Kind gesture to a veteran
SUBMITTED PHOTO Clovis (seated, center) is seen with Ben Reed (left with beard), Jerry Bennett (wearing suspenders) and other members of the Fleet Reserve Association.
By Jerry Bennett
As my friend and I left Flap Jacks after lunch Dec. 2, I realized that the two guys sitting at the table behind us were wearing military ball caps much like mine.
Ben Reed was wearing a Marine Corps hat, and his friend, Clovis, was wearing a Navy hat. I told Clovis that Ben was in the Navy but probably didn’t know it (it’s an inside joke).
I guessed that Clovis might have been a Korean War veteran but discovered that he, like Ben, was a Vietnam vet and was only a year older than me.
Clovis has cancer, and it is taking its toll. Ben takes him to the Roudebush Veterans Affair Medical Center for his treatments and anywhere else he needs to go. Ben has made all of Clovis’ final arrangements.
Since Clovis has no family or next of kin, I invited him to the Fleet Reserve Association’s Christmas party that evening. It was a members-only party, but I made an exception. Clovis met a lot of nice people there.
As my friend and I left Flap Jacks after lunch Dec. 2, I realized that the two guys sitting at the table behind us were wearing military ball caps much like mine.
Ben Reed was wearing a Marine Corps hat, and his friend, Clovis, was wearing a Navy hat. I told Clovis that Ben was in the Navy but probably didn’t know it (it’s an inside joke).
I guessed that Clovis might have been a Korean War veteran but discovered that he, like Ben, was a Vietnam vet and was only a year older than me.
Clovis has cancer, and it is taking its toll. Ben takes him to the Roudebush Veterans Affair Medical Center for his treatments and anywhere else he needs to go. Ben has made all of Clovis’ final arrangements.
Since Clovis has no family or next of kin, I invited him to the Fleet Reserve Association’s Christmas party that evening. It was a members-only party, but I made an exception. Clovis met a lot of nice people there.
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