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?I . -:l^' II J 33* N I S : J Published Each Thursday Since January 18,1973 iH IBLIHA INIMR VllGE I . ? c p Robeson County \ Pembrok N H "Building communicative bridges in a tri-racial setting " A Life of Service I Madie Rae Locklear....on the go | By Bruce Barton Madie Rae Locklear seldom sits still. After a life of service, she seems con stantly on the go. She loves helping people, and her job as Supervisor for Four County's Red Springs Neighbor hood Service Center affords her the wonderful opportunity to "help people who really need it." I Long active in local and state politics, Ms. Locklear presently serves on the Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation's (LREMC) board of di rectors. Only the second woman to serve on the prestigious board, Ms. Locklear is expected to announce soon for another term. She says, "Serving on the LREMC board keeps me close to the grassroots people and, like my job at Four County Community Services, Inc., gives me an opportunity to cham pion the cause of people who realty need it." She continues, " I believe LREMC needs a board member who is compassionate about people-oriented problems, and can relate to individual needs ..a board member that is also familiar with the struggle involved in running a household, meeting monthly bills in a timely fashion, and in just making ends meet. That's me!" Ms. Locklear is married to William Locklear, Jr. who is self-employed, and they are the proud parents of two daughters, both now married and suc cessful in their own right. The oldest, Selena, is a health inspector with the Robeson County Health Department. She is married to Nick Drakos, who operates the New York Restaurant in Fayetteville. They have one daughter who is two years old. Sophia is married to Horace Qxendim and is a counselor at St. Pauls High.With obvious pride in i her voice, Ms. Locklear does not dis agree when the interviewer suggests i the daughters (and granddaughter) might be the Locklears' greatest ac complishments. "We are pleased that both are graduates of PSU, and happily married," she adds quiedy. She is passionate about her job at Four County where she has been employed for "25 years in March." She is happy "doing what 1 do...and that is basically helping people help themselves." She stay s busy transporting clients to social agencies, and advocating in their' be half.. As she explains it, her job is "to assess needs...and find answers to people's problems." Four County Community Services, Inc. represents Robeson, Scotland, Bladen and Hoke Counties, and is head quartered in Launnburg. The social action agency operates Neighborhood Setvrce Centers, tthameje* preset. Head Start ProgftttftiH>(*i<tes a weatherization project, one of the first ones in the area. Ms. Locklear says simply, "We mostly help people-no matter what their race is?who need us." The Locklears attend New Prospect Methodist Church and live in the Pros pect community. Ms. Locklear likes to "dapple in real estate and practice the piano when time permits. She also visit the sick as often as time permits. As one of her associates recently exclaimed, when she was asked about her, she is "...a woman who has helped a whole lot of people." That seems like a great testimony for Madie Rae Locklear: a life of service on the go. Bruce Barton is now a history teacher in the Public Schools of Robeson County. He is proud to have been the fb?Jtirof The Carolina Indian Voice and served aa editor far a number of year! before changing forums. "Forgotten veterans" reunion: a time of healing by John R. Bray boy, Vietnam Veteran The Carolina Vietnam Veterans had their annual Labor day reunion on Monday, September 7, 1992 at the N.C. Indian Cultural Center. This was the second event and will continue as an annual observation. During the years since the Viet nam War, the Vietnam veteran has often been referred to as the "For gotten veteran." After Desert Storm and the celebration that followed the returning home of the Desert Storm Troops, some of the local Vietnam veterans decided that it was time to help their own. Daniel Jones, Rudy Locklear, Marshall Locklear, and other Vietnam vets met and discussed having a Viet nam veterans reunion in Robeson County. The first reunion was held Labor Day, 1991 and it was a great success. Vietnam veterans served in a war that was unpopular, misunder stood and politically motivated. Today a lot of these vets still won der why we were there and wonder if it was worth the sacrifice. These vets served during a time of tur moil, change and confusion in our country. It was the sixties. Rev. i Martin Luther King was fighting I for civil rights for all people herein | the states. There were flower chi ldren and other movements. We were I'n a conflict with Indochina that no ?>ne wanted, nevertheless, the B^merican military men answered Ihe call to serve their country in Vietnam. It is a sad reality, but most H>f our fighting men who were fbr Hinate to return to the United States Hid not receive a hero's welcome. K This unusual "tour of duty" in B6 Jungles of Vietnam and the Hpction of the general public has wsed many to suffer arid hurt, not wessarily from wounds received V1" le, although there were many H? suffered those physical wounds H>> but most suffered from men tal anguish and stress of conflict that was more horrible than most vets can bear to talk about. Some of this was mental anguish and stress from a conflict that public opinion in this country was against. Unlike Desert Storm, during which most Americans publicly supported the effort, there was very little public support of the Vietnam conflict or our men in uniform. Therefore, for many years the Vietnam veteran has felt that he has been forgotten. Many veterans believe that part of the problem with the Vietnam veteran is that they will not talk about their time in the war zone., therefore adding to the stress and mental anguish of the ordeal felt by many Vietnam vets. Out of this need to talk about the horrors and thereby begin a healing process both mentally and emotionally came the plan for the Carolina Vietnam Vet erans Reunion.. It is hoped that the reunion and the sharing with others who have suffered the same horrors will help Vietnam vets to deal with the war induced problems. In any event, it is a healing process that has begun and can only help. Speakers at the reunion included Linda Gurganus. a POW-MIA ac tivist; Major Joe Anzaldua, a Viet nam POW; the Honorable Dexter Brooks, Superior Court Judge and Vietnam veteran; Ret. M. Sgt. Fred W.Zabitodcy, Congressional medal of Honor Winner, and Ret. U.S. Army 1st. Sgt. Henry T. Locklear Silver Star Winner. Ms. Linda Gurganus spoke to Pow-Mia situa tion and the frustration of many Americans, family & friends and how that now that there may be hope that the Pow-Mia situation i may be very close to the answer that many have been seeking for over i twenty years. i Major Joe Anzaldua talked about being a POW in Vietnam and how his father opened the door for him to go to the Army and how that door was left open for him to return. On the other hand many Vietnam Veterans did not have that open door, he said. He stated that the love and support of his family made his survival possible. Superior Court Judge Dexter Brooks relayed his personal experi ence as a young man in Vietnam. He stated that he had always felt that a citizen should always give some thing back to society and serving in Vietnam was his way of repaying his obligation to America. He spoke emotionally about be ing in the War zone when he learned that his friend, Bradley (Baby) Chavis had been killed in action. Chavis was the first Lumbee to fall in combat during the Vietnam War. "1 cried like a baby," Judge Brooks said, recalling the letter that in formed him of Chavis' death. Judge Brooks chose not to recount the "horrors" that were Vietnam, but acknowledged that he did not have the credential of the others on the program. He assumed he said, that he was chosen to speak as one who had fought and survived. He encour aged the audience not to feel any shame or apologies for tlieir service to their country. Ret. M. Sgt.Fred W. Zabitosky, the Congressional Medal of Honor win ner, spoke of the Berlin Wall coming down, the end of the Cold War, the fall of Communism, the Desert Storm War and he stated emphatically: "Yes, if we had not stood against Commu nism, then we might be in a hot war right now." He spoke of the struggles the Viet nam Veterans have had and about his own personal experiences in Vietnam. The greatest thing, however, he said, that happened to him was "Ood saved my soul." First Sgt. Henry T. Locklear (U.S. Army retired) has been awarded two Silver Star Awards, aa well as count less other awards, accommodations and medals. He stated that one of the Silver Stan he received was supposed to have been a Distinguished Service Award, but was reduced to a Silver Star because he did not get wounded in the line of duty. Locklear explained who Charlie (Viet Cong) was; the obstacles facing military men in Vietnam-bamboo vipers, mosquitoes, even perfumed letters from wives and girl friends. He spoke of the extreme heat, moonson seasons, and other physical discom forts of the jungles. He reminded the vetergns that many people joined the National Guard to avoid conflict or went north to escape the War. He emphasised: Those of you who are hen have nothing to be ashamed of -nothing to apologize for." He stressed Us belief that the prayers of his mother helped sustain him during his date hi Vietnam. There was a rofl call of fallen com rades following the speakers. This emotional moment was followed by the lonesome sound of "taps' being played 9ome when off In tfw distance. Prayer was by Hilton Deese and closing remarks wen made by Daniel Jones. Lunch was served and a time of feliowdup, a time to remember, a time to be proud, and t time to let go was shared by the many vets in attendance. To Subscribe Cat (919)521-2826 Today! t -1 Locals assist victims Although donations of all lands have also donated their time and have been made to the homeless, bat-energy in gathering donations made tered, and weary victims of Herri-by the students and staff of the school cane Andrew we the people of Robe- for the Red Cross to ship to Florida son County have given support and for the families in need. Special Prayers along with commodites. The thanks to Maria Jacobs for her dona wonderful students of PurneU Swett tioa of S3 cans of food. Madie Rae Lockiear . Students of Purnell Swett High School ? ? (
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
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