‘Thank you for answering the call’: Sherman honors its veterans on Veterans Day

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - Sherman VFW Post 2772 held a ceremony Wednesday that brought veterans and community members together to honor those who put their lives on the line to protect freedom.

James Haun, a Marine veteran who served 20 years, said Veterans Day is a time to honor is friends.

“It means today for me to celebrate some of the things that all my friends died for,” Haun said.

George F. May, a 12-year Army veteran, spoke about freedoms.

“A lot of people today don’t really understand not having the freedoms that we have today,” May said.

David Plyler, a former Sherman mayor, spoke at the ceremony.

“I want to say thank you. Thank you for answering the call. Thank you for the time you gave, the opportunities you surrendered, and the burdens you carried,” Plyler said.

May said military service can leave a permanent impact.

“It does kind of change you being in the service. Most for the better, some for the worse,” May said.

Haun, a Korean War veteran, said the memories of his time in the Marines have stayed with him through the years.

He said Tootsie Rolls played a role during his service.

“If we hadn’t been for Tootsie Rolls, we might not be here... [We] would stick it in the wound to stop bleeding, and of course, for eating purposes, kept a lot of us alive,” Haun said.

Haun still carries those small reminders of his service.

“I enjoy talking about it because I feel like if I don’t, I’m gone. Nobody’s gonna know what happened,” Haun said.