Published: November 09, 2009 10:43 pm      

SIMPSON: Two of my favorite veterans

With tomorrow marked as Veteran’s Day, I want to take this opportunity to remember two of my favorite veterans. Both of them have gone on to their reward, but their example will always be special to me and many others. I’m very sure of that.

First I’ll refer to “Navarro County History, Vol. Six: Women of Navarro County,” published by Navarro County Historical Society. There we find the account of a woman marine who served during the Korean Conflict, which some folks say wasn’t a war, although the ones who were involved in it probably disagree. In 1950, Elizabeth Ladelle Gillispie signed up to go along when five of her friends who had joined the Marine Corps Reserve were called up for duty.

In her “boot camp” experience at Parris Island, S.C., Liz had a really rude awakening. No, it wasn’t the difficulty of drills or anything like that. It was, instead, that she had been assigned top bunk in the squadbay; and upon developing a leg cramp the first night, she jumped out of bed and landed on the rail of the bunk underneath. Liz wrote that the girl in the bottom bunk was just about as scared as she was at this sudden raining of arms and legs from up above.

Liz’s first real duty was in Norfolk, Va., where she was only the 12th woman marine to be there at the headquarters of Fleet Marine Force, where she was housed in “temporary buildings left over from WWII.” Even in these early days of her marine career, Liz was already cranking a mimeograph machine. (Those of you who saw Liz at work printing the “Navarro Leaves and Branches” at Pioneer Village while she was alive know she did it with a real flair, especially when the copier broke down.)

Liz received many promotions and much training, but her big moment came when Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp awarded her the Joint Service Commendation Medal for her contribution during the Vietnam War when she was stationed in Hawaii. The medal was presented in Washington, D.C., by Col. White, commanding officer of Headquarters Battalion. Liz was the first woman marine recipient of this medal. A top recruiter in the service, Liz became a top recruiter in the genealogy room now named for her at Corsicana Public Library.

If you haven’t guessed who my example for the men veterans is, I’ll tell you right off that it is Joe B. Fogg. In “Navarro County History, Vol. Three: The Men and Women in World War II from Navarro County,” page 89, shows the picture of Joe wearing his combat helmet and says that at the time of the picture he was T/Sgt. Joe B. Fogg, son of Mrs. J.E. Fogg, husband of the former Miss Louise Howell, graduate of Corsicana High School in 1937. He entered the infantry in 1940 and was trained at Camp Bowie, Camp Blanding, Florida, Fort Custer in Michigan, Camp Philips, Kansas, and Camp McCain, Mississippi. At the time he had served in England, France, Belgium, Germany and Czechoslovakia. He had received the Pre-Pearl Harbor Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, E.T.O. and Infantry Combat Ribbons at the time.

His obituary in the Corsicana Daily Sun mentions that he also earned a Bronze Star and other awards and citations and that he was part of the 9th Infantry Division and took part in the storming of Normandy in 1944.

He came out of the Texas National Guard in 1941. And after his discharge, he joined the 36th Texas Infantry Division, a major component of the Texas Army National Guard. He also earned a commission as a second lieutenant and retired as a lieutenant colonel holding several command and staff positions.

You may have known Joe as your mail carrier after World War II. He was for several decades a member of the postal service. He had many occupations during his lifetime, but he never lost the deep sense of patriotism.

I first met Joe when he and his wife Louise were members of the former Eleventh Avenue Methodist Church, now St. Luke United Methodist Church. After that he served various offices over the years at First United Methodist Church in Corsicana.

He was a Mason, and he and Louise were members of the Eastern Star. Dawson Chapter No. 1046, OES, loved to see this beloved couple come driving over from Corsicana where they were members of Corsicana No. 118.

As long as he was able, Joe attended AARP local meetings in Corsicana. Everywhere he went, Joe never left any doubt where his allegiance and loyalty lay.

No one was ever a more patriotic citizen than Joe B. Fogg and Liz Gillispie. That is the reason that these two veterans represent the best of the best in my book!

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Gelene Simpson is a Daily Sun columnist.

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