Update from Corpus Christi

(The memorial at the Nueces County Courthouse damaged last year)

(One of the five broken panels)

(Beeville Veterans)

(Alaniz Family at the baseball field)

I received an email from Ram Chavez that I am going to share:

Last year the Vietnam and Korean War Memorial at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi was vandalized and damaged on a quiet weekend. When I received the call, immediately drove to the courthouse on a Sunday morning. I called the media and within a few hours after the news, the Weaver Brothers came forward and clean the memorial of graffiti and began the restoration of the memorials. The mobilization of so many veterans to help clean and restore the memorial was a great motivation for our veterans.

Once again it has happen again, in Beeville at the Veterans Memorial Park and in Corpus Christi at Andy Alaniz Pony League Baseball Field.

Committees and memorial funds were set up and now we can move to began fund raising projects to restore the memorials. Both memorials represent the young men who lost their lives in defending this great country of ours.

It is sad that we are at War in Iraq and Afghanistan, and this is happening to our memorials.

Andy Alaniz Memorial

Sometime after the baseball games on Tuesday April 24, 2007, the Spec. Andy Alaniz memorial plaque was stolen from the Andy Alaniz Pony League Field. Andy Alaniz was killed during the Gulf War in 1991 and a memorial plaque was dedicated for his participation in the little and pony leagues as a teenager.

Andy Alaniz was one of the four killed during Desert Storm from the Texas Coastal Bend, and the only one killed from Corpus Christi. Mrs. Alaniz called me to let me know what had happen and see what we could do to find the memorial plaque, but she wanted to wait and see if the original plaque would be found.

A police report was made, and they have been looking for the plaque and nothing has been bound. Recently, she realized that it would not be found. The committee will report soon on the cost of a new memorial to replace the lost bronze plaque.

Beeville Veterans Memorial

On May 2, 2007, I received a call from Mr. M. R. Velasco, a Korean War Veteran and told me that the memorials in Beeville had been destroyed and wanted me to come to Beeville and see what could be done to bring the veterans and the community together to restore the memorials. The Beeville Veterans Memorial Dedicated in 1987 has been vandalized and completed destroyed. The memorial was dedicated to honor the Beeville veterans killed in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War and it has brought suddenness to the veterans in Beeville and surrounding communities.

After several phone calls and phone conferences with the commanders of the Veterans’ organizations and Mr. Eloy Rodriguez in Beeville a committee was formed and a memorial fund and address was established.


Donations may be mail to the following Memorial Funds mailing addresses:

Andy Alaniz Memorial Fund Beeville Veterans Memorial Fund
Send to:

VFW Post 9170
Memorial Fund
P. O. Box 147
Beeville, TX. 78102

Memorial Fund
For Andy Alaniz
P. O. Box 8606
Corpus Christi, TX. 78468

And we are accepting donations thru paypal. We have currently collected $557.00 for the Beeville Memorial. Speaking with members of Gathering of Eagles; it was discussed that any extra money collected would be pooled for repair to other Memorial sites.

War Memorial Funds Needed

Spree has been so kind as to help get the word out.

Wake up America

Now I am asking that we as Americans step up and show the Veterans that we stand proudly behind them.

Quick update: I have been on the phone with Mr. Velasco who is a disabled Veteran in Beeville, TX. He will be spear heading all collections from his end and we will tie in directly with the Veterans in Beeville! He is getting help setting up from the Veterans in Corpus Christi. We will have the Memorial back up with the help of America!

As of 05/20/27 donations are at $468.00

Copied directly from the KRISTV.COM:

BEEVILLE - There was a somber sight in the city of Beeville Tuesday night, as a war memorial honoring veterans killed in four wars was completely destroyed.

That memorial once stood as five granite panels, with the names of 45 veterans who lost their lives, paying the ultimate sacrifice. But Tuesday, the memorial lies in pieces at the city's maintenance yard.

Local veterans said they're not sure when the memorial was vandalized. They say it looks like someone took their car and just rammed into it. The memorial was erected in 1989 and residents there said they're devastated by it's vandalism, because it's more than just rock - it's a symbol of freedom.

"This particular war memorial has World War I, World War II, Korean and Vietnam. And so it has quite a bit of names," Vietnam War veteran Ram Chavez said.

Now, veterans there are asking for help from anyone who can help raise the money to replace and repair that memorial.

The vandalism of the memorial has Beeville veterans saddened, and others are outraged. It even brought one veteran to tears.

Behind the broken tablets of granite, were the broken hearts of local veterans.

"That monument there, don't have the advantage of defending itself, like I do, or you do," Korean War veteran Magdaleno R. Velasco said.

Velasco, 88, served 26 years in the Army, he was wounded in the right foot during the Korean War.

"I can walk a little, but my fellow soldiers, they lose a leg or a hand and they're in wheelchairs," Velasco said.

Vietnam War veteran Ram Chavez of Corpus Christi said the memorial honored the lives of those who sacrificed greatly for their country.

"It has names of young men who just didn't get the opportunity to do anything," Chavez said. "Ride a motorcycle, be a teacher, coach...have children. They were 17, 18, 19, 20 year olds killed in action."

Chavez said that while those who died will never be replaced, he hopes their memorial will be.

"The damage, those memories are lost and that cannot happen," Chavez said. "If we forget the names, then we'll forget everyone that's made us free."

Police are not investigating incident at this point, saying there's no way to determine if memorial was vandalized. Or damaged by accident. Veterans said they hope local businesses will help raise the money to rebuild it.

The memorial cost $10,000 when it was built in 1989.

Online Reporter: Abby Dunn


KRISTV

Let's step up and let our Veterans know that we support them.

Donations can be made here -