 Facebook: Southeast Texas Veterans Service Group Are you a veteran interested in joining a group of Golden Triangle veterans that truly serve the community? The Southeast Texas Veteran’s Group would love to meet you. Stop by their booth to ask questions or to fill out an application.

Lumberton Family Funeral Home This family owned funeral home brings a community approach to Southeast Texas funeral services and pre-arrangement. Pre-arranging your funeral is one of the true gifts you can give your family. Too often, we pass without our family knowing what our desires are for our arrangements – or how we were planning to pay for them. Are you a veteran? Lumberton Family Funeral Home has extensive experience in funeral services for Southeast Texas veterans. Lumberton Family Funeral Home & Forest Oaks Funeral Home in Jasper Lumberton Family Funeral Home: 766 S Main Street in Lumberton Forest Oaks Funeral Home: 601 West Gibson Phone: (409) 751-0390 LumbertonFamily.com Did you know Lumberton Family Funeral Home also owns Forest Oaks Funeral Home in Jasper? Come by their Lumberton Senior Expo booth to learn more about the financial and emotional benefits of pre-arranging our funerals.

Co-Pilot Auto Service Program Do you have a Co-Pilot card? The Texas owned company takes care of auto repairs whether you are in Southeast Texas or anywhere in the country. Co-Pilot can even take care of your oil changes, tire rotations, and provide discounts on fuel while you’re on the road. One of their great features is that if you break down while on a road trip, Co-Pilot will pay for your hotel room and meals while your car is being service. The service receives high praise from current members. 855-4-CoPilot CoPilotCard.com Co-Pilot also offers a quality home warranty program for your appliances. With Co-Pilot, you’re never stranded – at home or on the road. Visit their booth to find out more about what the Co-Pilot Card can do for you. To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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Kindred Hospice

Kindred Hospice is one of the largest hospice providers nationwide. Their local team all have strong reasons they are working in hospice care – like Jeremy William’s experience with how hospice care was a blessing for his own grandfather, and his family. (409) 790-8906 Jeremy.Williams@gentiva.com 8050 Eastex Freeway in Beaumont TX Gentiva.com or KindredHealthCare.com With Kindred Hospice, you get a great combination of local compassion and national expertise. Do you have questions about what hospice care is or how it might benefit a loved one? Kindred Hospice’s Southeast Texas hospice care team will be conducting a free seminar at the Lumberton Senior Expo. Come out to get an overview of how hospice helps our Golden Triangle seniors. Bring any questions you have about hospice care – the Kindred Hospice team would be happy to make sure you get answers.

Texas Total Care Home Health Studies are clear – staying in our homes longer has physical, mental, and emotional benefits for Southeast Texas seniors. Texas Total Care provides first class home health care services across the Golden Triangle. Home Health is in-home medical care. Texas Total Care can assist our senior with a wide range of in-home medical services including: • Wound Care • Diabetes Management • IV-Antibiotics • Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy • Speech Therapy This is just a partial list of the Home Health services offered by Texas Total Care Home Health. Call today for more information or to schedule a free in-home consultation. Texas Total Care Home Health (409) 769-3414 21820 I-10 in Vidor TXTotalCare.org Hospice Services also available You can receive quality home health care in Southeast Texas – Texas Total Care would love to assist you or a loved one. To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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Cornerstone Baptist Church Kountze Pastor Rusty Mott and a prayer team will be on hand to pray with our Southeast Texas seniors. We have all been through loss. We all have needs that can be best served by God. If you’d like someone to pray with you, the representatives from Cornerstone Baptist Church would be honored to have the opportunity. Cornerstone Baptist Church. Pastor Rusty Mott 1600 South Pine Street in Kountze (409) 246-1116 CornerstoneKountze.com Cornerstone Baptist Church is an active community church serving Kountze and Hardin County. Pastor Rusty Mott has deep roots in the community and enjoys any opportunity to serve. He was a big help in launching the first Lumberton Senior Expo, and we are glad to have him back this year.

Rain International – Stacy Prioux We are all aging. In Southeast Texas, our diet often contributes to accelerating the aging process and causing discomfort and illness. Stacy Prioux and Rain International offer a seed based nutritional supplement that can help our bodies and minds avoid illness and recover more quickly when we do get sick. Seeds are densely packed with nutrition. When your body has the nutrition it craves, aches and pains disappear, you sleep better, and you have consistently higher energy levels throughout the day. We spoke with local distributor Stacy Prioux about the health benefits Rain International can provide Golden Triangle seniors. Here are some of Stacy’s observations: “Southeast Texas seniors are living longer, but we are aging more quickly. Getting back to the basics of nutrition provides a wide range of health benefits.” • Anti-Inflammatory. Rain’s product Soul has high levels of Omega Threes and other seed based nutrition that can assist with arthritis, swollen joints, and other inflammation issues. • Bruising. Many Golden Triangle senior citizens bruise easily. Rain’s Soul can be applied directly to the skin. In addition to helping relieve bruising, can assist with eczema. • Memory. One of the issues that we fear most is Alzheimer’s and other dementia issues, particularly early onset dementia. Rain’s product “Core” assists with cognitive issues including memory. • Rain International even has a great line of healthy coffee with impressive health benefits. • Find out more by speaking about Rain International with Stacy Prioux at the Southeast Texas Senior Expo Series in Lumberton. Rain International – Seed Based Nutrition. Stacy Prioux (409) 730-3723 MyRainLife.com/StacyAnn To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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Edward Jones Melanie Wheeler & Jennifer Whitehead Is your money working for you? Edward Jones can assist you with a review of your assets and suggestions for ways your money can be allocated to best meet your current and future needs. Stop by the Edward Jones booth to get questions answered on topics like: • How can I contribute to my grandchild’s college education? • A lot of my retirement is in stock for the company I worked for. Now that I am retired, is that beneficial for me? • I am not retired yet, but I would like help planning for my retirement. Can you assist me? Melanie and Jennifer are both experienced financial professionals who would be honored to help you reach your financial goals. Jennifer Whitehead – Edward Jones 900 South Main Street. #902. Lumberton (409) 755-7954

Melanie Wheeler – Edward Jones 1425 Wellington Circle. Suite B. Beaumont TX (409) 860-9995

Sometimes a few appropriate moves can really help you maximize the quality of your retirement. Stop by the Edward Jones booth to find out how Jennifer and Melanie can assist you.

Nerium Anti-Aging. Anne Lewing As we age, we develop fine lines and tiny wrinkles. Then one day we wake up and realize our fine lines are not so fine anymore and our wrinkles are no longer tiny. Nerium anti-aging products are formulated to help reverse that process. Nerium products are designed using science to create proven, age-fighting products powered by high quality ingredients. Nerium seeks to couple the best of nature and technology to provide both long-term and short-term products that address the signs, and causes, of aging. Anne Lewing is a Southeast Texas expert on how Nerium products work and she’d love to share her story with you. Nerium Anti-Aging. Anne Lewing (409) 293-8630 YesLordACL@SBCGlobal.net

Visit Anne’s booth to find out more about Nerium and how it might help you turn back time. To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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All About Ears – Audiology Center Beaumont Are you always turning up the TV? Me too! Do you sometimes (or often) not hear your turn signal indicator? Me either! Often these are signs of hearing loss. Humans are social creatures. It is important for our SETX seniors to be able to talk with our spouses, hear conversations on the phone, and to be able to follow along when our grandchildren are telling us about their adventures. Leila Cleveland with All About Ears will be at the Lumberton Senior Expo to provide FREE hearing tests for all of our seniors. If you do not have hearing loss, you can tell your spouse that you just like the TV loud. If you do have hearing loss, Leila can help you with options for dramatic improvement. All About Ears Beaumont Leila Grant Cleveland, Doctor of Audiology 6270 Phelan Boulevard in Beaumont TX (409) 866-7747 AllAboutEarsLLC.com Improving your hearing can have dramatic benefits in your life. If you feel you may be suffering from hearing loss, let Dr. Cleveland and All About Ears Beaumont assist you.

New Path Counseling in Lumberton & Jasper NewPath Counseling Group, believes in the collaborative team approach to mental health. Their inviting, casual and home-feeling office environments are located in Lumberton, Jasper and Woodville, Texas. Each client and situation is evaluated individually whether the person is an adult, a teen, a child, an elder, a couple or a family needing counseling. NewPath sets themselves apart with welcoming decor, comforting staff, and a friendly smile. They are all about taking care of their clients, and they find it rewarding to work with our Southeast Texas seniors. NewPath offers evening and Saturday appointments, a wide range of fee options, and flexible scheduling. With more than ten therapists available, NewPath Counseling offers you support with an array of specialties. New Path Counseling – Lumberton & Jasper (409) 200-2220 Info@NewPathGroup.net 156 South Main Street in Lumberton TX 116 North Main Street in Jasper TX Could you use someone to talk to? Call NewPath Counseling or visit their booth at the Lumberton Health Fair.

To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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CapTel – Caption Telephone Service for Southeast Texans Do you have trouble hearing phone conversations? It can be frustrating – for you and your friends / relatives – when you cannot communicate effectively. For many of our readers, Caption Telephone systems are a real blessing. For each call, you are able to see every word as the other person speaks. It helps you enjoy using the telephone again. Here are some testimonials from actual CapTel clients: “I could not use the phone before and now I use it all the time.” “The CapTel phone is really, really fabulous.” “Without the CapTel phone, I wouldn’t speak to anybody.” “CapTel is the only way that I am able to use the phone.” Visit their booth at the Southeast Texas Senior Expo in Lumberton (800) 233-9130 CapTel.com A CapTel representative will be available to answer your questions about caption telephone systems and how they can help you get comfortable using the phone again.

Humana – Insurance Options for Southeast Texas Senior Citizens Humana offers a wide range of insurance products designed to meet the needs of our seniors. Most of us have questions about Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, and other insurance needs for seniors. Humana will have a team of local experts on hand at the Lumberton Senior Expo to provide an overview of services and to answer all of your questions. Humana, Senior Insurance Solutions (888) 347-0092 Humana.com You can get answers to your questions about Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, and health insurance options for Southeast Texas seniors.

Gulf Coast Chiropractic in Beaumont

Chiropractic is a wonderful resource for many of our Golden Triangle seniors. Chiropractic helps us stand straighter, relieves tightness and pain, and makes it easier to enjoy exercise and other physical activities. Best of all, Chiropractic care often helps us recover WITHOUT surgery. Gulf Coast Chiropractic in Beaumont is dedicated to improving Southeast Texas senior health.Did you know Chiropractic care can even help you get relief from your Golden Triangle allergies (it’s true!). Gulf Coast Chiropractic (409) 899-2300 TexasChiros.com

SETX Senior Resource Guide Tip: Visit TexasChiros.com for a VALUABLE coupon. To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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United Healthcare

Did you know that 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 every day, for the next 19 years? One of the most important things our Golden Triangle seniors can do to prepare for this stage of life is to become more knowledgeable about Medicare. United Healthcare will have experts available at the SETX Senior Expo in Lumberton with the information you need to make the right decision about coverage for yourself, or for your loved ones. Do you have questions about Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans? Bring them with you to the Lumberton Health Fair and get the answers you need. MyChoiceNotChance.com (800) 458-5643 Are you turning 65 soon? Get answers about Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plans at the Lumberton Senior Expo.

American Legion Post 72 of Lumberton

No one understands veterans like other veterans. Would you like to find the camaraderie of other Southeast Texas vets? The American Legion is a great option to check out, with several groups in Southeast Texas, East Texas, and Southwest Louisiana to choose from. American Legion Post 72 serves veterans from Lumberton TX and Hardin County (there are some members who come from further away as well). Members will be on hand to talk with veterans about the American Legion, benefits of membership, and their activities. American Legion Post 72, Lumberton TX Contact: hsherill@gmail.com (409) 659-9997 The company of other veterans could be just what you are looking for. Are you looking for other American Legion Chapters? Visit the American Legion of Texas booth. Mark McClelland, 2nd District Commander Mark.McClelland@IMSday.com (936) 336-3393

Asbestos Health Line

Many Southeast Texas senior citizens are suffering from health problems directly related to asbestos exposure. When you look at the types of jobs that have the most issues with asbestos, you’ll see a direct link to the Golden Triangle: If you have suffered from health problems related to • Insulators asbestos, the Asbestos Health Line can help you find • Pipefitters options for assistance. They will have a booth at the • Boiler Makers SETX Senior Expo in Lumberton to talk with you about • Helpers your experiences, health issues, and options for assistance. • Ship Builders •

Ship Breakers

To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

(855) 397-3997 AsbestosHealthLine.com 16

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Copeland Group

The Copeland Group has been assisting Southeast Texans with their insurance needs for over fifty years. Their team will have a booth at the senior expo to answer your questions about insurance coverage. They have a wide range of Medicare Products including: • Medicare Plan Options • Medicare Supplement Insurance • Medicare Advantage Plans •

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans

(800) 220-8899 CopelandGroupUSA.com If you have questions about Medicare enrollment options or eligibility, the Copeland Group will be available to make sure you get answers.

Village Creek Nursing & Rehab Hardin County Senior Living

This popular Lumberton senior living facility is dedicated to providing quality and compassionate nursing care. To better serve residents, they offer a progressive approach to treatment that combines collaboration with your primary physicians and individualized rehabilitation services with both resident and family education.Village Creek Nursing & Rehab’s senior care team is competent and equipped with the skills, tools, and state of the art equipment necessary to take care of both the short and long term needs of residents. Residents have access to numerous services that make them feel “at home” and comfortable during their stay. Village Creek Nursing & Rehab accepts admissions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, complemented by 24/7 nursing care and 7 days a week specialized rehabilitation services. Village Creek Nursing & Rehab – Senior Living for Lumberton & Hardin County (409) 755-0100 705 North Main Street in Lumberton TX Mary Burch. Lumberton-Marketing@Nexion-Health.com Nexion-Health.com/Village-Creek-Rehabilitation

We’ll see you Wednesday, June 14th!

This is a partial list of the organizations that will be on hand to assist you with any current or upcoming needs. Bring any questions or information about issues you’ve been having, and we will help you find people who can assist you. The Lumberton Senior Expo has been designed to bring you the right mix of entertainment, education, and access to valuable senior resources. We are looking forward to spending the day with you. Don’t miss this wonderful day of Southeast Texas senior activities. Are you looking for more information about the Lumberton Senior Expo? You’ll find it on SETXSeniorExpo.com. To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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The Last of the Greatest United States l l i H Army Harrison

For seventy-two years, Harrison Hill kept aspects of his experiences in World War II to himself. Looking back, he remembers uncles who came back from World War I, somehow emptier and less engaged with farm and family life in New Iberia, Louisiana. There was a hollowness behind their eyes and a silence about what they had seen and about what they had done in the Great War, the “War to End all Wars”. They did not open up to their wives, their children, and in those days veterans did not consult with therapists. A generation later, Harrison was called into service (somewhat disappointed that World War 1 had not, in fact, ended all wars) and did his duty in the Pacific Theater. When he came home, he was a little emptier. Like his uncles, there was probably a hollowness in his eyes as well. With a loving bride and mom to welcome him, he was fortunately able to reengage in life. There were some things he held inside though, in a tiny dark box: regret, fear, guilt. During the day, these things would usually stay in their box. To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

At night, all these decades later, they still come out. Each morning, they are locked back up. Well, most mornings. Harrison did not talk about these things with his wife. He did not talk about what he had seen or done in the war with his children. In those days, veterans still did not consult with therapists. Harrison Hill was born in 1925. At the time, he was “the baby” and heavily doted on by his mother who called him “T-Boy”. Their farm produced sugar cane as a cash crop with some side crops to feed the family. Like most farms of the day, the expectation was that everyone pitched in and contributed their labor to the best of their abilities. Harrison was exempted, not due to his Say, “I saw it in SETX Seniors Guide”

mother’s coddling, but because he had severe asthma. He didn’t spend much time outside and none at hard work – or hard play. His brothers labored in the fields, but they also reaped some attractive rewards like running the family hunting dogs at night. Bored at home and indulged by his mother, Harrison could be hard on his sisters. They would be tasked with holding him for hours while the rest of the family worked. When he got bored, he’d give his sisters a big pinch. When they reacted to punish him, he’d tell his mom, “She is being mean because she doesn’t want to hold me anymore.” The family had no expectation that he’d ever be able to get active and independent. His mom did expect him to grow into a good person. She knew she spoiled him and let him get To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

away with things for which the other children would have been held accountable. One day she drew the line and told him to get a switch. He was the kind of child who picked the smallest branch from the family fig tree that he thought might satisfy her, more a twig than an instrument of corporal punishment. She sent him back out, “I love you, but you need to learn discipline”. He returned with one only marginally larger. She sent him back out, “I love you, but this is something you need”. Finally, he came back with a veritable club. When she said, “I love you”, and whacked him with it, it exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces. If Harrison Hill was going to get whipped with a giant branch he was going to make sure it was very, very, rotten. He asked his mom, “If you love me, why do you want to hit me?” She said that she wanted to teach him discipline now so that someone bigger, stronger, and meaner would not have to do it later in life. It made an impact on Harrison, and he remembers it as one of the formative events in his life. Their area of New Iberia was largely made up of black owned farms. A nearby unit was purchased by a white family. The farmer came over to introduce himself. Harrison’s family came out to watch as their father spoke

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with the white farmer. The new neighbor noticed that Harrison stayed on the porch and asked his father if there was something wrong with the boy. After his father answered, the white farmer asked for him to bring Harrison by his home one day. Unsure how he could help where doctors had failed, Harrison’s father loaded him up on a horse and walked him to the neighboring farm. They first walked up to the back door, as was the custom when black neighbors visited white neighbors. The new neighbor, however, invited them to come around to the front porch. He talked to Harrison’s father a little bit. Harrison remembers him as having been Catholic. He put his hand on Harrison’s head and said a prayer. Harrison’s father thanked the man and led his sickly son back home, not expecting anything to come of the outing, but appreciative of his neighbor’s empathy. Harrison himself did not notice anything right away. However, by the fourth day he noticed he could breathe deeply and strongly. He went outside and played and even joined his family in the work of the farm. He never experienced asthma issues again and from that day to the present there has been a noticeable knot on his head where the neighbor held his hand during the prayer. He showed me while we talked.

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When he was old enough to venture out on his own, farm labor in New Iberia paid one dollar a day. A relative told the family about opportunities in Port Arthur. That has been a common theme in our interviews with local WWII veterans. Harrison Hill found work with MW Kellogg working on the Texaco Plant expansion. His starting pay was seventyfive cents an hour, or six times what he would have received as a farm laborer in Louisiana. There was already talk about the US possibly getting drug into a war overseas. Most Americans had their fill of war and did not want to send their sons back to Europe to fight and possibly die there. One of Harrison’s brothers had already volunteered for the Navy back in 1941. Another would go soon after. After December 7th 1941, American sentiment changed. We were going to join the war, in Europe and in Asia as well. Harrison had no interest in war. He had seen his mom cry when his brothers enlisted, and he didn’t want to see her cry again. He liked working in Port Arthur. He found better and better jobs with the shipyard and later with The Texas Company. His asthma had never returned, and he could work as well as anyone. He worked hard, and he liked it. He could not totally ignore the war. Lots of people he knew had volunteered after Pearl Harbor. Many more had been drafted. Rationing came. Even with the money that came with a good job, there were lots of things you couldn’t buy. He remembers seeing cars driving around Port Arthur with bare iron wheels on the front due to the rationing of rubber tires. Some of the black workers from Louisiana, including Harrison, began moving regularly between Louisiana and Texas trying to stay a step ahead of the draft board. They hoped the constantly changing addresses would shield them. Work was plentiful, so they had no trouble getting hired back on high paying jobs when they returned to Port Arthur. Harrison met a young lady. She was the first he’d ever “talked with”, and he became engaged to marry her. They were young and needed their parent’s permission. In one of our American ironies, Harrison found that he was too young to marry on his own but not too young to be drafted to fight overseas. A draft notice finally found Harrison, and he went in. There was a full phalanx of examiners. Following Harrison’s healing several years earlier, there was no trace of asthma or any other condition that might exempt him from service. Finally, there was a last table with three men To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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at it – a representative from the Army, the Navy, and the Marines. They asked him, “So, which branch of the service would you like to join?” Harrison Hill’s brain spun. He could talk his way out of this. Couldn’t he? He took a deep breath and told the truth, “None of them. I like my job here in Port Arthur. It’s a good job, and I am good at it. I want to stay here.” The man from the Army smiled and pointed, “Okay son – just go through that door.” Harrison exhaled in relief and hurried for the door. As soon as he opened it, he knew he had not pulled one over on Uncle Sam. Harrison Hill was inducted into the US Army. His adventure in the armed forces began in April of 1944. He was a teenager in basic training for the infantry at Fort McCullough in Alabama. It was clear that life for infantry soldiers was expected to be difficult. They would train in the hot Alabama sun for hours and then be fed salty meals and instructed (creatively) to empty their canteens. Harrison went To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

back to something he picked up from the farm and found a damp spot and dug for his own water. Learning to pull the pin on a grenade with his mouth while holding his rifle, Harrison’s front teeth broke (and are still broken today). I asked him if that was rare, and he answered, “From what I saw it was not very rare at all”. Like many African American soldiers, Harrison then went to Fort Polk. Soldiers there were trained as truck drivers, mechanics, and cooks. Harrison became a truck driver. Again, training was tough. They were instructed to bury their trucks to the axels in the mud and to figure out on their own how to get them out. Then as soon as they did, they were ordered back to the base to have them “inspection clean”. For those of us who have not been in the military, that meant even removing many of the bolts and cleaning them and put-

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ting them back together in a way that would minimize squeaking and rattling. After completing his training, he was given a brief pass before heading to the Pacific. He married and had a “two-hour honeymoon” before heading back to ship out. Harrison Hill left Port Arthur and his bride and headed west to Seattle. He made one last attempt to avoid the war in the Pacific. He showed up to have his official photo taken without his uniform tie. In peace time, it might have gotten him a severe reprimand, maybe even a few days in the brig. The way the war was going, they let it go and shipped him out with everyone else. Today, in the only photo Harrison has of himself in uniform, he’s technically “out of uniform”. By ship, he went to Hawaii and then Okinawa. Harrison was part of an enormous 120-ship convoy. The island, recently a thriving and largely self-sufficient community of 450,000 would have nothing. After the naval and aerial bombardment, there would be no food, fuel, or anything the Americans could use. It would all come in by ship – food, fuel, trucks, tents, and soldiers. Lots and lots of American soldiers. His life changed forever when he got off of the ship and onto the soil of Okinawa. One of the first things he saw was a soldier raking up the bones of babies who had died in the bombing by the US to prepare the island for invasion. That gruesome image has never left him, but it was joined by others. In the days that followed, he only saw one building with three standing walls on the island. None were intact. The bombing had been so effective that all of the towns had been completely leveled. Most Americans don’t know much about Okinawa. Did you know that 450,000 civilians lived there before the US invasion? 140,000 Japanese civilians died during the invasion and another 80,000 were injured. No small island is set up to deal with the deaths of 140,000 – or the treatment of 80,000 wounded by war. That is the scale of carnage that greeted Harrison Hill when he arrived in Okinawa. Of course, Americans soon suffered huge losses as well. Despite all of the naval and aerial bombardment, 12,000 US Soldiers would be killed on Okinawa. Another 38,000 American soldiers would be wounded. In total, 50,000 Americans were killed or wounded in the invasion of Okinawa. The current population of Port Arthur is around 50,000. Add to this, the Japanese military losses. Since they were ordered not to surrender, the Japanese lost over 110,000 soldiers on Okinawa. That is a lot of death on an island that averages just seven To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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miles wide. Harrison Hill saw plenty of that death. Dead Japanese civilians, dead American soldiers, and dead Japanese soldiers. For a while that was a Harrison’s job. He would drive his truck as it was loaded to capacity with dead bodies. It was brutally hot in the Pacific, even for a young man from New Iberia. The bodies had been out in that heat… too long. The sight was overpowering, but the smell has to have been worse. The bodies were loaded into trenches two hundred feet long – and there were a lot of those trenches. How many bodies have most of us seen at 18? I had not seen any at that age. Hill had personally and up close seen thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, covered in earth by bulldozers like all of that pipeline back in Port Arthur. Once the island was secured, Harrison drove trucks in an endless loop between the beach and the US fortifications on the island. Hundreds of loads went to airstrip. That primarily meant fuel, ammunition, and bombs. Thousands and thousands of bombs. Harrison could see that the death and destruction were not ending at Okinawa. The deaths on Okinawa, Japanese and American, had only set the stage for the next round of deaths on mainland Japan. The United States now had a base from which their fighter planes, P47 Thunderbolts and P51 Mustangs, could finally reach the Japanese mainland. Not only would American bomber squadrons now have fighter escorts protecting them for the first time, the US fighters could carry out their own raids. They were effective on their own, strafing Japanese planes on the ground and dominating the Japanese fighters in the air. The P47 was strong – it could take a lot of punishment and still fight. The P51 was fast and nimble. Also, the American military industrial complex was in full swing – there were lots and lots of fighter planes and pilots available and more coming every day. The Japanese were running out of pilots, parts, and fuel. Not all of the raids were against military targets though. At least two of the strafing attacks by fighter squadrons were carried out against groups of Japanese civilians. That was a footnote in Say, “I saw it in SETX Seniors Guide”

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history compared to the civilian deaths that would come at the hands of US bomber squadrons, squadrons resupplied by Harrison Hill and the truck drivers on Okinawa. Aiming bombs in those days was imperfect at best. You aim for a factory and despite your best efforts hit an apartment complex. That was war, and the powers that be understood it. Americans tried hard to minimize civilian casualties earlier in the war. Then… they turned a strategic corner. The new tactic was to use catastrophic civilian casualties to force a quicker end to the war. The war against Japan had drug out too long. Casualties on both sides were too high. Casualties on Okinawa were mind numbing for the president (a veteran of World War 1 whose own division saw brutal action on Okinawa), military leaders, and the American people. The United States was looking for a way to force Japan to surrender. A fire bombing attack against Tokyo, something at one time the US probably would not have approved, left over 83,000 Japanese civilians dead and a million Japanese homeless. Half of the city was destroyed in two months of bombing raids. Against smaller cities, the American bomber pilots were even more effective. The city of Toyoma (population 160,000 – or about four times the current size of Port Arthur) was 99.5 percent destroyed in a single raid. Making his endless cycle of trips between the beach and the airstrip, Harrison Hill was painfully aware of his role in the death and destruction. He knew each load of bombs destroyed homes, killed people, displaced families, and reduced a nation’s ability to heal and even to feed its people. Growing up on a farm, something about that was significant to Hill – he believed a population had the right to feed itself. The American officers warned Harrison Hill often about the danger of Kamikaze pilots. They told him about pilots feasted and thrown a giant party by their government before being ordered to go out and dive their planes into American ships, airfields, and supply installations (like To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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those he made countless trips to). They told him that the Japanese pilots dropped the wheels of their Japanese Zero fighter planes on takeoff so they would not have the option to get scared and try to land safely. The warnings were justified – over 1500 Japanese kamikaze aircraft would be deployed by the Japanese during the Okinawa campaign. His Army superiors told him about the dangers of facing a soldier who was suicidal. What they did not know was that Harrison Hill was already facing a soldier who was suicidal, himself. All combat soldiers deal with guilt and depression. Something about the scale of destruction was weighing heavily on Harrison. Twelve thousand dead American soldiers? 140,000 Japanese civilian dead on Okinawa before Hill even got off the boat? 80,000 Japanese dead on mainland Japan in a single night? A million Japanese made homeless in less than two months? The numbers on both sides were difficult to process and harder to reconcile. Harrison was a long way from working on a plant expansion at Texaco in Port Arthur. He was a long way from harvesting Sugar Cane in New Iberia. However, it was those places and in particularly his wife in Port Arthur and mother in New Iberia that kept him going. He’d told them he was going to come home. He had promised. He’d seen his mom cry four times in his life, and he didn’t want her to cry again because he died somewhere in the Pacific. The atomic bomb is what we remember as incredibly destructive today – and we should. There was a lot of death and destruction before that though, on both sides. Much of that has been forgotten or not taught to the generations of Americans that came after WWII. That destruction that came before the atomic bomb is what Harrison Hill remembers when those dark emotions find their way out of their boxes. The soldier sweeping up dead baby bones. Truckload after truckload of bombs headed to destroy half of Tokyo and 99.5 percent of Toyoma. He does think about the atomic bomb as well. He never quite said it, Say, “I saw it in SETX Seniors Guide”

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but it seemed like he was worried he might have trucked it to one of the planes headed for Japan. That does not appear to be the case, but even if the atomic bomb had never been invented, the scale of destruction was overwhelming. Hill was scheduled to move onto the Japanese mainland, but a unique logistics problem got him an early release from the Army. The Navy, like any big moving company, hates to send ships back across the ocean empty. Harrison and other soldiers were released early so they could help fill supply ships that had come to Japan full of equipment, food, and medicine, and that would otherwise have returned to the US empty. On the way back, swells on the ocean hit forty feet. Conditions were miserable, but Hill was grateful for every mile between him and the destruction he was leaving behind. There was an adjustment coming back into civilian life, as you would expect. Having a loving wife helped. Having a loving mother helped. Being able to find good jobs helped. Finding ways to do good and to serve others helped. Having children of his own helped. Harrison Hill and his wife were blessed with three daughters and three sons. Music helped. We all like music, but Harrison feels it more deeply than most of us. He is particularly fond of Zydeco and spent many Friday nights dancing with his wife and friends in Port Arthur. One of the first things he did on his return was visit his parents. While there, a neighbor was trying to get young men to help build a cane syrup mill. Most laughed at him – there were good paying, easier, jobs available and lots of them. Harrison jumped at the chance. He wanted to work on the syrup mill. He wanted to be part of building something he could see rather than destroying something he could not. He wanted to be part of providing food rather than taking it away. Would talking about his experiences back then have helped ease the To Advertise Call (512) 567-8068 Today!

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pain? I guess there is no way to say definitively, but during the episode Harrison said several times how good it was for him to be able to say these things out loud to another living person. To have someone listen. The burdens we lock inside sound different when they are out in the air rather than tucked away in our own little boxes of regret, fear, and guilt. Kept inside, bad memories harden and even grow darker. Harrison Hill spent thirty-eight years with Chevron – Gulf. He won an award in 1988 for helping to minimize loss of life when the computers controlling the refinery failed. He has served with the Valero Community Advisory Board finding ways to give back to the Mid County community. He built a home for his family by hand in Port Acres. Sixty-eight years ago, he was the first to build in that part of the area. Recently. he was recognized for being one of the oldest residents. He believes he may be the oldest. He lives in the home he built today with one of his daughters and a grandson who has special needs. Every day Harrison meets him at the bus stop and has his lunch ready for him. On Sunday, his grandson eagerly wakes him up so they can get dressed for church. His grandson speaks only in sign language, and Harrison has not learned it. Somehow, they communicate effectively and deeply in the evenings over shared meals. A part of his property has always been dedicated to a garden. It was “gold” for him and his family of eight. While he was always blessed with good jobs, having your own fresh food was therapeutic. It also would provide protection if we’d ever had to go back to rationing. Creating life was therapeutic. Hill still maintains that garden today at 92. It is a little smaller than it once was, but it is still providing daily therapy. At 92, he faces many of the same disappointments as others his age. He has outlived just about everyone. The wife he loved is gone. She has been gone for decades. One day they were supposed to go see a family member play football and then head to one of the Zydeco dances they both enjoyed. She let him know she might not make it that night. He came home late and found her looking more beautiful, more radiant, than she ever had. Though it was already late, they talked for another two hours, just enjoying being around each other. Eventually he drifted off to sleep. He woke up and went quietly out into the living area to let her sleep in. After all, it was Saturday. A son was home and they enjoyed a cup of coffee together. After a while, Harrison peeked his head in. and his wife still wasn’t up. He and his son had another cup of coffee. At some point, he knew that even after a late night talking together, she should have been up. When it hit him, it hit him hard. It has never gone away. “What if…” “Maybe I could have…” When you experience the death of thousands it has a profound effect on you. Sometimes when you experience the death of one, it has the same kind of effect on your life. Say, “I saw it in SETX Seniors Guide”

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The mother who loved him is gone. She too has been gone for decades. Most of his brothers and sisters are gone. He has a brother and sister still living, but they are in California. He remembers a time when it, “was nothing to just pile everyone in the car and make that drive to California to spend time with family”. He knows he won’t be able to do that again. The clever Army recruiter who enrolled him in the Army? Gone. Those tough drill instructors? They are all gone. The soldier who was sweeping up bones when he got to Okinawa? Gone. The neighbor who healed him of crippling asthma? Gone. The executives he worked under at Chevron – Gulf? Gone. He has a lot he is thankful for, but at the same time he’d like to get in the car and make that drive to California. He’d like someone to tell him that the good he has done in life has outweighed all of that death. Mostly, he’d just like to talk with his wife. Harrison Hill has been out of the Army for seventy-two years. For seven decades, he kept a lot of what he saw to himself, just as his uncles had done after WWI. Now, he’s had the chance to get some of the things off of his chest. It was important to him. Earlier, I mentioned his love of music. There is one song he comes back to over and over, “Your Letter” by BB King. In a way, it sums it all up for Harrison. The letter from the draft board that found him and started him on his path to Okinawa. The letter he’d like to send his wife, or to receive from her. The letters he’d like to receive catching him up on those who have departed before him. This is Harrison Hill’s song: Your letter said that you’re doing ok But then it read: “Please, let me come back home.” Your letter said that you’re doing ok But then it read: “Please, let me come back home.” Yes, you said you were so tired, so tired baby … Harrison feels particularly indebted to the women in his life, having been raised by his mother and being cared for now by his daughter. There is a fig tree in his beloved garden, the same kind of tree he cut his switch from a lifetime ago. Sometimes when Harrison Hill is watching, two doves will come and sit in the tree and look at him. Each time, one flies in from the east. One flies in from the west. Are they somehow his mother and wife checking on him? Maybe.

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