性视界传媒

GILMER 性视界传媒� Beneath clear blue skies, Upshur County families reclined in lawn chairs and sprawled out on blankets covering the green grass of the old Machen home site Thursday afternoon northwest of Gilmer.

Though it was an otherwise quiet day, sounds abounded there. Speakers implored those in the audience to live up to their duties as American citizens; vintage military planes soared through the sky; the Gilmer High School band thunderously performed the anthems of the nation性视界传媒檚 Armed Forces.

Although most of the audience remained quiet, the sound of a few crying babies pierced what silence remained. That性视界传媒檚 a sound that the man the crowd was there to honor 性视界传媒� Gilmer native Billy Wayne Machen 性视界传媒� never heard his own son make.

Born in December 1938 in Gilmer, Machen went down in history as the first U.S. Navy SEAL killed during the Vietnam War. On Aug. 19, 1966, Machen and fellow members of SEAL Team One were ordered to move into a South Vietnamese jungle and find two enemy boats in a river. Machen, a 27-year-old Petty Officer 2nd Class, was the point man.

The men were outnumbered and outgunned by South Vietnamese troops who lined both sides of the river. At one point, Machen halted his men: He spotted an enemy ambush, and there was no way to avoid it. He had a choice to make: retreat and expose the rest of his men to enemy fire or take on the enemy by himself.

He chose the latter, and he was killed in the ensuring firefight.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., his son, Sam Machen, was only 1 month old. The two never met, and Sam Machen has spent much of his life learning about his father from the men with whom he served.

All these years later, Machen性视界传媒檚 legacy hasn性视界传媒檛 been forgotten 性视界传媒� and it is preserved forevermore on the place where his life began. On Thursday, Upshur County residents, elected officials and Machen family members dedicated the Camp Billy Machen Memorial Park and watched military aircraft fly through the sky as part of an accompanying air show.

Though they listened to speakers and watched planes fly, their focus was on the choice Machen made nearly 60 years ago.

性视界传媒榃hat am I willing to do?性视界传媒�The timing was impeccable. As the Buckeye Band played the last notes of the national anthem, a thunderous noise emanated from the sky. A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber from the 93rd Bomb Squadron based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport flew overhead.

The flight was coordinated by retired U.S. Air Force Capt. Steve Dean, who spearheaded the effort to build the memorial and coordinate the two-hour ceremony and air show honoring Machen.

U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Tyler, attended the event and hailed Machen性视界传媒檚 legacy, informing the audience that the Silver Star recipient性视界传媒檚 story had been added to the Congressional Record.

Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter recognizing that the memorial site had been given an official Texas historical marker, and state Rep. Cole Hefner, R-Mount Pleasant, also spoke.

The memorial park includes trees, flag poles and a concrete walkway leading to the Machen family性视界传媒檚 old water well. The historical marker will be posted there once it is completed.

Standing in front of a large American flag hung behind the stage, Upshur County Judge Todd Tefteller kicked off the series of speeches by quoting former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt: 性视界传媒淲e stand in the presence of the honored dead. We stand accountable to them and to the generations yet unborn for whom they gave their lives. God, the father of all living, watches over those hallowed graves and blesses the souls of those who rest there.性视界传媒�

Tefteller also quoted a verse from the Bible, John 15:13: 性视界传媒淕reater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.性视界传媒�

性视界传媒淲e性视界传媒檙e honoring a man that gave his life to this country,性视界传媒� he said.

Although the military planes that flew overhead Thursday were scheduled to be part of the event, one unplanned flight captured the attention of some in the audience. As Tefteller spoke, a bald eagle 性视界传媒� the national emblem 性视界传媒� circled over the stage.

As a member of Congress, Moran each year joins his legislative colleagues in hand-washing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which bears Machen性视界传媒檚 name. Moran told the audience about the symbolism of the renowned structure, including the black granite of which it is made.

性视界传媒淎s you wash it, then you begin to look into that black granite, and you know what you see? Your own reflection,性视界传媒� Moran said. 性视界传媒淚t serves as a mirror for you to be reflective about the sacrifice and the service that is needed today and ask yourself, 性视界传媒榃hat am I willing to do for the country?性视界传媒�

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He asked the audience: 性视界传媒淲hat are you going to do this month and this next year to honor the service and the sacrifice that Billy gave? Are we going to spit on that sacrifice or are we going to honor it by the service and the sacrifice of our own lives, day in and day out? God has a calling for each one of us to play a part in this great nation.性视界传媒�

性视界传媒榃ill we choose others?性视界传媒�Gilmer High School football coach Alan Metzel was the keynote speaker for the event. As the coach of the Buckeye football team, he and his players have talked about Machen性视界传媒檚 sacrifice for years, he said.

Machen性视界传媒檚 life was one of sacrifice, Metzel said. He willingly advanced against the enemy on his fatal mission, knowing the cost would be fatal and final.

性视界传媒淗e saw what was going on, and he made a choice,性视界传媒� Metzel said. 性视界传媒淚t humbles me to be able to look at this situation that was staring them in the face, and to make the choice in that instant, to choose others over oneself.

性视界传媒淵ou hear stories like that, and you ponder and you think, 性视界传媒楪osh, what would I have done? Could I have done that?性视界传媒� 性视界传媒�

Machen was able to make the right choice, in part, because of his military training. But his training started long before he signed his name on the dotted line, Metzel said. It started when he was born and raised in East Texas, progressed when he attended Gilmer ISD, advanced when he started his family and proved reliable when he laid down his life.

All people, Metzel said, are preparing for challenges they have yet to face, whether or not they性视界传媒檙e on a literal battlefield.

性视界传媒淲e don性视界传媒檛 know what challenge is in front of us as we move forward, but there will be choices that we have to make,性视界传媒� Metzel said. 性视界传媒淲ill we choose others or will we choose self? And am I training today? Am I being willing to allow the process of life to train me, to allow God to teach me and to work in me today?性视界传媒�

性视界传媒業t was emotional性视界传媒�Seated toward the back of the crowd, U.S. Navy veteran Dennis Ingrim and his wife, Sylvia, watched a Bell UH-1 性视界传媒淗uey性视界传媒� helicopter take off from the field near the stage where the ceremony took place.

Ingrim, a Navy veteran, was a friend of Machen性视界传媒檚 and attended the University of Texas with him for a time. He visited the Machen home site in 1961, and Thursday was his first trip back.

He and Sylvia also visited the Upshur County cemetery where Machen is buried.

As for the ceremony, Ingrim said the event organizers and speakers did a 性视界传媒渕arvelous job.性视界传媒�

Machen性视界传媒檚 son, Sam, agreed. During Thursday性视界传媒檚 ceremony, he was joined by his children and grandchildren and other Machen relatives.

Sam Machen said he didn性视界传媒檛 dream that the crowd would be as large as it was Thursday.

性视界传媒淚t was emotional. And I tried not to cry, but I had a tear,性视界传媒� he said.

Sam Machen has learned more about the man his father was by talking with fellow Navy men. But on Thursday, as he participated in events around Gilmer as part of the East Texas Yamboree, he got a fresh perspective.

He talked with people who grew up around his dad there.

While in high school, his father was highly respected by his peers, Machen said.

性视界传媒淭hey liked the way he carried himself,性视界传媒� he said. 性视界传媒淭his one lady told me that you knew he was coming down the hall because he was wearing that letterman性视界传媒檚 jacket, and people were just parting ways. He had some swag to him, apparently.性视界传媒�