Fort Scott VFW to host Veterans Day event

By Jason E. Silvers

Herald -- Tribune

Fort Scott, Kan. -- Clint Walker remembers when his most memorable Veterans Day took place, and what he considers to be the true meaning of the national holiday.

The 50-year old Mapleton resident, who is a retired sergeant first class in the U.S. Army, said he was stationed in Germany after Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s. During a Veterans Day ceremony there, Walker said a well-dressed black man wearing a nice suit, showed up at the ceremony, which was becoming drenched in rain that day. The man, apparently in his 80s, was a military veteran and was there for a purpose, Walker said.

"I figured if this guy could be out there in those conditions," he said. "That day was the day I found out what Veterans Day was all about. It takes a special guy."

Walker is the senior vice commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1165 in Fort Scott, where he has been a member for five years. Walker said he enjoys being a part of the group of local veterans, many of whom continue to serve as role models for area youth and serve in the community.

"I just wanted to be able to talk to other veterans," he said. "Those guys serve their country, and they continue to serve even after that. Whatever they can do to try and make their country better and set a good example for kids in the community."

Most of the veterans in the Fort Scott chapter served in some of the most violent conflicts in world history, such as the Vietnam War, World War II, and the Korean War, Walker said.

Walker is now semi-retired, but said he still remains active by performing various remodeling and plumbing projects in the community and out-of-town. He spent 22 years in the U.S. Army, including stints in Germany and Korea. While he did not participate in any major battles or campaigns, Walker had a different task.

His job was to train about 3,000 soldiers each year to deal with biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, as well as how to decontaminate themselves upon coming in contact with hazardous materials. Walker said he was one of 17 instructors who provided knowledge to soldiers.

"It was a pretty stressful job," he said.

During the training, students learned to identify and detect various toxic chemicals and how to handle exposure to these types of materials. Most of the technology used by his unit at that time is being used today by federal officials in the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (HAZMAT), Walker said. Many of the trainees have gone on to pursue professional careers in similar industries, and several now work for the U.S. Department of Justice, he said.

Walker was also instrumental in the planning of the Veterans Day ceremony in Fort Scott that is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11 at the U.S. National Cemetery No. 1 in Fort Scott. Taps will be played at the beginning of that service as part of the nationwide "Taps Across America" theme for Veterans Day this year, Walker said. The guest speaker for that ceremony will be retired U.S. Army staff sergeant and long-time Uniontown resident Jake Underwood, who was awarded a Silver Star for military service in 2004.

Local musicians James "Red" Stradley and Ralph Carlson will perform "When the Final Taps Are Played" during the ceremony. The honor volley, or rifle salute, will be conducted by the Detachment 1 MAC 772nd Engineer Company, which is part of the 891st Engineer Combat Battalion headquartered in Iola.

The 891st battalion also has a unit from Fort Scott that returned earlier this year from spending almost a year completing operations in Iraq.

The chaplain for the invocation at the ceremony will be the Rev. Steven MacArthur. Coffee and donuts will be served at the VFW Post 1165 following the ceremony, Walker said. In the event of bad weather, the ceremony will be held at Memorial Hall, 1 E. Third St., Fort Scott.