9th Annual Dove Hunt Honors Veterans for their Service
One veteran's desire to have other veterans feel the honor he felt; one local family who believed in making that vision a reality; What is the result? Nine years of honoring veterans for their service.
There are no words that will ever fully express the right amount of gratitude that is owed for the sacrifices that have led to our freedom, but Howard County pulled efforts together to show this year's Dove Hunt honorees they are not forgotten.
The 9th annual Dove Hunt took place on Saturday evening at First United Methodist Church. This year's honorees include: Sergeant First Class Carlos Tafolla, First Sergeant Kenneth Terry Cox, Staff Sergeant Tommy E. Smith, and Lieutenant Colonel Pete A. Leija.
"For the past nine years we have had the honor of providing a weekend of relaxation, camaraderie, and healing for veterans who have sacrificed so much for their country. The men who have walked through here have not only felt appreciation from a community, but also received a bit of healing that can only come when surrounded by those who have walked the same path you have walked," Mike Tarpley, Veteran and event organizer, said.
The D.A.V. Chapter of Big Spring hosted the ninth annual Dove Hunt closing ceremony. Once again Al's BBQ hosted the Saturday meal. During the ceremony, each of the four nominees were presented with the following gifts: handmade wooden framed certificate, D.A.V. Dove Hunt Honoree cap, two flags that have been flown over the Nation's capital and the Texas capital, dove hunting bags, honoree yard signs, car decals with their respective emblems and two pocket knives. In addition to local businesses and community families offering these items of appreciation, before the conclusion of the closing ceremony, Tarpley presented each honoree with a Quilt of Valor.
"The shotgun presentation is pretty special. I was on a Purple Heart Hunt in Eden, Texas and came back to Big Spring pretty pumped up; why can't we do something like this in Big Spring ... Wimp Holcomb and Evelyn Holcomb talked to me about this. Wimp came to my shop and said we are going to have a dove hunt in Big Spring and I'm buying 20 shotguns," Tarple said. " ... He never made the first dove hunt event, but since that point Evelyn has bought them every year. That is 36 shotguns and in the beginning it was only going to be 20... The Holcomb family deserves our appreciation for helping get this off the ground and kicking me into making it a reality."
Lieutenant Colonel Pete A. Leija served in the United States Air Force as Commander of the 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base. During his time as commander, he was directly responsible for the health, morale, welfare, discipline and maintenance production efforts of 562 military and four civilian personnel. He served as an enlisted Aerospace Propulsion Technician for more than 13 years. Leija retired from the military in November 2020 with 32 and a half years under his belt. During his service he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal after serving one year in Kandahar Afghanistan.
He currently owns Hitman
Hog Trapping Services and is co-owner of Lone Star Tactical Services, a private security company offering schoolhouse training as well as an umbrella of security services. Lt. Col. Leija is married and has five children. He has also earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Professional Aeronautics and Master of Arts Degree in Military Operational Art and Science.
"Everything you have done; every single one of you, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Now I know it's more than just the time we did. There is so much more to it than that. I've known that for a long time. One other special group of people I want to make sure gets appreciated tonight is every spouse and family member to every military member ever because you sacrificed just as much," Leija said.
Staff Sergeant Tommy E. Smith served in the United States Army after graduating from Fluvanna High School in 1967. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in January 1969. He reported for duty in June 1969 to Vietnam where he served in the Big Red 1, 1st Battalion 2nd Infantry Regiment, Black scarves.
He also served in the Inactive Reserve and National Guard until 1974. During his military career, Staff Sergeant Smith earned several awards including National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze service stars and Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 device, as well as a Purple Heart, Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal just to name a few. He has also been a participant in the Permian Basin Honor Flight in 2015 and has since become a volunteer with the organization. He is also a member of the parking team at Stonegate. He is married and together they share four grown children, 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Sergeant First Class Carlos Tafolla served in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army. He served five and a half years as a drug counselor and member of rifle and pistol teams while in the Marines: 1st Marine Division Camp Pendleton, CA, 2nd Marine Division Camp Lejeune, NC, 3rd Marine Division Okinawa Japan, 1st Marine Brigade KMCAS HI, and Marine Corp Recruit Depot in San Diego, CA.
He was discharged from the Marine Corps on Dec. 19, 1978. However, on Dec. 21, 1978 he filled out papers at the Army Recruiters Office. He officially joined the U.S. Army as an intelligence analyst on Oct. 1, 1980. After 22 years of service he retired in October 1993. His education includes, just to name a few, 1972 Marksmanship Instructor School in Okinawa Japan, 1973 Nuclear Biological and Chemical warfare defense KMCAS, HI, 1974 Marine Security Guard School Henderson Hall, VA, 1977 Individual Protective Measures Camp Pendleton, CA, 1981 Intelligence Analyst School Fort Jackson, SC, 1982 NCO school Berlin Germany, and 1989 101st Airborne Division Air Assault School Ft. Campbell, KY.
First Sergeant Kenneth Terry Cox enlisted in the United States Army on Nov. 18, 1986. While in the service he was assigned to Kansas, Germany, Oklahoma, and Korea. His combat experience includes Operation Desert Shield, Storm and Conferred, Operation Iraqi Freedom.