Veterans honor Avoca Mayor O’Dell

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

— Just after he had called the City Council meeting to order last month, Avoca Mayor Tommy O’Dell received a surprise.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3031 former post commander Gary Wellesley walked in accompanied by an honor guard and requested the floor.

“Mayor, I request that you come forward for recognition,” O’Dell recalled Wellesley said. “He pinned a medal on me for VFW Citizenship Award. I thought it was pretty neat.”

O’Dell is not a veteran,but has high regard for veterans.

“I didn’t even know such a critter (the award) existed. Somebody had to think of me kind of like my mom does - I’m pretty special somewhere,” O’Dell said.

“This astounded me so much ... I was completely flabbergasted.”

Wellesley said: “Tommy does so much for us. We lead the parade, he did the monument last year and he had the traveling exhibit.

“He’s been real kind to us ... this was Honor Guard driven.”

O’Dell also received a plaque from Post 3031 for his “unselfish devotion” to the local post.

Community, Pages 6 on 05/04/2011