Hanford Insider: Veterans Voices .. What does "Thank you for your service" really mean?

Welcome And Weekly Rundown

SPEAKER_00 0:01

On this week's Hanford Insider, we honor the veterans in our community. Rob will review this week's community news and event calendar, and I'll be back with your sports report. This is the Hanford Insider for November 9th.

SPEAKER_02 0:37

Welcome to the Hanford Insider Podcast. I'm Rob Bentley, bringing you the people, places, and the positive stories that make our community

City Council Results And Next Steps

SPEAKER_02 0:45

special. In community news this week, congratulations to Victor Chavine Jr. and Francisco Ramirez for being elected to the Hanford City Council and to Travis Payton for being re-elected to the City Council. The last meeting for this City Council will be on November 17th. The new council members will be sworn in at a special meeting on December 8th.

Hanford Christmas Parade Updates

SPEAKER_02 1:06

The Hanford Christmas Parade is coming up later this month, and the committee has already been meeting to make this year's event the best ever. Applications are still being accepted for parade entries through November 20th at hanford.ca.gov forward slash Christmas Parade.

Veterans Day Events And Band Showcase

SPEAKER_02 1:24

Now let's take a look at this week's community calendar. With Veterans Day coming up on Wednesday, I wanted to help get the word out about two of my favorite events. The 14th Annual Hanford Veterans Day Festival will be held in the Civic Auditorium Park on November 11th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Later that evening in Lamore, the American Legion will be holding their annual Veterans Day Parade beginning at 6 p.m. in downtown Lamoore. The 14th Annual Hanford Marching Band Showcase will be held on Thursday, November 12th at Neighbor Bowl beginning at 6 p.m. The show will feature all three high school bands, Pioneer Middle School Marching Band, and a special performance of the Star Spangled Banner by students from the local middle schools in a combined performance. Admission is free, but donations are always welcome. If you have an event coming up large or small, and you'd like some help getting the word out, let's work together. Send your information to HanfordInsider at gmail.com. The Hanford Insider has the most comprehensive community calendar available at Hanfordinsider.com.

Veterans Panel Introduction

SPEAKER_02 2:43

November 11th is Veterans Day and the celebration of those who have served our country. And we're so fortunate today to have with us. We have Jim Hayes from the United States Navy Veteran, Ted Burke, also United States Navy veteran, and LB Groves, a United States Army veteran. I'd like to welcome you guys to the show. Thank you.

Jim Hayes On Navy Life

SPEAKER_02 3:05

Jim, let's start with you. In our discussion uh earlier, you were talking about kind of what brought you to uh serve in the United States Navy and uh where did you grow up?

SPEAKER_03 3:16

I was came to California as nine years old, uh and uh was in Kerman for the rest of the time growing up and getting out of the getting into the Navy. So and what inspired you to serve your country? I had an older brother who was in the Coast Guard, and uh myself, I liked airplanes, and uh I had a chance to uh get into aviation from my first joined, and that's what I uh did. So And uh why the Navy over some of the other branches of service? Well, I was supposed to see the world. But uh after 26 years, about all I ever saw was Westpac and uh Japan, Philippines, and Singapore, across the equator one time, and uh it's always been West Pac.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

And uh so tell us about your first days, your first impressions of enlisting in the Navy, and uh what did you f find yourself heading towards as far as uh areas of service?

SPEAKER_03 4:19

Uh really didn't have thing anything in mind. Uh uh my first set of orders was uh uh going to Guam. I was in Guang for a year and a half during the Korean situation, and uh what I was doing there was uh carrying M1. I did uh weekends and uh walking through the jungle of Guam. Uh had seaplane duty, uh beach and seaplanes as they flew through the past of Guam going to the other areas, and uh I just is all aircraft maintenance and and ground support maintenance all the time I was there for a year and a half.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

And uh what kinds of friendships did you develop with your fellow service members along the way?

SPEAKER_03 5:09

Always seemed to get along pretty good with one another. Uh I spent uh about 20 years being a supervisor, so why I don't know. But uh I've had a supervisor of one and and I've been as high as 150-some people. So uh it's been a it's been a good 26 years for me. I really enjoyed it. So I'd do it again.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

So what did your military experience um, how did it influence uh things that you're doing in the rest of your life?

SPEAKER_03 5:40

I learned what life was about. Uh I got to I had the pleasure of quizzing all my troopers, uh different ones and different squadrons and this and that. And you learned about all the East Coast folks and uh the different lives they came from, the broken lives they came from, and the happy lives they came from. Everything I met, and I always had a story from somebody that enlightened me about what the other world part of the world was like. Did you have a nickname? I'm curious. Some I wouldn't mention. Uh one of them was Gator, and there was uh several others. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:27

So do you have a favorite place that you were stationed uh during your time in the Navy?

SPEAKER_03 6:33

Uh yes, uh really, I guess. Uh uh NAS Miramore, California. Uh for ten years I was in and out of there on shipboard duty and whatnot, and uh evidently the government saw fit to give it to the Marine Corps. So, and uh in uh '69, I had three sets of orders to uh NAS L'AMOR out here, and I got two of them canceled. And uh the third set showed up, and so I called up and this E9 bass, and his name was Bass, he says, uh, can I help you get a house or anything? Uh if you got a family, right? And I said, Yes, I do. He says, uh, I can get you uh in a in a housing uh house market here. And I says, uh, oh you that won't be happening. I'm not coming there. He says, Oh yes, you are. You're on my or in board and you'll be here within two weeks, Chief. Okay. And I've been here ever since and I found out it was a good place to raise kids. My kids were uh up in nine and ten years old this time, and uh and uh it's been a smart move for me, really. Biggest thing for me and my 26 years of military active duty, uh in 1954 I was in Japan. In 19 uh sixty I was in uh Japan. In the nineteen seventies I was in Japan, and during this time I saw the Philippines and China, uh Hong Kong, and I like got to watch it grow during my time uh on active duty, and it's it's just showed me what I got involved with for the uh 20-something years, and uh I really that's my real big memory, I think, of the whole military service.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

That's great. So, why do you feel it's important for us to remember and honor our service members each year on Veterans Day?

SPEAKER_03 8:37

Well, people like him. He was over in a place and doing a job that was uh very important. I was uh working chief petty officer, I had a toolbox. Uh went to East, I didn't go any higher, I didn't want to go any higher. Uh I'm not a paper pusher, so uh I dealt with people, so uh it worked out real fine. And all these people that I met and worked with and whatnot, uh they're they were all veterans, and I never had anybody that really shirked at doing a job or uh wasn't reasonably interested in doing what they was doing while I was in the military, in the Navy. So the Navy was a uh real education for me. I've always appreciated it, and I've had sea burials at sea, and I've seen this hurt, and people disappeared, and on board ships and whatnot, and uh uh it's just uh they're forgotten. Okay. I missed I got bumped off an aircraft flight that uh killed some of the finest people I ever met. One of them was an aviation chief petty officer who flew during World War II. He was on the on the bird that uh crashed, and uh there was two or three other people that I worked with was on that cry uh crash site, and uh those people are veterans too, you know, but they're not here anymore. So it's I always remember those. Thank you so much, Jim.

LB Groves On Vietnam And After

SPEAKER_02 10:16

Joining us next is LB Groves, United States Army veteran. How are you doing, LB?

SPEAKER_01 10:22

Doing fine, how are you, Rob?

SPEAKER_02 10:24

Great. So LB, tell us a little bit about your growing up and uh what inspired you to join the service.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Um I grew up all over the United States. Um I settled in Hanford in 19 November 1959. Went to Hanford High School. Uh I would say what w what inspired me to join the service? Well, I was drafted and um I was waiting for December 7th to come around or December 9th to come around when I had to go in. I was working in a store called AFCO and Visalia. I uh I just couldn't go in in two years and see what happened. Uh a couple of friends of mine came to AFCO that day and they they were a year younger than me, and they were both getting ready to go on the service into our intelligence. They told me about it, and I liked the idea. So I went ahead and joined on December nine on December 7th uh to get into it. So what years was that? When did when did you enlist?

SPEAKER_02 11:23

Um it was December 7th, 1965. Okay. And uh do you remember your first uh basic training? Uh tell us a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Basic training was fine. Um it lasted eight weeks. I actually uh won the PT trophy there and got promoted to E2. Um E1, excuse me, E1. And um I liked I like basic training very much.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

So was there something about military life that you particularly enjoyed?

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Yeah, I I enjoyed all of it. Um I enjoyed the camaraderie. Um, I enjoyed the assignments. Um I met a lot of good people along the way everywhere I went. So I really enjoyed it and I thought about staying in, but I didn't.

SPEAKER_02 12:11

Uh what's one memory from your time in the service that stayed with you all these years? Oh wow. I have to say it um is Vietnam in particular. And how about your family? Where did you meet your spouse and uh do you have any uh living relatives?

SPEAKER_01 12:29

Uh my spouse was my high school sweetheart. Oh um when I got got drafted, I went into um basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana and then after that I went to Baltimore, Maryland. It was about seven months before I could afford to move my wife out there. And uh she'd had a baby while I was in um first got to Baltimore, little girl Sarah. They came out on a train after um seven months and um I got to spend quite a quite a bit of time with them there before um before I was transferred to Vietnam.

SPEAKER_02 13:05

So what do you think pe young people today should understand about the generation that served alongside you?

SPEAKER_01 13:11

Oh, I think it's more than that. I think they kn need to understand life, period. Um I'm a ardent fan of the jet the greatest generation, the men and women of World War II. They uh their service was beyond what we ever did. And so um I think today the young kids need to need a need a history lesson because they're um totally involved in themselves and have no idea about any facts of the United States.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

So when someone says thank you for your service, what does that mean to you?

SPEAKER_01 13:48

It means a lot. Uh for quite a few years uh I didn't tell anybody about my service, didn't talk about it. Since I've been here, um it's meant a lot. I've never involved an American League or anything like that, I just kept it to myself. But here um it's meaning a lot to me.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

So what would you like people in our community to remember about the wim men and women who serve?

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Oh, um what a sacrifice it was. How necessary it was. It was absolutely necessary, every war. And um just just to honor them. You know, Vietnam's no no more special than any other war. To me, um World War II is absolutely outstanding. Unbelievable. You know, defeated two old superpowers, had all the men and women in the United States that um stepped forward and um made all the uniforms, machinery, the ships, the planes and everything. In just four years we defeated two super powers. So um I think that um the people just ring need to remember that. The duties I had were very strenuous emotionally. Um when I came home I was really a mess. Uh Vietnam both destroyed my soul and made me the person I am today.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

How so? Um, how did it make you the person that you are today?

SPEAKER_01 15:13

Oh, I took the lessons from Vietnam. Uh the knowing the people over there, talking to many people, knowing the real uh story of Vietnam, not the media story of Vietnam. And um I don't know, I grew from there.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

So LB, um also you are a writer. You don't, you know, nut you're not a published writer or anything like that, but I think it's so important for as a historian that I am, I like to see those things documented. Uh, what does it mean for you to be able to put you know, pen to paper or uh computer? Wha why is it important for you to document your story?

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Um, I just did that recently. I've uh completely avoided Vietnam talking about it all these years, haven't touched it, can't look at the wall, none of that. Um I might be able to now put down uh what the war did to me. Um it was awful. But I wouldn't change a thing. I love my service there, I'm glad I went. I wholly support the war and the veterans. Um that I would say, I just um I'll probably start doing more of this as I get better and um posting things about what it did to me internally for sure.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

Thank you so much.

Ted Berg On Flying In The Navy

SPEAKER_02 16:36

Also with us today we have Ted Berg, a United States Navy veteran. Welcome, Ted. Thank you. Ted, tell us about your service and how you got involved in the United States Navy.

SPEAKER_04 16:47

Okay, probably the main reason I joined the Navy is my uncle, who's my mother's brother, was in the Navy during World War II, and I always looked up to him as kind of my hero, and that's probably why I followed it kinda in his footsteps.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

So what kinds of uh assignments did you have in the Navy? Where were you stationed?

SPEAKER_04 17:12

Um I went to b basic training in San Diego, A school in Memphis, Tennessee, and then my first tour of duty was in a BR squadron and Barbers Point, On Wai, and that was probably my most favorite place to be stationed and play favorite duty because I got to fly a lot in the BR squadron. What kind of plane did you fly? C 118.

SPEAKER_02 17:42

So you enjoyed flying then? Oh, you bet. That's great. That's great. Um so Veterans Day is is something that we look back and we reflect each year on our service. And what would you like the people today to know about the value of serving your country?

SPEAKER_04 17:59

Well, uh to me, I think the smartest thing a young person can do if they get out of s school, whether it be at high school, college, or whatever, are not sure what they want to do. I think if they spent a couple years in the military, that's a good training experience for them.

SPEAKER_02 18:19

Definitely. And uh how about family? How did you uh how did you meet your family and uh how did where what kinds of places did you live in?

SPEAKER_04 18:27

Um I met my wife in Hanford here at the bowl, and they always she was on a bowling team, ladies' bowling team. Brendan of mine introduced me to her, and uh we started dating and she had just finished school and uh by say it COS and she was gonna go to Long Beach State at the time, so uh she talked we talked about marriage and I said that's gonna wait until you finish your college and so she went three years of college to in Long Beach State and her final was at Fresno State to get her master's degree.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

That's great. Uh thank you so much for joining us, Ted. It's been an honor to meet you.

SPEAKER_04 19:15

Thank

What Gratitude And Patriotism Mean

SPEAKER_04 19:16

you.

SPEAKER_02 19:16

Jim, coming back to you, uh, we shared uh stories and different things about honoring veterans on Veterans Day, and you shared a story with me uh about what it feels like to have someone look up to you as a former service member and give you uh give you major credit. Uh can you share that with us?

SPEAKER_03 19:36

Well, it just uh reminds you, you know, you you know what you've done and whatnot, and you've been through it all, and and you get somebody uh not old enough to even go to school and they're wanting to thank you for your service, it just makes you stop and listen. You know, it uh just tells me that somebody's been educating the young person, you know, the that that's why we're why we're here. And a lot of them are thanking you for your service, and they don't have a clue what they're talking about, you know, but uh that's fine. Uh that's I'll take it if they can give it, and if they don't give it, that's fine too.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

So uh Yeah, I think it's important for forums like this for people to be able to share uh when you're in a parade or when people want to honor you with a drive-by parade and just wave and thank you for your service. It goes beyond just those three, you know, three or four words. It actually instills patriotism. We talked about earlier, Ted, patriotism and love of country, and and that runs deep. So I want to thank all of you for your service. Uh, it's been a great time together, and I would like to wish you a happy Veterans Day and thank you for your service.

Sierra Pacific Playoff Sports Update

SPEAKER_03 20:56

And now it's time for Hanford Insider Sports with Eric Bentley.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

Fall Sports are nearly wrapped up, but two teams are still in contention for a section title. The nine-seed Sierra Pacific football team won a thrilling defensive battle versus Sanger West in round one to advance to the quarterfinals in Division V. Chase Santos got the Golden Bears on the board in the first with a six-yard rushing touchdown, and Nathan Lewis would split the uprights with the extra point to give Sierra Pacific a seven to nothing lead. The Hornets would answer with seven on their next possession to even the score after the first. The Sierra Pacific offense kept things on the ground in the second quarter, and Harrison Grant punched one in from seven yards out with a Nathan Lewis extra point to give the Golden Bears a 14-7 lead. Fast forward to the fourth quarter, same score with under four minutes to go, Sanger West found the end zone on what looked like the game tying touchdown, but the Hornets missed the extra point. The Sierra Pacific offense was then. Able to run out the clock and secure the 14-13 first round win. This sets up a quarterfinal matchup with one seed Foothill out of Bakersfield on Friday. The Trojans are officially 3-7 on the season, but don't let that record fool you. Those seven losses were forfeits due to ineligible players, so the Golden Bears will have their work cut out for them if they want to advance to the semis. And the other fall sport team that is continuing their playoff journey is the Sierra Pacific Boys water polo team. With Sierra Pacific being the host site for the championships and the Golden Bears earning the two-seed, it's home pool advantage for Sierra Pacific the whole way, who has used it to their advantage with a pair of victories in the first few rounds. After the first round bye, the Golden Bears made easy work of 15-seed Cabrillo 19-7 before besting crosstown foe Hanford West in the quarterfinals 16-5. Thursday's semifinals matchup hits the Golden Bears against six-seed San Joaquin Memorial, who upset three-seed Frontier in the quarterfinals. 6 p.m. start at Sierra Pacific for the right to advance to Saturday's championship game. And now for the teams whose playoff runs came to a close last week. The Hanford West Boys water polo team, who I just mentioned fell to Sierra Pacific, were able to pick up a win before that quarterfinals matchup, taking down ten seed Independents ten to nine in round one before the loss to the Golden Bears. The Sierra Pacific girls' water polo team took down Morrow Bay 14-8 in round one of the Division II playoffs, but lost in the quarterfinals to two-seed Atascadero to end their season. And the Hanford High football team saw their high-powered offense shut out in the second half as six-seed Sanger got revenge from their regular season loss, taking down the three-seed Bullpups twenty-seven to fourteen when it mattered the most, ending Hanford High's playoff run in round one. We'll be back next week with updates on Sierra Pacific football and boys water polo playoff action, and two weeks from now we'll have our first basketball update. As always, if you have a score report or a team update for any team in any sport at any level, you can let us know by emailing HanfordInsider at gmail.com. I'm Eric Bentley, and this has been your Hanford Insider Sports Report.

Support The Show And Stay Connected

SPEAKER_02 24:25

Well, that wraps things up for this week's show. If you're enjoying the podcast and want to support it, you can head over to buymeacoffee.com forward slash Hanford Insider to make a donation, or you can Venmo meet directly. To stay connected, join the Hanford Insider email list at HanfordInsider.com. You'll get weekly updates plus an exclusive newsletter delivered right to your inbox each Wednesday. I've also really appreciated your help getting the word out about the show by liking or sharing posts on social media, or like most people, just telling a friend. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, YouTube, Spotify, or any podcast player and get a notification when a new episode is uploaded. Don't forget, if you have a story idea, community event, or someone you think deserves to be featured, I'd love to hear from you. Email me anytime at HanfordInsider at gmail.com. You can follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and YouTube at Hanford Insider for more content and updates. Thanks for listening. Have a great week.