Honoring the Veterans of Sagora Senior Living
As stated by Mark Twain, “courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” This Veterans Day, we want to honor those who so bravely set their fear aside to serve and protect the United States. Being that Sagora Senior Living is a family of 44 multi-state communities, we have the privilege of getting to know incredible residents from all different walks of life. We spoke with several of our residents who are also veterans and are honored to share their stories below.
Meet Clifford T., Aberdeen Memory Care, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Clifford, also known as “Chief” due to his position as Master Chief, says he did everything in the Navy – from painting the ship, to training recruits, to taking care of the entire division. Chief served in the Navy for “27 years, 1 month and 1 day.” Chief had the opportunity to travel around the world during his time in the Navy and enjoyed the hard work. When asked about his career in the Navy, Chief simply smiles and says, “the Navy was sweet to me.”
Meet Captain Ples S. Jr., The Westmore, Westworth Village, Texas
Captain Ples S. was born on September 27, 1919 in Cumby, Texas. He married Doris Dean S. on July 11, 1942 and the couple recently celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary. Ples and Doris have 3 daughters, 6 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Ples served in WWII and holds a military career that spanned 20 years of combined service in the Army and Air Force and reached the rank of Captain.
Meet Sergeant Sam W., Lynridge, Murphy, Texas
Sgt. Sam W. served for 8 years in the Marine Corps and later became a Sergeant. He was one of many soldiers that witnessed the nuclear explosion during the atom bomb test in 1952 at the Yucca Flats in Nevada. He also was a soldier in the Korean war, where he met his lifelong friend, Sgt. George B. Even after he discharged from the Marine Corps, their friendship lasted about 50 years. He said, “George was a good friend, we’ve been through it all together, and seen everything.”
Meet Jay Richard H., Lyndale Edmond, Edmond Oklahoma
Richard was in the Marine Corps for four years. His family has a long history of service in the military dating back to the revolutionary war. He signed up for the Marine Corps and went to California and was trained on the 0351-rocket launcher (bazooka). He spent some time in Camp Pendleton and then went to Vietnam and served in the first combat Marine Corps unit that went to Vietnam. After he had been in for three years, he reached the rank of sergeant and became a drill sergeant.
Meet Tom G., Rio Terra, New Braunfels, Texas
Tom G. was born and raised in Attica, Kansas. After being ordered to active duty in 1943, he made the journey to basic training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi as part of the 65th Infantry Division. His capabilities and resilience were recognized by superiors and he became a private in the Military Police Platoon. Tom recalls that he never regretted being in the army. He says that the sense of service, knowledge and the strength he gained effected his entire life.
If you’re looking for retirement living that celebrates and honors the lives of veterans, find out more about what our communities have to offer at https://www.sagora.com/communities/. We are also proud to offer the VA Aid and Assistance program which provides financial assistance for veterans and their spouses to help offset the costs of retirement living.