Jack January

he's doing " So I, ashamedly, stood back up until the flag and its uniformed escort left the arena At halftime I went down and introduced myself to the Korean War veteran and told him how much I appreciated his example His response to me was simple: "I love that flag, sir."

Five observations:

By Chris Campbell

In March of last year my oldest son and I went to the boys' state basketball tournament in Austin It is something he and I look forward to every year...because it is three days of nothing but basketball, basketball, and more basketball

Each day was divided into three separate sessions for the different classifications of schools At the beginning of each session a JROTC group from a local high school would serve as Color Guard As they entered the arena folks lazily got out of their seats; most (not all) removed a hat they wore and placed their hand over their heart They stood as the National Anthem played and then quickly resumed the conversation they were having as they sat back down.

On Friday evening I, and the people around me, were treated to something a little different. As the Color Guard walked onto the floor an elderly gentleman eight rows in front of Elijah and I quickly stood up, snapped to "attention," and positioned his right arm in a masterful salute Meanwhile the rest of the crowd (myself included) went through its normal routine At the completion of the National Anthem, everyone sat back down except for two people

My son and Sergeant Jack January.

I looked at Elijah - he looked back at me and said, "I'm watching that guy - he looks like he knows what

1) If my calculations are right, Sergeant January has to be in his mid-80’s It's not every day an 80year old man calls me "sir"...but when it comes to rules on manners and etiquette, I will always defer to a Veteran.

2) If I ever have to go undercover as a secret agent and need an alias, I'm calling myself "Jack January."

3) Our kids are watching EVERYTHING that goes on around them I pray that there are a plethora of positive examples that my children see every day...ESPECIALLY in those moments when I under-achieve as a man/citizen/Christian

4) When something precious entered the room – something he loved dearly – Sgt Jack January gave it the honor and respect it deserved He was not distracted by the people around him who seemed to care very little about the presence of Old Glory Instead he fixed his eyes on the thing that he loved Hebrews 12:2 implores, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith ” If an old soldier gives that sort of respect to a piece of fabric that represents freedom how much more should we, as children of The King, pay double the homage to the one that represents an even greater freedom caring not that the world around us shouts us down and thinks us silly, foolish or misguided

5) Did I mention that Jack January MIGHT just be the coolest name ever???

In Kind Donors

Wal-Mart, 20 briskets

Bill Smith, Howe Mini Storage, $300

Metal Masters, $1,000

Great Days of Service, labor and supplies

Keep Howe Beautiful, labor and supplies

The Siding Man, Inc., $2,800

AAA Guardian Foundation Repair, $2,500

Brice Harvey, bbq cook

Dick Smithwick, bbq cook

Don Anderson, auctioneer

Howe Enterprise, advertising

Van Alstyne Leader, advertising

Herald Democrat, advertising

Monte Walker, posters and flyers

Loretta Anderson, Texas Farm Bureau, 125 cups

Darren Foster, Texas Farm Bureau, 125 cups

Donna Wormsbaker, beans for BBQ dinner

Bev Martin, bread for BBQ dinner

Mary Jo Wrenn, bread for BBQ dinner

Georgia Caraway, tea and coffee for BBQ dinner

Jean Norman, coleslaw for BBQ dinner

Mama Suzy’s Sweets and Eats, 8 doz. sugar cookies for BBQ dinner

Mary Stonebarger, 8 doz. chocolate chip cookies for dinner

Sherry Folks, potato salad for BBQ dinner

Sunny Delight, 200 drinks

Grayson County Blood Bank, radio ads

Howe Fire Station, use of building for BBQ dinner

Ronnie Morris, labor on benches

FINANCIAL DONORS:

Collins Memorial, $24,350

Howe Historical Society, $14,500

Georgia Caraway, $2,880

Oscar Blankemeyer, $1,420

Nortex Field Services, $1,000

Jerry and Patsy Kelsoe, $600

Garage sales, $387

Advantage Business Machines, $200

Scott Frantz, $200

Anonymous, $200

Waldo Funeral Home, $100

Scoggins Funeral Home, $100

M.E. Curtis, $100

Monty Ulmer, $100

Anonymous, $50

City Drug of VA, $50

Carolyn Monroe, $40

Children and citizens of Howe, $205

Ray Selby, $20

The twentieth century became the great age for the battleship as navies around the world raced to build the most powerful vessels on the seas. As the United States established itself as a world power, the nation was determined to show the strength of its own navy As a result, the Battleship USS Texas, designated BB-35, was built as the second vessel named for the state by the US Navy

Construction on the Texas, a New York-class battleship, began in 1911 at a cost of over $5 8 million (nearly $140 million in 2015 dollars) It was commissioned in May 1914 The 573-foot vessel boasted a crew of more than one thousand men It included ten fourteen-inch guns, twenty-one five-inch guns, and four submerged torpedo launchers. Its firepower easily matched the most powerful ships in the world at the time.

During most of America’s involvement in World War I, the Texas was attached to the British fleet patrolling the waters near