Rain doesn’t stop show of support

    The Warrior’s Weekend convoy of buses rolled through a sopping wet Jackson County on Saturday, carrying veterans to Port O’Connor for fishing and fun. On the buses the buzz was all about what an amazing experience it was.
    “This is awesome,” said Marine and Army National Guard veteran Stephen Burpee, “It’s unbelievable. Even in the rain, we’re still here and we’re still going.”
    Keenya Lawrence, a veteran from Alabama, echoed his thoughts.
    “This is so amazing,” she said, “I didn’t expect all these people, and this hospitality. This is my very first one, but it won’t be the last.”
    Tavis DeLong, a disabled Navy veteran from Michigan, was impressed with Texas’s hospitality and love for the troops.
    “I don’t expect to get anything, or to even get a pat on the back for something I signed up to do, but it’s nice to feel the appreciation. To get something back. I didn’t join the military to get an award, but it’s nice,” he said, “This is something totally different from being up north. Down here in Texas, this is different. It’s nice. It makes me want to tear up. I kind of want to cry sometimes. There’s a lot of satisfaction knowing that what I did- there’s appreciation for that.”
    Despite torrential rain and a minor panic over a tornado warning, the show went on, if a little behind schedule. The buses stayed at Prasek’s in Hillje longer than expected, and by the time they arrived in Jackson County, everyone on board was concerned no one would be out to greet them. Jackson County delivered in a big way, with people lining the streets, soaking wet, holding soggy little American flags, and eagerly waving at the busses.
    “It was so beautiful. It was so amazing, because I thought to myself, ‘Would I stand out in the pouring rain?’ Maybe, but these people were so dedicated,” said volunteer Barbara Breazeale. “It’s so beautiful how they love the troops. I think it’s only in Texas where you can see a thing like that. Maybe I’m wrong. I wish I was wrong.”
    It’s always been clear that Jackson County loves the troops, and last weekend, the troops loved Jackson County.