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Veteran Stories - Larry Hume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veteran Stories Episode 2

 

 

 

VFW Post 8904 Quartermaster Larry Hume started a project to identify all the World War I veterans from Shelby County that served in the war, or those from other places who are buried in Shelby County. Hume will not let our veterans be forgotten.

 

“Everybody including myself were really surprised that we ended up with 884 names”, said Hume. 2018 was the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Hume organized a special once-in-a-lifetime event to honor all our World War I veterans. The event was held on Sunday, Nov. 11, at the historical 1885 Shelby County courthouse.

 

The Veteran’s Day memorial was well attended and featured different local musical performances. Speeches were given by Hume and other prominent members of the community. The local 4H bequeathed special quilts that they made to several surviving veterans from different wars.


The VFW Post 8904’s women auxiliary also unveiled a huge quilted display made of thousands of quilted buddy poppies. The display was hung from a window on the side of the historic courthouse. The individual poppies that made up the quilt were fashioned from hard work of many women both locally and abroad.

 

“Everything has been self-taught and has just kind of evolved”, said Hume. Hume and his wife Theresa Dibben Hume moved to Center, Texas in 1996.  They started their own successful printing business Chief Imaging. The couple started the print shop with no prior knowledge about it. He did not join the local VFW Post 8904 until one day in 2004.

 

As time went on Hume became more involved with the local VFW post and became the post commander. After being the post commander for a few years Hume switched over to the role of quartermaster. 

 

“It gives you an opportunity to see everything”, said Hume. The role of quartermaster is like a finical manager. Hume is very involved in the community. 

 

As well as being the post quartermaster, Hume is the face of our local VFW.  He appears and usually gives a speech at every war memorial that he can attend, sometimes even in the rain.  He is a member of the Shelby County Historical Society helps with the Shelby County Museum in Center, Texas.  

 

“I wasn’t in too long before I knew that is what I wanted to do,” said Hume. Hume made a career out of his military service. He served in the Air Force for 20 years and one month. When Hume first joined the military, he worked in administration. 

 

Over his years in the service, he worked various jobs from finance to teaching. Hume eventually became a Command Chief Master Sergeant working for a wing commander to advise him on enlisted matters.

 

“It grew me up”, said Hume, after being asked how the military shaped him as a person. Hume finished his military career as an E9 Command Chief Master Sergeant, which is the highest enlisted rank you can achieve in the United States Air Force. 

 

“I didn’t consider any other service”, said Hume. Growing up as a serviceman’s son Hume enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1961. Fresh out of high school and not wishing to pursue college at the time, Hume chose to join the Air Force. He chose the Air Force over the other branches because his father Lewis Hume Jr. served in the Air Force in World War II. 

 

“If you don’t want to go to college when you finish high school the military is a good place to start your life”, said Hume. During his 20 years of service in the militarily, Hume went on to pursue a college education. He graduated with two degrees a bachelor’s in business and a master’s in management. 

 

“I think every veteran would tell you they would do it again”, said Hume. Hume’s only regret about his military service is that he did not serve even longer

 

 

 

 

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