Coshocton Ace Hardware boasts seven army veterans

COSHOCTON − Veterans Day is a time to honor those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Many who live and work around us every day. Auer Ace Hardware boasts six employees who were in the U.S. Army, with one still serving.

The group is planning to attend a military appreciation breakfast sponsored by Blue Star Mothers from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Coshocton County Commissioners Community Room, 637 Chestnut St. There will be a free breakfast, talk by retired U.S. Marine Jim Priest, a display of military memorabilia and information tables.

Breakfast will feature Stuff on a Shingle, or a harsher name most veterans will probably know it as. Ace Hardware owner Tom Edwards said the Charlie Ration Cookbook and acquiring little bottles of hot sauce, which was used to give the meal some bite and extra flavor, encouraged the guys to attend together.

"There are many recipes for SOS with hamburger or sausage or dried beef. Most mess sergeants, or army cooks, used whatever they had in their rations to make SOS, which is a way of cleaning out the cold storage, or refrigerator," Edwards said. "Vets will enjoy the breakfast and the SOS will cause us to reminisce about the army chow, the good and the bad."

The six military man who work at Auer Ace Hardware are:

● Tom Edwards served in Colorado and Germany as part of the airborne infantry.

● Rowdy Freeman was an air defense artilleryman, who served in Texas and Germany.

● Greg Wright was a tanker stationed at Fort Hood in Texas.

● John Smith served in Vietnam and was trained in artillery, amphibious assault and transportation.

● Bob Buker served in Vietnam and was an army cook.

● Russel Stone was a member of the U.S. Army National Guard, stationed in Coshocton.

● Austin Fowler is a member of the National Guard based in Coshocton now. He may soon attend Airborne School to fill a paratrooper spot for dropping trucks and equipment. He's scheduled to be deployed sometime next year to the Texas-Mexico border.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Seven U.S. Army veterans work for Coshocton Ace Hardware