May is National Military Appreciation Month

Spotlight on Three of Silverado’s Patients and their Families

This month our Silverado family would like to send out a BIG thank you to all our military, veterans, spouses and families for their service to our country and for sacrificing their lives to make America the free country it is today!

As a tribute to our Silverado families who gave their lives we are showcasing three of our patients and their families:

TOSHIO IGEI
Patient with Silverado Hospice North Houston and spouse of veteran Sharon K. Bailey-Igei, U.S. Navy/Corpsman E6 HM1

Toshio married Sharon while she was stationed in Japan. He became a father to her daughter, Jessica Bailey, and together they had daughter, Malaina Igei. Here is Toshio’s story in his own words:

I met my wife within a few months of her station in Okinawa, Japan. At the time, I was a businessman in the area, and one look at her – I was the luckiest man on the island. Confident, beautiful, esteemed, delicate but unbreakable, all at the same time. Seeing her in uniform, she commanded respect, but, was such a kind and soft vision with her flowing hair down in civilian clothes. 

My wife was in the U.S. Navy for 22 years at her retirement. 

Before I met her, she was stationed with her daughter in Puerto Rico, New Zealand, and sailed around the world, including a tour in Antarctica. Once we met in Okinawa, she was stationed on the island for 9 years. We moved to Texas until she retired.

The military life was a dream in many ways, and has provided so much support and many long-term benefits to my family, to our two girls. 

It had also, many challenges. I was often alone to care for our daughters because of her duty and long assignments out of the country. Later in our time together, I did have to make hard decisions about leaving my businesses and entire family in Japan when she had orders to leave, and be stationed back stateside. We have lived in Texas since 2002, and I lost my amazing Veteran wife in 2011 to cancer.

Even though military life was very challenging, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. We had a good life together, made possible by the network of support we had because of the U.S. Navy. Our family will always be thankful for her sacrifice and service.

Sharon passed from cancer in 2011.

ANASTACIO “TACHO” TREVINO
Patient with Silverado Hospice North Houston; 10/1942-12/2017

Anastacio “Tacho” Trevino Jr. was one of fourteen children in his family. Of the fourteen, six boys all answered the call for the military after high school. Tacho joined the Air Force, two of his brothers served in the U.S. Navy and three in the U.S. Army.

When asked to describe what his family was like, the answer was that they were a patriotic family. Tacho’s dad was not in the military himself but he worked as a civilian on a military base in Corpus Christi, Texas. Tacho’s parents believed in standing up for their country and obtaining an education, which they all did after the war through the GI Bill.

Tacho met and married his wife, Frances “Fran”, who was also in the U.S. Air Force. Tacho was a member of the Air Force band, which played for dignitaries and Fran learned skills which she would use later in her career. They served during the Vietnam War when Lyndon B. Johnson was President and the war and the civil rights movement were big news.

The military was good to Tacho and Fran. They especially enjoyed the friendliness of their fellow airmen and civilians that worked on the base. The benefit of the GI Bill gave them their careers!

Tacho and Fran had three children: two daughters and a son who served in the U.S. Navy.

Our big question to Fran was, with two military parents, did the kids keep their beds made? Her answer, “Well, two out of three! We tried! [Tacho and I] kept our beds made though.”

This family has definitely done their part!

TRACY BOUDREAUX
Spouse of patient with Silverado Hospice North Houston; U.S. Coast Guard 1944-1946; Signalman aboard the FS-184 under naval command

Tracy Boudreaux graduated from high school in January 1942, one month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7^th.  In September 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard as a signalman for duty on the FS-184, a U.S. Army ship under Naval command (Admiral Nimitz, during World War II. The ship’s duty was to furnish supplies to the 11^th Airborne as they parachuted and invaded many islands going north from the South Pacific to the Philippines.

On July 31, 1944, they “shipped out” from New Orleans, Louisiana. The ship’s captain informed them that the crew and the ship were considered expendable – not the best thing to hear! They left through the Panama Canal. The next year was filled with many “bad situations to real bad situations” (as Tracy puts it) when the ship was having to make landings on the islands under heavy air attack. They also had to stay clear of suicide boats waiting for them in the island inlets. There were times they had to take dead paratroopers or troops back to New Guinea.

In October 1945, the ship followed the 11^th Airborne to Tacloban of the Leyte Province. This was the initial invasion of the Philippines. The ship went on to follow invasions by the U.S. Air Force, Army and Marines in that area. The U.S. had not even charted the Pacific at this time. The shipmen had to use Dutch charts which were not accurate.

October 20, 1944: Gen. Douglas MacArthur, center, is accompanied by his officers and Sergio Osmena, president of the Philippines in exile, extreme left, as he wades ashore during landing operations at Leyte, Philippines, after U.S. forces recaptured the beach of the Japanese-occupied island. To his left is Lt. Gen. Richard K. Sutherland, his chief of staff. (AP Photo) Tracy is circled in red. 

Once the Philippines were secure, Tracy’s ship joined a convoy headed north where they ran into a monsoon. They were in waters thirty to forty feet deep with hurricane force winds. After a few days of this, the convoy broke up and every ship was on its own. Tracy says he saw several destroyer escorts turn over like a log in the water.

It took Tracy many months to find his way back home to New Orleans. On March 8, 1946, he was discharged. He was only twenty-one years old but he had already seen the world and fought off death many times.

To Tracy’s delight, the government gave him a “free education” through the GI Bill. In 1951 he earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering. In Tracy’s words, “This changed my whole future. I figured I would be a truck driver or something similar…thanks for the time spent in the service of one’s country, the greatest education I could have received. P.S. – I love this old United States and I would die for it, if necessary.”

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HISTORY OF NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH

In 1999, Senator John McCain introduced legislation to designate the month of May as National Military Appreciation Month. Both the Senate and House of Representatives adopted resolutions calling for Americans to recognize and honor U.S. Service Members during NMAM. These proclamations also urge the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe NMAM. 

THE SIX NATIONAL OBSERVANCES DURING NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH

LOYALTY DAY
Date: Tuesday, May 1, 2018
About: Loyalty Day kicks off our Nation’s month-long celebration of military appreciation.  It is a day set aside for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States, and to reflect on the proud heritage of our American freedom.

PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK (PSRW)
Date: Sunday, May 6 – Saturday, May 12, 2018. Celebrated the first full week in May.
About: A time set aside to honor the men and women who serve our nation as federal, state, county and local government employees and ensure that our government is the best in the world.

VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY a.k.a. – V-E DAY or VE DAY
Date: Tuesday, May 8, 2018
About: May 8, 1945 is the day when Germans throughout Europe unconditionally surrendered to the Allies. This day marked the end of World War II in Europe.

MILITARY SPOUSE APPRECIATION DAY
Date: Friday, May 11, 2018. Traditionally set for the Friday before Mother’s Day.
About: A day to honor military spouses with appropriate ceremonies and activities.  Recognizes the important role our military families play in keeping our Armed Forces strong and our country safe.

ARMED FORCES DAY
Date: Saturday, May 19, 2018. Celebrated the third Saturday in May every year.
About: A single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.  This day honors everyone serving in the U.S. Military branches; Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy. There is also Armed Forces Week which typically leads up to Armed Forces Day, although it is not an official observance, many activities are planned nonetheless during the week.

MEMORIAL DAY
Date: Monday, May 28, 2018. A Federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May.
About: A remembrance of our veterans.  Commemorates the men and women who died while in military service.

Read more here: https://militarybenefits.info/national-military-appreciation-month/#ixzz5C8MDZD1b