Two Central Texas military veterans were honored today in an annual Veterans Day ceremony hosted by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3278 and the local American Legion Post 196. Brigadier General Dr. Dan L. Locker of Brownwood, and the late Lt. Colonel Robert R. (Bob) Turner of Voss were the honorees. The event, which is usually held in the Veterans Memorial Park, was moved inside to the VFW Hall, because of inclement weather.
Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes delivered the keynote remarks. “I want you to think for a moment, on why someone would choose to serve in the military. For our veterans here, I can only speculate as to what may have caused you to choose military service. But I suspect that among the things that may have influenced your decision was the belief that military service is honorable, noble, and worthy of respect. I suspect that a factor that influenced your decision was a belief that sacrifice and service are heroic, in a world that needs more heroes. I suspect your decision to serve was largely influenced by the fact that you love this country, and you love her people, and you have a strong belief that someone must protect them at all costs… So I ask you today, what can we do to honor our veterans. The first thing we can do is believe in the things they believed in… The second thing you can do is to love your country, warts and all… We need to celebrate the things that we do well in this country. We need to celebrate the things that we do better than any nation on earth… I am thankful for our men and women that wake up every morning and say that they will stand up and protect our values.”
The event opened with a program of patriotic songs performed by the Brownwood Sixth Grade Choir, directed by Taffy Watts.
Brigadier General Dr. Dan L. Locker, United States Air Force
Dan Locker was born in San Antonio in 1946 to Dr. and Mrs. Braswell Locker. He was raised in Brown County and was graduated from Brownwood High School in 1964. After graduating from Southwest Texas State University in 1967, Locker taught at Early High School, before entering medical school at the University of Texas, San Antonio, from which he was graduated in 1973. While in medical school he received a U.S. Air Force scholarship and commission. Locker received post-graduate training in family practice medicine at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and in general surgery at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. From there, Air Force assignments to Mountain Home AFB in Idaho and to the USAF Medical Center in Wiesbaden, Germany began a career of surgical innovation and leadership.
In Germany, Locker assisted in the rescue and recovery of U.S. Marines involved in the terrorist bombing in Beruit, Lebanon in October 1983. From this experience he identified the need for a medical rapid response capability. Locker helped design and implement the Flying Ambulance Surgical Trauma (FAST) team. The FAST concept had sweeping impact and was implemented throughout the Department of Defense and ally nations.
Locker served as Director of Medical Assignments at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, and as USAF Europe Command Surgeon, Ramstein, Germany. Upon promotion to Brigadier General, he became Medical Center Commander and Department of Defense Lead Agent Region IV, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. In this role, Locker oversaw all military health care in the southeastern United States.
Upon retirement, Locker returned to Brownwood, opened a general surgery practice, and became a community leader. Dan Locker and his wife Cynthia have three children and nine grandchildren.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert R. (Bob) Turner
Bob Turner was born in Coleman Texas on August 10, 1934. He was graduated from Mozelle High School in 1951, and enlisted in the 36th Infantry, Texas Army National Guard, in September of 1952, achieving a rank of Seargent First Class. In 1968 he transferred to the 490th Civil Affairs Company in Abilene, TX, where he graduated from Officers Candidate School. In 1983 Turner graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Now a Lt. Colonel, Turner was sent to Europe and had the responsibility of negotiating logistical needs during the cold war for possible war between the United States and the USSR. The difficult negotiations involved the United States, NATO, and the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1989 Turner received the “Silver Cross of Honor” award from Germany.
Turner retired from the U.S. Army in September 1987, after 35 years of service. He returned to Central Texas to his great-grandfather’s place in Voss, where he became a farmer and rancher. He became involved in local affairs including his church and his local school board. He later became Vice President of the Texas Farm Bureau. He received numerous awards, including Texas A & M University’s “Man of the Year in Texas Agriculture” in 2001. In 1990 Turner was elected as a State Representative in the Texas Legislature, where he served six terms. After retiring from the Legislature, he founded his own lobbying firm known as Rural Issues Consulting.
Turner continued to actively work in the cattle business until his passing on June 19, 2022. Bob Turner was truly a Citizen Soldier.