Goodfellow Chief: Honor Fallen by Supporting Living Veterans

SAN ANGELO, TX — Chief Master Sgt. Derek J. Neill urged San Angelo residents Monday to honor the nation’s fallen service members not only by remembering their sacrifices but also by supporting living veterans who continue to battle invisible wounds. 

More than 1,700 military veterans are buried at Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens, where about 300 residents of San Angelo and Tom Green County have been laid to rest after dying in service since World War I, Neill said during a Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery.

“Every freedom we enjoy today was bought and paid for by someone who willingly stepped forward into harm’s way,” Neill, command chief master sergeant of the 17th Training Wing at Goodfellow Air Force Base, told the crowd. “We gather not to celebrate the start of summer, but to pause, remember, and pay a debt of gratitude that can never fully be repaid.”

The 10 a.m. ceremony at Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens opened with a welcome from Matt Maurer and an invocation by Pastor Jamie Rouse. The Goodfellow Air Force Base Honor Guard presented the colors. Piper Compton sang the National Anthem, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 

The Honor Guard raised service flags as the Ice House Brass Band played a “Salute to the Armed Forces.” A moment of silence was observed, and Neill delivered the keynote address. The band performed “Colonel Bogey” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Rouse gave the benediction, and the Honor Guard played “Taps” to conclude the program. Lunch was provided afterward for attendees. 

In his remarks, Neill, the senior enlisted leader for more than 5,300 personnel at the 17th Training Wing, noted that more than 1.3 million American service members have given their lives in defense of the nation throughout history. He highlighted local heroes buried nearby or connected to the area, including:

• First Lt. John Goodfellow, the World War I aviator for whom Goodfellow Air Force Base is named, lost over France while gathering intelligence.
• Capt. Jack Mathis, a San Angelo native and bombardier who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions over Germany in World War II.
• Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson, the first female Airman killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom, who had served as a gate guard at Goodfellow.

Neill, who entered the Air Force in 2004 and has deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, also addressed the ongoing struggles many veterans face after their service.

“The battles do not end when they leave the front lines or take off the uniform,” he said. “Many carry invisible wounds, struggles with mental health, and unresolved trauma. … True remembrance means honoring the fallen, but it also means fighting for the living.”

He called on the community to stand with Gold Star families and veterans, urging unity and gratitude: “May we honor them by rising above and overcoming petty differences that would divide us, and may we look out for one another with the same fierce loyalty they showed to our country and to each other.”

The program also included a printed message reminding attendees that Memorial Day is a time “to pause and remember the countless heroes whose courage carried them into moments of great sacrifice so future generations could live in peace and freedom.”

A separate insert distributed at the event outlined Memorial Day traditions, including flying the flag at half-staff until noon, the presentation of colors, the National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m., the symbolism of the red poppy, and the holiday’s recognition in Waterloo, New York, in 1966. 

Goodfellow Air Force Base’s 17th Training Wing trains more than 14,000 professionals annually from all U.S. military branches and allied nations. Neill’s career includes intelligence assignments supporting air, space, cyber and special operations missions with the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command and Joint Special Operations Command. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Meritorious Service Medal, among others.

A photo gallery from the event is posted on our Facebook page.