Angelo State University’s ROTC program has been performing their flag retreat and Oak Grove Vigil on Veteran’s Day for 21 years. This ceremony is a way to honor 30 fallen World War II veterans who attended San Angelo College.
The ROTC program was led by Lt. Col. Scott Partin, who has a quite an extensive military background himself. Partin started out as a Cryptologic Linguist in 1991 at Goodfellow Air Force Base. He is currently an intelligence officer and has been at Angelo State University since July of this year.
“It is a tremendous honor to be with these young people, to know that they are working hard to enter the service,” Partin stated. “It is an honor to be here with them [today], and at the same time remembering those that I have had the privilege to serve with in the past, as well as others that have gone before me,” he added.
The flag retreat ceremony, held in front of the Administration Building on campus, began with the lowering of the American flag by the cadets from ASU’s ROTC program. The National Anthem was played and attendees stood respectfully with their right hands over their hearts.
The activities then moved to the Oak Grove, an area of the campus where 30 trees were planted in honor of the fallen WWII veterans. Yellow ribbons were tied to each tree along with a photo and a short biography of that veteran.
A prayer was led by one of the cadets to open the ceremony, and guest speaker Domingo Luna was welcomed.
Luna, a Vietnam Veteran, was born in San Angelo in 1949. He spoke in great detail of his time served, from his enlistment in 1968 to his injuries, which resulted in the amputation of his right leg. He was shot through his hand and in both of his legs. “I screamed for my mama, and then I passed out,” Luna stated when recalling the events of that day.
As Luna told his remarkable story, the audience listened attentively, giving him a standing ovation at the end of his speech.
This portion of the event ended with a short biography of Captain Frank Tubb, one of the WWII soldiers who is honored in ASU’s Oak Grove. Tubb’s sister, Ava Davis was present.
“It just feels so good,” Davis stated about the memorial of her brother, which was completed with a single rose being placed upon a plaque in front of Tubb’s tree.
The Veteran’s Day activities proceeded with a candlelight vigil. “The cadets will be reading poems, biographies, and words provided by the families of those fallen veterans,” Partin said.
This commemorative service continued until midnight at the Houston Harte University Center on campus.
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