Veteran's Day 2026

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

Once again we take the opportunity to recognize our Veteran classmates and their sacrifices made in service to the United States of America. Yes, we have shown this video before, but we owe so much to our servicemembers and their spouses that we will continue to honor them each year. Even if you have watched it before, take the time to watch it again, and remember. If any veteran classmates has a story they wish to share with the rest of us, we would love to hear it.

(Editor's Note: I wanted to add something new to the yearly tribute to our veterans, so I reached out to Ricky and asked him to share his experiences with us. Ricky has always been a valued supporter of Lee's Traveller, often offering comments and suggestions to share with his classmates. I knew if I asked him, he would respond, so here is what he elected to share with us. Thank you for your service Ricky.)

My Brief Veteran History

Floyd Richard “Ricky” Simmons

LHS '64

My dad was a career Navy man and my younger brother, Bill, was a Marine in the early summer of 1967. I was resigned to the probability that I would be drafted after graduation from college and I wanted to serve in the organization of my choice.

During the LSU New Orleans spring semester of 1968, shortly after the TET offensive in the Vietnam conflict, I signed a contract to become an officer in the Marine Corps. I liked their uniforms.

I was commissioned a second lieutenant on November 1, 1968, and reported to active duty in early September for 10 weeks OCS in Quantico, Virginia. Because I was had an aviation contract I was able to bypass The Basic Training School. I received orders to NAS Pensacola to begin pilot flight training.

Flight training commenced in early December with basic pilot training in the T-34B single engine propellor aircraft.  After completing this phase, I was moved on to more complex ground school.

I was able to earn selection for the jet pipeline and was transferred in the spring of 1969 to Meridian, Mississippi where I trained in basic jet operation flying the T-2A (single engine) and T-2C (dual engine) aircraft. 

On 1 October, I was involved in a major automobile accident in a driving rain, and after seven days in the hospital, with brain concussion, broken ribs, cracked shoulder, and cracked hip, I was transferred to the Naval Hospital in Pensacola. 

After three months treatment I was transferred back to Meridian to undergo refresher training and complete the four 4-plane flights. During that time I received a promotion to 1Lt. My wife Vicki was 8-months pregnant with our first child and the doctors did not want her in a move.  The Navy did not argue and stationed me in a non-flying job in the training aides department. I enjoyed the work and did a report on new training aides being developed.

Two weeks after our son was born we received orders to Kingsville, Texas, to fly the T-4J Skyhawk in advanced jet training.  With all the interruptions I had incurred during basic training I began having difficulties. Three months of medical studies were done by the Air Force and the Navy. Recommendations from medical staffs to return me to flight status were rejected by the Navy because of the time away from flying. 

At my request I was able to remain in aviation and train to be a Naval Flight Officer, with that training in Pensacola followed by training at NAS Glynco, Georgia. I trained to be a bombardier/navigator in the Gruman A-6A all weather attack jet aircraft. I was designated a Naval Flight Officer in September of 1970…three years after I began active duty.

After further delays at Glynco, completing airborne electronic warfare training, I arrived at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina in late November, 1971. That was my first duty at a Marne Corp station since my commissioning in 1968.

In early 1972, after receiving my promotion to captain, I was designated a Bombardier/Navigator and transferred to VMA(AW) -121. There I remained and continued more in-depth flight training for a year. In early summer 1973 I was transferred to MAG-14 group staff, as Group Adjutant, an assignment that I really enjoyed though flying was minimal.  With that assignment complete I was moved back to VMA(AW)-332 for the remainder of my contract.

From the beginning Vicki and I were resigned to the fact I would probably get sent to Vietnam. However, by the time I completed my flight crew combat training, the US involvement had diminished to the point that Marine air crews were no longer being assigned there.

I made no effort to avoid the war, but I trained to fight if needed, and I am still proud to be a Vietnam Era Veteran.

On November 11th I will once again don my uniform (which I can still wear) and participate in the Veteran's Day ceremony that takes place each year in the Veteran's Park in Bartlett, Tennessee, near where I live. I hope each of you will find an event in which you may also participate this year. God bless all you classmates of mine who served with honor.

The Wayback Machine

"God Bless the U.S.A." 

Lee Greenwood

1984

"God Bless the U.S.A." (also known as "Proud to Be an American") is an American patriotic song written and recorded by American country singer Lee Greenwood, and is considered to be his signature song. Released by MCA Nashville on May 21, 1984, it appeared on Greenwood's third album, You've Got a Good Love Comin'.

The popularity of the song surged following the September 11 attacks and during the 2003 invasion of Iraq; after the former, the song was re-released as a single and peaked at number 16 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts in 2001. A re-recorded version of the song was released in 2003, under the "God Bless the U.S.A. 2003." The song platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)—signifying 1,000,000 units sold—by July 2015.

Last Week's Questions, Answers, And Comments

Delores McBride Kilgore, LHS '66, "Love it!"

Darla Steinberg ,  LHS ‘66, "Jerry Lee Lewis was definitely past his prime when he gave a free afternoon concert at Stone Mountain Park in the middle to late 80’s. We took our middle school daughters and some friends to see him. They had no idea who he was…and were not greatly impressed. However I thoroughly enjoyed “the Killer” even after all those years. He was definitely a showman."

Richard "Ricky" Simmons, LHS ‘64, "I have always enjoyed the music of Jerry Lee Lewis. I catch a lot of it still on Sirius radio going done the road...takes me back to a great time."

Beth McNabb Weinbaum, LHS ‘65, "If you enjoyed Jimmy Webb songs in the 1960s and later, you would like the Great Performances show “Jimmy Webb: American Songwriter” on PBS Passport. He collaborated often with Glen Campbell and became famous early in his career with “Up, Up and Away,” sung by the 5th Dimension."

Alice, "Hard to see some of the people in the photos as they were jumping around so fast. Still shots would have been easier to see all the people.  Maybe next time."

(Editor's Note: You can click on the photos to stop the carousel from changing automatically and then use the left/right arrows on the pictures to go forward and backwards.)