Mary Nell Lemert and James Lemert

00:03 Hi, I'm Mary Nell lemert, and I am 75 years old. Today is Wednesday October 28th 1920. We are in Amarillo, Texas and I'm going to be this thing with my husband Rex lemert.

00:22 Hello, I'm Rex limered. My age is 75 and today's date is Wednesday, October 28th, 2020. We're in Amarillo, Texas and my conversation partner is Mary Nell my wife and here we go.

00:41 All right.

00:44 So I guess I'll just start out by telling a little bit about how I grew up and where I grew up and all that. So I was born and I live in Amarillo Texas my entire years until time to go to college. I had a wonderful wonderful Christian loving family. They always were very encouraging and supportive and I also grew up with three brothers who were full of life and with lots of activity. We had lots of friends at our house at all times with that many children and the boys were into every thing I was into cheerleading and our parents were really very influential about how we should treat others and

01:44 We had a we were very patriotic family. We really honored our military and we respected our leader.

01:57 We are we still we had to do chores. That was an important thing but we always had so much fun. And just as I said lots of my activity then after that point in time to go to college, so I decided to go to the University of Texas in Austin and I joined a sorority and my mini long last time friends. I finished with a bachelor's degree in interior design and then I met my husband Rex my junior year and that was when my sorority and they had a Sing Song Contest. What was I doing while you were having all this fun in Amarillo and growing up?

02:55 I was born and raised in Liberal Kansas, which is just right in the southwest corner of the state. Amarillo was about 165 miles away South.

03:09 My senior year of high school

03:12 I went to New Mexico Military Institute and continued through junior college and we had to go to summer camp because all of his contract that were sophomores her graduated from Oklahoma the SATs and I had met someone who said why don't you come to Austin because I was scheduled at the time to go to KU and they said Austin's Elite place. I got to go there we could run together Etc. So I just took a weekend off once I got out of summer camp and went to Austin and why would the city fell in love with the school?

04:04 Went back to Liberal before school started. I didn't know if I was accepted to UT if this time or not, but all the sudden I started getting these Rush letters and it said we're happy to have you here. We would like for you to look at our fraternity all the typical Rush letters. So I had to call the Dean a man and I get me my name and I said I've been getting these Rush letters, but I've gotten no formal acceptance to u t u am I in or am I at and

04:41 2 minutes later came back on and said yes, you've been accepted. So I moved to Austin and joined a fraternity. And is Mary Nell said in the same song. This is where we first met. I was on the campus UT in Austin long time ago.

05:04 So I had signed my contract.

05:08 And Mario and I had a lot of fun in school with joy. We still love Austin both our children are graduates of Eugene.

05:18 And so as soon as we got our diplomas, I got my second Lieutenant bars. There were six of us that got the bar bars at the same time immediately. We took off from Austin and headed back to our towns Amarillo and liberal because in June we were we were to be married. So we went through all the parties and your you might want to expand on that a little bit scarce. Just right after we graduated from college. Do we have a lot to take care of before we were going into his active-duty at that point. So anyway, we were just having the most

06:13 Rust off and ended up going to Atlanta first and we were there for really only a short time probably a couple of months. And then after that we went to Columbus Georgia. My first is it was I had to go through infantry school at 4. So we moved to Fort Benning.

06:40 At first there was no housing available. And so we moved in with another couple for 3 weeks until their lease was up. And then we took over their lease. They were also UT graduate. So it was

06:58 It was kind of fun staying with them and getting caught up with school finished infantry school. Next assignment was Fort Holabird, which is located Baltimore, Maryland, and it was intelligent School. My MOS was Intelligence and we were there for

07:20 A good while because Mary Nell became pregnant with her first child.

07:30 And I was to leave three months prior and when Tiffany was born our oldest child her. She had trouble with the pregnancy and her doctor and said if I left before the baby was born it could seriously jeopardize the help of the mother so they didn't know really what to do with Fort Holabird, but they knew my background and they said well, we need a math teacher for 6 o c s marine and I don't want to be Pilots. So until Tiffany 260c S Marine wannabe Pilots.

08:20 So at that point

08:23 We had we were given orders that Rex would have to leave for Vietnam and three weeks after the baby was born. So when Tiffany was 18 months old we flew to Amarillo. Anyway, we flew to Amarillo and Rex drove with all of our worldly belongings and and met us.

08:58 I might add something real real quick maridel's mother was a wonderful person and she came up a couple of weeks early help us pack cook the dinners and really stayed with Mary Nell until we left to come back to Amarillo.

09:21 It was just a really a rush rush top thing. But anyway reps left for Vietnam when our daughter was three weeks old and that was absolutely the hardest thing ever.

09:38 The night before which I'm sure

09:43 Everyone else that we're under the same orders did something similar is denied before I left.

09:52 We booked a room at the old Howard Johnson's hotel and maren elze parents gift if me and we went through Wills. We went through insurance policy is it called? Who's the attorney? Who's the app? We went through all those things let it all all these papers on the bed and went from and then went to sleep got up very early and left the next morning.

10:22 So anyway, then we had I had to adjust and

10:28 My parents had to just that they were so wonderful. They invited Tiffany and I live at their home. And at that point I was thinking I don't know what I would do without them because I really needed a maid of a lot of help and a lot of comfort to that point. But I also thought the motor and realize my Heavens they really not a huge sacrifice because this was the first time that they were empty nesters and they didn't have all those children running around and I could have had just a whole lot of fun. But instead they actually let me make one of the bedrooms into the nursery. So Tiffany had her own room and and anything anyway, everything just worked out really well with them taking care of us, and I did get to see some friends and Amarillo and

11:28 Was good, but the best part was when ever

11:33 I got to go see Rex.

11:37 For R&R that's rest and recuperation and we met in Hawaii and we were there for about a week and we just had the most wonderful time. I don't think we ever slept. I think we just talked and laughed and acted as if this would be the last time we would ever see each other. So eat we made every minute count and I took I took a camera with all the films that have X hysterical all the all the hotels are most of the hotels.

12:20 Motion picture picture projectors that would show

12:29 When I left the morning that I left I arrived in country and we all came in Thompson, which is in Saigon, which is now I hope he meant Cindy.

12:43 Since I was was out of schedule, I flew on what they did. They flew us over on commercial airlines or if there was no liquor that I actually want a t w a plane it was TWA stewardesses and as we were coming in to land and talks enough, they had a rocket attack and I thought as the pilot pull back to get go back around and make another Landing. I thought they were both on that plane is going to come and we landed and I had and then we were sent on a bus along behind and that's where we got all of our gear. We got two rifles without our jungle.

13:33 Then I was bus to Saigon and they didn't have orders.

13:38 John Saigon for me. So I stayed there for probably 30-45 days going to Language School.

13:46 And then an intelligence officer and took or was killed in an area when Ian which has been their problems and they said we're going to send you up there to reply Sam. So again, I got a chopper and was Chopper into

14:09 The person that pick me up in a jeep was a Sergeant First Class and he happened to be one of the instructors that I've had and all of her he was on his second tour Sergeant the month spoke French, which is the second language is so I immediately left on watched on to him because he he was a very valuable person with his language skills.

14:41 Now we go to R&R.

14:46 I didn't know Mary Nell didn't know for sure when I was going to come when I was going to arrive in Hawaii.

14:55 And so as I was flying over one of my seat makes next to me his wife.

15:04 You was coming to Hawaii, but he wasn't married. Most of the married people came to Hawaii single guys. They either went to Bangkok or Australia.

15:16 So we were on the plane and I said, well my wife won't be there to make me but I hope she's at the hotel. So that's where I'm going to go. I'm sure you remember the pictures when they open the gate as the flying taxi. Do you know all the women they open the gate and as the man we're coming off all the men all the women and I heard we're rushing towards the flying except for three of us and three of us kind of beard off to the side. So we got the first cab. To the hotel and I had lost a lot of weight and at the time

15:59 Had where's my eyesight's very poor and I had Army glasses. Those are those ugly-ass right frame glasses in the world. This little skinny guy with gray flame glasses came to the door. The hotel went up the escalators all the sudden Mary Nell was coming down the escalator on the other side. We passed Midway. She really didn't recognize me at first so we both did a double-take at at the same time so funny because I really up what did you know, that was really something that happened?

16:51 So then going back to Vietnam where I was located again. I wouldn't on any kind of army schedule. I wasn't with an American. I was nicer to South Vietnamese. So I really didn't have access any kind of schedule Transportation. So I just

17:18 What we did it is just hitchhike. We would go to one air filter another you. Ask the Huey Pilots where they were going until we got to clean them and that's as soon as I arrived. I went into my room and my roommate said it was a nice LOL. He said the colonel Taylor around and get on a plane back to the states. He said a brigadier general has called and your father-in-law has had a heart attack and passed away and your orders are to go back to Amarillo.

18:11 That was really probably one of the most difficult times ever because my father picked me up at the airport when I was flying back from from a y and we were just talking he was telling me a little bit about Tiffany and what she been doing, you know while I was gone and all of a sudden he started gas and I knew something terrible was wrong, but we were in the car we were not driving yet. But anyway, he was behind the steering wheel and I thought I have to get him out because I have to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. My father was a large man and it was just an unbelievable thing because I reached in my arms under him and picked him up and carried him over to the sidewalk so I can give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and I was doing that.

19:11 And it was very light it was about midnight. And so and everyone else was gone and this pilot walked out and saw that I thought that we were in distress and I he called someone to get an ambulance here and then he came over and he was helping me and then when we were able to get in touch with him and well anybody he passed away in the ambulance and it was it was absolutely just heart-wrenching. I could not believe that it actually happened. My father was only fifty-seven years old and was a strong man, but he just had a massive heart attack and and died. So anyway next kind breakfast able to come back home and my brother I forgot to tell you that my brother had left in December to go to Vietnam so he was over there also.

20:11 And I could not find him to get him to bring him home. He was in the Marines. I was in the middle of tooth or

20:27 I feel they can find I think he was out on an operation or whatever. Finally they got a hold of him and he got to come back to Amarillo.

20:39 But he bought he did not make it back in time for the funeral but he did get to come back and rest breaks got to come back Rex was able to stay for about a month and then bill was able to stay for about two months and then they both have to go back and fight the war so that was that was a terrible thing to have to have y'all leave, but I know I don't know. I just had something in my heart at that point that you both were going to come back on.

21:11 And we did we both made it we were able to get together and Vietnam for about 3 days.

21:21 Which there there's a story behind that too.

21:27 As I said, I was an advisor to the rfps and I really felt comfortable because this was after 10 in the country was really pretty calm overall after an because I was the only American I had to or me or Tito's always with me and I have to Vietnamese interpreters and they always kept Squad Vietnamese basically around me because they would not let the Vietnamese call in airstrikes or artillery. If a contact I was the one that had to call in the airstrikes and our killer so they didn't want anything to happen.

22:19 I went on the ground which was strictly volunteer because my MOS wasn't instrument and and then I flew with a lot of that time. They had moved Hamlet's or Villages back into Hamlet's a family and they had what they called free fire zones. And this is what we live over almost daily and there were two ships and these were the old

22:51 Old Cessna looking planes to people the pilot and then the observer in the back one would fly ground level 500 ft the other ship with surf would be about 1,200 ft in case the lower ship went down and I flew until

23:16 I was just charged and got to come back back to the States.

23:22 I really had it a good friend. She's wheeler. I'll never forgetting you were from Texas. He was a little cranky but he was a heck of a pilot and somehow I and I connected and whenever the amiss mergency flights come up come up wheeler and Wheeler if my Jeep and go over there real quick and we were the two.

23:53 RMS on a little Cessna planes for we had to

24:02 White phosphorus rockets on each wing and that was about it back that was it and we spent a lot of time low very low to the ground and we were we were flying and we were looking for whatever we did anyway.

24:33 So anyway Rex came back and it was a wonderful reunions. We were so excited. And of course I could hardly wait for us to have to have a normal life again. And I think I didn't realize was that you know, what happened to him while he was over there because he was he had top security clearance. And so everything that we would write to each other was pray real hard and everything else. So it was very kind of like, I guess the whole time that he was there as far as our conversation. We didn't ever talked on the telephone with each other but

25:24 It was all I wanted to do was just to have this sweet family yet all back together and

25:33 And we moved from Amarillo at that point and we move to Scottsdale Arizona. Just met her in her finest Francis was there and Tiffany was holding her Mary Nell was holding. Give me and my mother came up from liberal.

25:59 To meet me in so I reached out to hold Tiffany Tiffany took one look at me and I must look like the strangest alien that had just landed and she just grabbed Mary Nell and wouldn't let go so it took a little while but not long was just a strange person that was intruding in our in our life. But anyway, we ended up moving to Scottsdale and that's where we started rebuilding, you know, our relationship and our family and everything else and I just didn't realize all the things that Rex is gone through while he was over there in the things that he had seen the things that he has suffered and the people that had watch died and I just I didn't realize all of that because I mean we were very young

26:59 A young fun-loving happy little immature. We all were and came back a different person it was

27:21 At that point

27:23 Do we want to just move on and talk about?

27:33 Here in Amarillo. We have the Texas Panhandle war memorial and it's it's a beautiful part in this Center wait, we have the model S for each one of the complex for

27:50 Residence of the Panhandle that have died in France World War Vietnam Korea Etc

27:58 And that was the part and it took a while to get there because they started building that in 1998. And I think I came on the board. Probably about 2,000 p.m. 2009 Mary Ellen. I give us some money to build a little reflection area off to the side of the center of the part for families.

28:30 It go and sit and and kind of just take in everything after going through the park. Well at a board meeting it was discussed. What else can we do because

28:46 But we were what we were doing at that particular time. We're we're ceremonies and we would have a ceremony Memorial Day veterans day time and a welcome back. We're all the Vietnam vets and we would have ceremony and so it came out at the board meeting. What else can we do the topic of Education?

29:14 And we decided that what really was needed was two things one to help her better coming back because the Gulf War at taking place at this time Afghanistan was was kicking off and

29:35 Post traumatic syndrome when she was kind of let me know if everybody's left lifts and then was it was a big big thing and Veteran suicides at that time. I think there were 23 Viet Nam veterans a day that we're committing suicide so we decided

29:58 That's first priority and second priority. How can we educate our children as far as what our veterans have done?

30:07 So we started on a fundraiser for to raise money to build an education center.

30:17 And we get to the present-day well in April about two years ago. We were given the Randall County Annex, which is a 18500 square-foot building all the money that we wanted to for the education center, which incidentally we've been working on for about eight years. So we took the annex and Mary Nell the game.

30:47 Then I guess you would call it the contractors boss designer architect everything.

30:58 And you spent how long were you doing?

31:04 It was actually I'm still toting it. But I mean it was over a year that we worked on the building because we had to totally redo everything and the only thing that's still the same as more but we work and work on that and it was it was really a joy. I do my degree in interior design. So I love doing this type of thing anyway, but said it was originally going to try to build I was going to cost eight and a half million and we were working really diligently trying to erase that money. So when this opportunity for us to be able to take over this the Randall County Annex, it was wonderful because we have enough money to be able to redo that building and to get things going

32:04 Now we're just kind of spring forward a little bit more and let you know that we have developed all these programmes we have had our grand opening things are going well. Things are a little bit slow because of the Cove in that were suffering really right now throughout the entire world, but we can see such great progress and we have many many things that are available at this building that we would not have been able to do in the building and I'll just start out by telling you a few things that are offered here and and what we do this was Private donations that we received so we are so grateful to the community for what they have been but they have provided for us.

33:04 Chapel we can have weddings and funerals and we also and have meetings there. We have become partners with the let me have one thing on a rope Wick.

33:20 The chapel is is very dear and important because a lot of people don't realize if there are urns out there that have ashes of veterans that have not been claimed.

33:35 So if they're in our Panhandle area, we can have a service in the park on their way to San Antonio.

33:43 I also

33:47 Colonel Hoffman who was on our board was a chaplain and he laid in state after a funeral at the church he at our hearts.

34:03 And we also have become partners with the center for brain health. They're part of the University of Texas medical school and they're based in Dallas, Texas. And we we have had two sessions so far and the training is just incredible. It really helps. Well, it helps in all kinds of ways but it's it works mainly on the frontal lobe and it's just a basic training that they give to people that help with her cognitive thinking and it trickles down and help people with post-traumatic stress. It is not

34:45 Specifically for that but it is it it helps in so many different ways that that is another thing that we felt would be really important. So we are partners with them. We have two questions the year and we've already had two sessions and it went very well. We've had First Responders that were veterans 25A session, but we can have up to 35 and I think the first session we have about thirty one. The other thing I asked if you would like to do that it's interactive. It's a kiosk and we have all the 11 major Wars and conflicts on on the kiosk where people can pick their War or conflict.

35:36 And it's it's it's it's honest green and it'll come up and we have a moving wall which is a collage and it's it's a quiz and your you have multiple choice questions. And for instance when my pee is the first president of the United States and so you hit the right answer and up on the wall will flash a picture of the correct answer that you've chosen to reinforce.

36:06 That part of history or that little bit of history in in a student's Pine Measure 11 Wars and conflicts and that is not being done anywhere else and we felt like if we were going to have an education center or you wanted to do it, right? So we hired a group out of Montreal Quebec to design this for us. They are an incredible group there and it cost a lot of money, but it's well worth it because this is something that's important and it just as I said not being done anywhere else.

36:51 We also have reception area there where we have a marquis like New York and it goes around all the whole time. It goes around and has about 55 quotes military quotes and then then also just some words on it. We feel like it when the veterans and their families walk into this building and I see all of these things being said about the veterans and what they have done and the wonderful quote that makes them realize that we have not forgotten them. And that is that's aren't one of our major missions. We have a medal of honor display. We have a USS Arizona display we have

37:41 We have World War 2 artifacts and we have a mented and signed complete collection of World War II planes and tanks and ships.

38:00 Smaller-scale at 1:41. And then the other thing that we really want to talk about is the resource coordination center that is where we feel like that we can really help our veterans and their families.

38:24 And that we will be able to

38:29 Help them transition back into society where we can we can do all different types of services. We will connect them with the correct service that I made and anything from counseling two jobs to Transportation help with her children all types of things and we were we are the resource or that or the whole Texas Panhandle. It does many many things. It's set designed to achieve all the goals and more than when we originally make them what we set out to do it yourself.

39:17 I feel like this is the way that that we've been able to give back the time that Rex and I have spent on this the money that we've raised we felt like this was something that was put in our hearts and we knew that it was something we needed to do and there were times where we really thought of God shall we really done the right thing but we have so we are we are ready ready and excited and so thrilled with this is happening.