Cannon veterans honored
Staff
By MIKE WEST Courier Editor Veterans Day? No, it was a Veterans weekend in Woodbury as students and elected officials gathered to honor those who fought in America's wars. The weekend of events kicked off on Friday (Nov. 8) with an all-day series of events at Cannon County High School, organized by Col. Jim Stone. Stone paid specific tribute to two veterans who died this year, Charles Arthur Smithson and Bob Stoetzel. Stoetzel served in the Navy from 1968 to 1972. Later he was a trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrol before being elected Sheriff of Cannon County. He subsequently served as chairman of the Cannon County Commission. The CCHS Band performed the official songs of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines as veterans from each group walked out onto the gymnasium floor and lined up behind a flag denoting their military group. The sole Marine representative, Bobby Ferrell, received a surprise when the CCHS band performed a rendition of "Happy Birthday" in his honor. Yes, it was his birthday. Ferrell and his wife, Amy, were also grand marshals for Saturday's (Nov. 9) Veteran's Day Parade. Special recognition was also give by Stone to Louis Hillis, a veteran of the Korean War. Hillis was captured by the North Koreans and was a prisoner of war. Only nine out of the 108 men in Louis' K Company survived their imprisonment. Louis lost 63 pounds from July 27 through the end of September as a POW. Stone, who is a Vietnam veteran, raised the issue of still missing POWs/MIAs. "Did you know that there are still 83,793 military veterans still missing?" Stone asked. "World War II had 73,661 missing, Korea 8,000, Vietnam 2,000, Afghanistan 6 and the Cold War 126. They are still missing and unaccounted for," Stone said.
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