(Seguin) — The unique story and timeline behind what has become a veterans and wounded warrior haven in Seguin continues forward as the SS American Memorial at the Lazy U Ranch is named the beneficiary of the community’s first ever Field of Honor event.
Field of Honor, the moving tribute of patriotism for veterans and first responders, will be held June 29-July 6. The inspiring and memorable display of hundreds of American flags will be planted along State Highway 123 Bypass near Seguin High School. The community is invited to show its support by purchasing a $30 flag to be added to the sea of red, white and blue. The flag is a 3 x 5 standard American flag and will be erected on a 7 and a half foot pole. The event is being made possible thanks to the newly created local Field of Honor Committee, a committee which falls under the Colonial Flag Foundation umbrella. Like the Healing Field established after the 911 terrorist attacks on America, the Field of Honor is the Colonial Flag Foundation’s continued effort to remember and honor the sacrifices and heroism that go into celebrating America.
All of the proceeds from the celebration will go directly into the hands of the Lazy U Ranch which over the years has fully dedicated itself to the nation’s veterans and wounded warriors.
Craig and Nancy Russell are the founders for the SS American Memorial. Craig also serves says the group’s president. The property originally belonged to Nancy’s parents Edith and Jim Ulbrich, a pair of retired teachers from Seguin High School.
Russell shares the start of the story behind the property — a property that has since become a source of rehabilitative healing for American soldiers across the nation.
“We reside on the back side of Lake Placid up by the damn. Her family purchased that ranch in 1970 and it’s called the Lazy U Ranch. I’m a former submariner and during the height of the Cold War in the 80s and 15 years after we got out of service, me and my shipmates gathered again for the first time in 15 years on Fourth of July in 2000 right there at the family ranch and on every year proceeding, we’d gather again on the Fourth of July and every year that we met, something else would happen to kind of inspire the next events. Within about the first five years, we started opening up to friends and family and it went from a group of sailors of about 30 to about 400 to 500 people — a weeklong event. We called it the Shindig. It was dancing and barbecue and everything else. Fast forward a couple of more years into 2008, obviously the war was been going full bloom and we didn’t like what we were seeing out there so we decided to transition the Fourth of July event into a memorial service. We decided that we were going to educate the populous of just what the Fourth of July stood for,” said Russell.
Russell says it was also around that time, that the large group had acquired a 20 foot by 30 foot long Great Garrison Flag. He says it wasn’t until they began displaying the flag among the large pecan trees that the whole place started to change.
“We noticed people wanting to show up for the flag raising and so when we transformed the event into a memorial service in 2008, it was all evolved around that flag raising and we called it ‘The Flag Raising.’ Basically what we would do during this memorial service, we would educate the guests that came from 17 states as far as Ireland and Hawaii to this event. Most of them from San Antonio. That’s where I grew up and was raised and before we would raise the flag, we’d read the history behind the flag and before we’d say the Pledge of Allegiance, we would read the history. Before we’d sing the Star Spangled Banner, we would read the history of the Star Spangled Banner, Taps, 21-gun salute, POW/MIA table — all of those rich traditions within the military. We would read to the guests which at this time was now about three quarters civilians — we would read to them and teach them the history of those traditions and it took on another life of its own,” said Russell.
A few years after that, Russell says the property became even more and now serves as home away from home for those seeking solace and a place to swim, kayak and fish.
“In 2010, again they were holding it every year, I had happened to reach out to the Warrior Transition Battalion at Brooks Army Medical Base where the wounded warriors are housed – just to let them know because I had heard through the grapevine that they were in need of a location that was close to Fort Sam where they could get these warriors out into the open air. Brooks Army Medical Center and the military community and hospital community realized that the faster they got these warriors into the open air, the healing sped up significantly and then so the ranch transitioned again in 2010 with the warriors there and then the warriors started attending the Fourth of July, said Russell.
An original building on the property has also since been outfitted with even more giving veterans a “rehabilitative healing atmosphere” that is both physically and mentally therapeutic.
“In 2012, it was a pivotal year of the ranch in a sense that on that year at that event, there was an inspiration after the event to build a building for the wounded warriors so that they could get out of the heat of the heat of the Texas summers and an existing building built by my WW II father-in-law which was just wall, nothing else. There was no roof on it or anything. It looked like an abandoned fort. We started building on this building and when word got out to all the people — over the course of the next two years, they sent money to my family unsolicited to build this building for the warriors. As time went on, people would send in their money and I would ask what they wanted me to do with it and it went from just a building — they wanted to make a memorial. It went from just a regular building to a significant building — the inside in particular of how it looked and how it felt. Today, it’s the only private living war memorial in the United States. We run today around 3,000 to 4,000 active duty soldiers through our location basically every weekend and now it’s transitioned to weekly events. We have the number one location in the United States within The Department of Defense for active duty soldiers right here in your backyard of Seguin,” said Russell.
Thanks to the years of quietly implementing the program, Russell says the SS American Memorial has evolved into something that his veteran family never imagined.
“It’s become an inspiration for a lot of people and it has allowed a lot of these warriors to heal and by word of mouth, it’s become a significant place to them so much that my family felt that it was meant to be and so we set up a foundation two years ago to facilitate this where it would be permanent and so all of the grounds even the lodge today has been transitioned into the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Respite Care Retreat. So, it’s fully furnished and the chaplains can book it for two night stays, free of charge so they can come out and relax and get out of the element,” said Russell.
Today, the Lazy U Ranch also serves as a retreat for area youth groups instilling the importance of “ethics, responsibility, loyalty, honor and integrity through a visual of actions, art and craftsmanship.”
Current efforts for the group, according to Russell, is encouraging civilians to get involved. The Lazy U Ranch is open to the public each Friday and Saturday.
Russell says it’s about the civilians and the community as a whole coming together “and doing what Americans have always done best and that is be Americans and enjoying each other’s company.”
In fact, a wine tasting event is slated for this Friday at the ranch from 7 to 11 p.m. The group typically host a fundraiser each second Friday of the month. This weekend it will include food and drinks. Plus, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase a bottle of wine from over 800 bottles available in their wine cellar. Live music is also usually provided by military service members or veterans. Lake residents are also encouraged to travel by boat and dock on the property.
As for the Field of Honor event, it will serve as a tribute and as a thank you to all military, veterans, the Fallen, firefighters, police and emergency medical service personnel. The local Field of Honor Committee still has 400 more flags to sell in order to reach its goal. Flags will be sold up until the event. Those purchasing a flag will be able to collect and take them home after the final day on July 6. The group says if needed, flags purchased by those from out-of-town, can also have them shipped to them. Each flag will be tagged with the name of your designated “hero” along with their field of service.
Individuals can purchase or sponsor a flag by visiting www.healingfield.org/seguin19 or by calling Field of Honor local Chairwoman Connie Ramirez at 830-243-2872. Flags can also be purchased in person this Friday night at SS American Memorial’s fundraiser. The SS American Memorial Lazy U Ranch is located at 450 Naumann Rd, Seguin.