12th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps recognizes sacrifices

(Seguin) – Even after years of retiring from one of the highest ranking positions in the U.S. Marine Corp, Gene Overstreet continues his support of all veterans.

Sgt. Major Gene Overstreet first entered the United States Marine Corps in June 1966. He was later selected as the 12th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps in April 1991 and served the country until he retired in 1995.

Today, Overstreet continues to serve his country closer to home by fully supporting the needs of area veterans. Overstreet lives in Guadalupe County and served as the guest speaker during Monday’s Veterans Day Ceremony at the Seguin Coliseum.

Overstreet tells the Seguin Daily News that veterans are the reason America is the country it is today.

“I have been to about half of the countries in the world and I’m going to tell you, there’s no place like home. There’s no place like America. There’s no place where you have the liberties and the freedoms that we have in this country and the people that have paid for that are the veterans. The people that are in this room and the ones that went before us and their families,” said Overstreet.

Overstreet says veterans and active military personnel deserve so much. He says it’s the little things that Americans take for granted. He says even the daily pressures of what is outside the borders are left in the hands of today’s military.

“I normally wear a western hat all the time but today, I’m wearing this cap. And you know why? It’s because of what all these veterans have done that I can wear anything I want to because we live in a country where they have paid for that, and we have a lot of liberties, and a lot of people take that for granted. I’m not one of those that take that for granted because we still live in a dangerous place. The world is a dangerous place today. There are people out there, countries out there that want what we’ve got, and they would take it if they could so we military are always trying to balance how much military do we need to match the threat. Do we have too much? Do we not have enough? And you hear both sides of this,” said Overstreet. “I think the leaders of this nation kind of wrestle with that everyday and of course, just speaking for Marines, we have Marines in 134 countries today that monitors that. You have to know what’s going on out there. So, to have the opportunity and the privilege to talk to these veterans, they are the ones who paid for that and the ones that went before us, they are the one who paid for that.”

Despite retiring from the military, Overstreet says he found that his commitment to his fellow soldiers just grew.

“I spent 30 years in the Marine Corps and in the Marine Corps, you always take care of the Marines and that always catches on. So, when you get out, you still want to take care of Marines, but you realize you expand your band there a little bit to take care of all veterans because you realize what all of them have done and have served and what they mean for this nation,” said Overstreet.

Overstreet says much of that support today comes in the encouragement of veterans to seek the help they deserve and be a part of the camaraderie in the veteran community.

“Get involved with the veteran’s organizations. Most of the veteran’s organizations have their thumb on the pulse of what’s going on. They know what’s going on in the nation. They know the need of veterans. We have a lot of older veterans that need things. They are not able to provide for themselves anymore. But the veteran’s organizations, the VSO, the Veterans Service Organizations provide that and fortunately here in Seguin, we are very fortunate to have the Veterans Resource Center that we have. A lot of veterans have not gone there yet. Every veteran in Guadalupe County needs to check in there and if they need something, we might not have it here at this veteran center, but I’ll tell you the people that work there can point you in the right direction and to the right people to get you hooked up to whatever it is you need,” said Overstreet.

Hosting this year’s ceremony, dubbed “A Legacy of Loyalty and Service,” were the Guadalupe Valley Veteran’s Council, the city of Seguin, and the Guadalupe County Veteran Services. The ceremony followed the annual Veterans Parade, which traveled south on Austin Street. This year, the veterans’ groups moved the ceremony from Veterans Park to the Coliseum and offered a longer parade route in preparation for next year’s plans, including the welcoming of The Traveling Vietnam Veteran Wall. Due to the large replica of the historic wall, all Veterans Day events next year are being planned at the Seguin Events Complex.

The wall is nearly 80 percent of the size of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. It stands six feet tall at the center and covers almost 300 feet from end to end.