SAN ANTONIO – More than 500 airmen, soldiers and seamen were guests of honor at Valero’s 14th annual Thanksgiving with the Troops event at its corporate headquarters.
The members of the military are in the new class undergoing medical education and training at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
“I miss my family. I miss my home, but it’s nice to be able to get out and do this,” said Pvt. Logan Barker, of Iowa, who is training to become a combat medic.
To help them feel at home, Valero volunteers were there to serve the troops plates piled high with turkey, dressing and all the trimmings, and, of course, their choice of desserts.
“Seconds, no problem,” said Wayne Faught, a Valero accountant and veteran.
“I do think they deserve that for all the hard work they do. Our troops, airmen, sailors definitely need that,” said Maureen Caspers, event coordinator.
“It’s kind of fun to just breathe a little,” said Jasmine Burke, who is also in combat medic training.
To also show the “Military’s Got Talent,” not just on the battlefield but also on stage, several of them performed their renditions of Bruno Mars, Frank Sinatra and Ed Sheeran songs with the help of a karaoke machine.
The winner was Hannah Masengale, of St. Louis, Missouri, who is training to be a combat medic with hopes of someday becoming a dermatologist, not a professional singer.
“I sang in high school off and on, but I just like to sing in the shower normally," she said.