As fall brings cooler temperatures (hopefully), and a parade of trick-or-treaters makes off with bags of sweets, schedules begin to focus on holidays and feasting.
Menu planning and gift buying could easily eclipse another holiday: Nov. 11 is Veterans Day.
If you know people who served in our military forces, thank them.
If you don’t, Dallas Love Field Airport and Belmont Village Senior Living are providing an extended opportunity to become acquainted with 39 senior veterans, according to an email announcing, “American Heroes: Portraits of Service in Texas.”
The photography exhibit opened in September and runs through the end of the year, providing holiday travelers and others a wide window to learn about and be inspired by the courage, dedication, and legacy of these American heroes.
The exhibit pairs portraits captured by acclaimed photographer Thomas Sanders with memorabilia to convey personal stories of those who served from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and peacetime.
Since its beginning in 2008, Sanders’ project has grown to include more than 1,000 veterans, 30 permanent displays in Belmont Village communities nationwide, and exhibits at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports.
Among those featured are three Dallas residents:
Irv Stone, U.S. Army, WWII-era First Lieutenant who taught artillery and later spent decades in forensic science and as an FBI Special Agent.
Robert Lofton, a a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, who was stationed in Libya as an Early Aircraft Warning Technician. There, he learned discipline, leadership, and the ability to follow orders, lessons that shaped his life.
Lois Graves, U.S. Public Health Corps, post-WWII who supervised meals for patients with diverse needs and is proud to have served her community.
I’m told Graves and Stone spent their lives and careers in Dallas, while Lofton moved here later in life. They live at Belmont Village Turtle Creek now.
If you happen to see one of them in person, please tell them your newspaper thanks them.
