Woodlands Villager - News
Veteran’s Day service becoming tradition
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| An annual Veteran’s Day ecumenical worship service at 2 p.m. Sunday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church will honor veterans with recognition, will be overseen by members of the Klein Collins JROTC, shown above at a past event. |
By CHARLIE BIER
The bell will toll for servicemen who attend an annual Veteran’s Day service at Lord of Life Lutheran Church.
A signature part of the service — 2 p.m. Sunday at the church, 3801 South Panther Creek Drive — involves tolling a bell in honor of veteran’s from each conflict from World War II on. As the bell tolls for each war, the veterans and their families stand, said Jim Meserko, a 65-year-old U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman who volunteered to go to Vietnam from 1965-1967 who helps organize the event.
Veterans who served but weren’t involved in conflict stand at the toll nearest their service years. At the conclusion, left standing are all the veterans, men and women “who signed on the dotted line to the United States of America to give service and/or (their) life for (their) country,” Meserko said.
Along with family and friends, the general public is welcome at the ecumenical worship service.
“Anyone is invited. It’s a way to honor veteran’s who have served and are serving,” Meserko said.
Organizers encourage attendees, if they wish, to wear their uniform or a piece of clothing that identifies their military branch. During past services, veterans have worn ribbons, caps and original uniforms.
“We have one regular fellow who still wears his Eisenhower jacket. He’s both a World War II and Korean veteran,” Meserko said.
Any funds collected are given to the emergency relief fund of the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
“(The fund) helps families of veteran’s if they travel for medical care and they don’t have the (financial) ability to make the trip,” Meserko said.
Refreshments, fellowship and photo-taking opportunities follow the service.
“Everyone who attends gets a copy of a group photo of the conflict in which they served,” Meserko said.
Meserko credits Jim Meszaros, a U.S. Air Force captain B-52 bombadier who flew for 5 1/2 years in Vietnam, with starting the annual service.
“He’s the spark plug,” Meserko said.
Past services have represented veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Grenada and Iraq and Afghanistan.
“There’s just something about being with other veterans. It’s a good feeling,” Meserko said.
The Klein Collins Junior ROTC will be at the event. A small choir, a group of grandchildren of one of the servicemen will sing patriotic songs such as the National Anthem, America the Beautiful and hymns for each respective branch.
“If they sing the Marine Corps hymn, they put on a Marine Corps cap. Whatever service anthem they sing they put on that cap,” Meserko said. “I’ll tell you, there’s not a dry eye in the house.”
The service, in its eighth year, is taking place in The Woodlands for the second year after being held previously at churches in Harris County.
Attendance last year numbered about 125 people, but Meserko is hopeful for continued growth.
“The Woodlands has got to have a lot of veteran’s. Just Windsor Hills alone (the neighborhood in which Meserko lives), we’ve got probably a minimum of 120. I can’t imagine with 85,000-plus people in The Woodlands, that we don’t have more veteran’s attending,” he said.
A signature part of the service — 2 p.m. Sunday at the church, 3801 South Panther Creek Drive — involves tolling a bell in honor of veteran’s from each conflict from World War II on. As the bell tolls for each war, the veterans and their families stand, said Jim Meserko, a 65-year-old U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman who volunteered to go to Vietnam from 1965-1967 who helps organize the event.
Veterans who served but weren’t involved in conflict stand at the toll nearest their service years. At the conclusion, left standing are all the veterans, men and women “who signed on the dotted line to the United States of America to give service and/or (their) life for (their) country,” Meserko said.
Along with family and friends, the general public is welcome at the ecumenical worship service.
“Anyone is invited. It’s a way to honor veteran’s who have served and are serving,” Meserko said.
Organizers encourage attendees, if they wish, to wear their uniform or a piece of clothing that identifies their military branch. During past services, veterans have worn ribbons, caps and original uniforms.
“We have one regular fellow who still wears his Eisenhower jacket. He’s both a World War II and Korean veteran,” Meserko said.
Any funds collected are given to the emergency relief fund of the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
“(The fund) helps families of veteran’s if they travel for medical care and they don’t have the (financial) ability to make the trip,” Meserko said.
Refreshments, fellowship and photo-taking opportunities follow the service.
“Everyone who attends gets a copy of a group photo of the conflict in which they served,” Meserko said.
Meserko credits Jim Meszaros, a U.S. Air Force captain B-52 bombadier who flew for 5 1/2 years in Vietnam, with starting the annual service.
“He’s the spark plug,” Meserko said.
Past services have represented veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Grenada and Iraq and Afghanistan.
“There’s just something about being with other veterans. It’s a good feeling,” Meserko said.
The Klein Collins Junior ROTC will be at the event. A small choir, a group of grandchildren of one of the servicemen will sing patriotic songs such as the National Anthem, America the Beautiful and hymns for each respective branch.
“If they sing the Marine Corps hymn, they put on a Marine Corps cap. Whatever service anthem they sing they put on that cap,” Meserko said. “I’ll tell you, there’s not a dry eye in the house.”
The service, in its eighth year, is taking place in The Woodlands for the second year after being held previously at churches in Harris County.
Attendance last year numbered about 125 people, but Meserko is hopeful for continued growth.
“The Woodlands has got to have a lot of veteran’s. Just Windsor Hills alone (the neighborhood in which Meserko lives), we’ve got probably a minimum of 120. I can’t imagine with 85,000-plus people in The Woodlands, that we don’t have more veteran’s attending,” he said.
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