Page 29 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine

was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9th. They ones who continue to struggle, wwii
finally surrendered on August 14th. are owed an immeasurable debt
of gratitude for their sacrifices.
Elements of Eugene’s division were sent to Nagasaki
25 days after the strike as part of occupied Japan.
He recalled, “It was complete destruction; there
were dead bodies everywhere.” He was stationed in
Nagasaki until his Honorable Discharge in July 1946.

Leaving the war doesn’t mean that the
war leaves you . . .

Discharged in San Diego, Eugene took a bus back to
Mt. Pleasant, Texas. When asked about the difficult
transition from the horrors of combat to the civilian
world, he said, “It’s hard to turn off the switch. In Eugene went on the 2012 inaugural
the Marines, you were taught to kill Japanese. They South Plains Honor Flight to
didn’t teach you how to handle being a civilian. They Washington, D.C accompanied by his
just turned you loose. A lot of guys turned to alcohol grandson, Brandon. The two of them
to cope. We didn’t know what PTSD was back in had a very memorable experience. He
those days.”
said that while he liked the Iwo Jima
At that time, no one saw a psychiatrist or sought Memorial, it was “hard on a lot of the
therapy because of the intense stigma associated with Marines.”
such actions which would brand you as “crazy” and
therefore unemployable. “Act normal, and you’ll feel
normal,” was about all the therapy advice they got.
Family and Civilian Life

Eugene met and later married Maggie Ruth Homer
in 1946 in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. The union produced
two daughters, Linda and Debra. Eventually the Independent Living H Garden Homes
INDEPENDENT LIVING, ASSISTED LIVING
& MEMORY CARE COMMUNITY
couple were blessed with three grandchildren Assisted Living H Memory Care
- Brandon, Tonya, and Heather, and four great
grandchildren - Tyler, Kaden, Karter, and Hazel.
Eugene worked at a furniture store and then a
grocery store in Mt. Pleasant. He and his family
moved to Lubbock in 1949 where he “took a job
at Coca Cola on 16th and Texas.” Through his
46-year career at Coke, he progressed through the A Touch of Luxury. . .
management ranks, eventually retiring in 1990 as
General Manager of Bottling/Vending for West Texas Combined with West Texas Friendliness!
& Eastern New Mexico. He remained on the Board of
Directors until 1996.
Bring this ad in for a free lunch with
Eugene now resides at Raider Ranch in Lubbock.
He stays busy in retirement, spending time with the tour at the Club at Raider Ranch
family and enjoys his hobbies of golf, fishing, wood-
working, Texas Tech sports, and traveling. 806-368-6565

Mr. Roberts can attest to the fact that war is brutal,
especially for those who face combat. Those who raiderranch.com
overcome the atrocities they faced, as well as the 6548 43rd Street, Lubbock, Texas 79407

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Lubbock Senior Link 29