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Memorial Day 2025 - Remember
By Terry L Blose, Sgt. USMC
May 27, 2025
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Three days after graduating from high school I turned 18 years old. Three days after my birthday anniversary I was at Parris Island, South Carolina beginning boot camp. Back then, I thought that I was tough. . . perhaps to some extent I had convinced myself! The Marine Corps redefined toughness in ways that I could not have imagined. Looking back, I remember asking myself, “What have I gotten myself into now? “

After volunteering to go to Vietnam, and finishing the Advanced Infantry training at Camp Pendleton, California, I arrived in Vietnam . . . home for the next year or so. With a bit more emphasis I asked myself this question, “What have I gotten myself into? “

A great amount of water has flowed under the bridge since those days, but the lessons I learned in Vietnam have been with me for a lifetime.

I learned at the young age of 19 that I was not immortal. There is a very fine line between life and death. Life was no longer measured in years, but in fractions of a second and inches. The fleeting brevity of life became the reality of the day.

Next month, God willing, I will be seventy five years old.

The lessons I learned at the age of nineteen are vividly remembered in my almost seventy-five year old mind  . . . the fleeting brevity of life. The precious gift of life . . . how transient it is.

Psalm 39:4 reads:

“Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am.”

Psalm 90:12 reads:

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”

Live each day as a gift from God, and rely on His wisdom to live it well. This is perhaps the greatest lesson that I learned in Vietnam.

 How does all of this relate to Memorial Day?

At the seventy-fifth anniversary of the landing at Normandy in WWII, a British veteran, Harry BIllings, who was among the first to land on D-Day, was there.

A British journalist commented to Mr, Billings:

“ We are grateful to You!”

Mr. Billings replied:

“Don’t thank me and don’t say I am a hero. All the heroes died, I was lucky. I’m here and I’ll never forget them as long as I live.“

Likewise, I am not a hero. I only stand here today by the Grace of God!

This Memorial Day we solemnly remember those who, wearing the uniform, died defending our nation. Today we stand on their shoulders and enjoy the incredible blessings of their sacrifice. They gave their last full measure. Their legacy is carved in granite, to weather the ages.

It is our duty to remember and give thanks! Abraham LIncoln  said it well,  “A nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.”

I am a steward of these bountiful blessings, provided by the selfless sacrifice of others. The question that I ask myself today is: ”Will my legacy reflect that I faithfully remembered, cherished, and protected this sacred trust?"

Semper Fidelis
Terry L Blose
Sgt. USMC
Danang, Chu Lai, RVN  1969-1970

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    On November 28, 1839, upon motion by Daniel Rowlett, the Republic of Texas expanded the western boundary to include land that later became Grayson, Collin, Cooke, Denton, Montague, Wise, Clay, Jack, Wichita, Archer, Young, Wilbarger, Baylor, Throckmorton, Hardeman, Foard, Knox, Haskell, Stonewall, King, Cottle, and Childress counties, as well as parts of Hunt and Collingsworth counties.
  • Celebrating community at the annual Gober BBQ
    (L-R) Robyn Dockery, Regina Wallace and Jaylen Wallace were working hard on the serving line to keep up with the crowd at the annual Gober BBQ on Sunday, June 22, 2025. As you would expect of one of the oldest counties in North Texas, Fannin County has a rich heritage of close-knit agricultural communities with traditional celebrations.
  • New faces at Ft. Inglish
    Ft. Inglish Village welcomes new staff members Don and Jo Cofer. They bring a love of history and many skills to help maintain the various buildings and attractions at Ft. Inglish. There is no charge to visit the Fort, but donations are appreciated.
  • Steaks on Main cook-off and free concert attracts large crowd to Bonham
    Cory Morrow headlined the Fannin Agricultural Association's 3rd Annual Steaks on Main cook-off and free concert in historic downtown Bonham. Some of the region's best grilling teams competed for $5,000 of prize money in the cook-off but the biggest winners may be local FFA organizations and 4-H clubs that benefit from this event's proceeds and carry on the area's proud agricultural tradition.
  • Bountiful blueberries: Walker’s Legacy
    Fannin County is home to several outstanding fruit farms, including peaches and strawberries. The Andy and Debra Walker’s multigenerational blueberry patch is one that fruit enthusiasts won't want to miss. Forty years ago, seven hundred blueberry plants were meticulously planted by Harold and Oleta Walker, a pair of farmers always fighting to be ahead of the next big trend.
  • Beyond production: The hazards of Battery Energy Storage Systems
    As the world embraces cleaner energy and electric vehicles (EVs), the production of renewable energy and its storage is driving a shift towards more sustainable technology. However, behind this transition lies a growing concern. Lithium, a key component in batteries, presents significant environmental and safety hazards that are often overlooked.
  • Heritage and culture highlight celebration in Bonham
    Heritage Day Festival headliner Josh Weathers performs for the crowd Saturday night in historic downtown Bonham, Texas. During the annual Bonham Heritage Day Festival, residents paid homage to the original inhabitants of this region -- the Caddo Nation -- and to the intrepid French trappers who ventured up from New Orleans in the 1700s in search of pelts.
  • Bonham to recognize important role of bois d'arc during Heritage Day May 3
    The public is invited to the planting of a "special" bois d'arc tree on the grounds of the historic Fannin County Courthouse at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 3, 2025, during Bonham Heritage Day. The tree was picked out and donated by Texoma’s very own and well-known bois d'arc tree expert, John Baecht, who will have a bois d’arc woodworking station set up on the grounds of the courthouse and will be doing demonstrations the remainder of the day for Heritage Day. What better way to celebrate Bonham / Fannin County’s relationship with bois d’arc than on Bonham Heritage Day.
  • Upper Trinity’s Lake Ralph Hall Project restores historic streams
    Water is flowing through five new streams in North Texas this spring, bringing life back to areas impacted for decades by severe erosion and habitat loss. Upper Trinity Regional Water District (UTRWD) restored the streams as part of environmental mitigation for future Lake Ralph Hall, Texas’s newest major lake under construction near Ladonia.
  • Prehistoric and Caddo artifacts on display at Fannin County Courthouse
    In conjunction with Heritage Day and the Vive le Bois d’Arc celebration on May 3, the Fannin County Museum of History is delighted to have a display of prehistoric and Caddo artifacts in the display case on the 2nd floor of the Fannin County Courthouse.
  • A Bonham legacy at our feet
    You walk into the Credit Union of Texas, Don Toro or Studio 94 on the east side of the Bonham square, into Belle Rae's on the north, into Blessing & Butterflies or The Curiosity Shop on Main south of the Courthouse: do you look down? What do you see when you cross the threshold into these businesses? Do you see Bonham's past?
  • The friendship of Sam Rayburn and Harry S Truman
    I was curious about the relationship between Harry S Truman and Sam Rayburn because of a piece of corn. Currently at the Sam Rayburn Museum there is corn on the cob encased in resin on display in the "Gifts of a Nation" display case. No one is completely certain why Rayburn had it, but Truman has the same one. This is what led me to look into the friendship between Rayburn and Truman. The two men shared a tight bond throughout their political careers. courtesy photo of Harry Truman and Sam Rayburn at the Sam Rayburn House in Bonham
  • Bonham postcards on display at Fannin County Courthouse
    Bonham resident Kay Sisk has collected postcards of Bonham for many years, finding them at trade shows and estate sales. Some of the postcards were given away free by local businesses, and some were sold. The Fannin County Museum of History asked Kay to display some of her postcards in the display case on the 2nd floor of the courthouse.
  • Mabel Gilbert – Early Fannin County pioneer
    Please join us at the March meeting of the Fannin County Historical Commission on March 18 at 6:00 p.m. to learn about the contributions of Mabel Gilbert, a very early Fannin County pioneer, to Fannin County, Dallas and points west. Deborah Cornelius has written a historical novel about his remarkable life and times. Join us at 6:00 p.m. on March 18 at the Fannin County Historical Commission’s office at 1 Center Street in Bonham to meet Deborah and learn about Mabel Gilbert’s time in Fannin County.
  • 'A Time Before Texas' presentation attracts large crowd to Honey Grove
    A large crowd filled Lyday Hall at Honey Grove Library & Learning Center on Saturday, March 1, 2025, to hear what local archeologist Cody Davis and his cohorts discovered in the area that is now covered by Bois d'Arc Lake.
  • New residents find a new fight: sand and gravel mining in Fannin County
    When Kalin and Tricia moved their young family from the city to rural Fannin County, it was a dream they had worked and saved to make come true -- to escape the noise and chaos of the metroplex for a peaceful existence, surrounded by woodlands, wildlife and serenity. Then they heard bulldozers clearing trees.
  • Smithsonian highlights the experiences and impact of Japanese war brides in new traveling exhibition
    "Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide" begins a national tour December 14 at Irving Archives and Museum in Irving, Texas. These young women left their homes to build lives within the complexities of postwar American society. Their experiences reshaped communities by challenging immigration laws and race relations. The arrival of these brides marked the largest women-only immigration event in U.S. history and, by 1960, had increased the population of Asian Americans in the U.S. by 10%.
  • Give a gift of Fannin County history
    The Fannin County Museum of History has several Fannin County history books for sale that might be just perfect for someone you know. The books are available for purchase at the Museum and are also available on Amazon.
  • Historic Christmas newspaper front pages from Fannin County
    Historic Fannin County newspapers often featured beautiful front pages for their Christmas editions. An exhibit of these newspapers is now on display on the 2nd Floor of the Fannin County Courthouse. Visit the courthouse during this season to view this display and beautiful decorations.
  • Lake Ralph Hall update: Five streams are springing to life
    Upper Trinity's contractors are finishing up construction on five new streams near future Lake Ralph Hall, which will flow into the North Sulphur River. The newly connected tributary streams are naturally beginning to flow with rainwater this fall, bringing life back to areas impacted for decades by severe erosion and loss of habitat. Restoring the tributaries of the river to their natural, curved paths helps mitigate the area's severe erosion and provide previously lost habitat.