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Burnett Dinner announcement

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Afghan vet Andy Burnett
to be honored at dinner
By JOHN SPARKS

Andy Burnett, a wounded veteran of the war action in Afghanistan will be honored at a benefit dinner Saturday, May 9 at the Hawkins School Cafeteria. Burnett and his family were formerly residents of Wood County in the Pine Mills area.
Prior to joining the U.S. Army, Burnett served for nearly two years with the Holly Lake Volunteer Fire Department. He was the youngest fireman ever to serve that organization.
Burnett, entered the Army in April 2007. He trained to be a medic and then completed airborne school. He and his fellow paratroopers were deployed to Afghanistan in May 2007. A sniper's bullet from a Russian made machine gun hit him in the neck July 17, 2008-just six days before the completion of his tour of duty.
Andy has surgeries at U.S. Army hospitals in Germany and in Washington D.C.-one to remove the sniper's bullet from vertebra in his neck and a second to fuse remaining vertebra. Andy also lost 85-percent of his spinal cord as a result of the injury.
Andy aggressively attacked physical rehabilitation at another Army hospital in Tampa Florida. He completed that regimen in just six months-which normally takes a year. His injuries, however, have confined him to a wheel chair, and he recently took delivery of a special vehicle fitted with hand controls to enhance his independence and mobility.
Andy, 23, and his brother Daniel, 27 currently live in Tyler where both are planning to attend college classes. Andy's parents, Larry and Donna, have moved to Texarkana.
The benefit dinner is being sponsored by the Hawkins-Holly Lake Rotary Club and co-sponsored by the Holly Lake Volunteer Fire Department and the Greater Hawkins Area Veterans Memorial Association. Tickets for the event will be available from members of all three of the sponsoring organizations at a cost of $12.50 each. Net proceeds will benefit Burnett as he pursues a college education.
In addition to the benefit dinner, benefit accounts have been established at City National Bank, Hawkins/Sulphur Springs and Southside Bank, Hawkins/Tyler. Direct contributions can be made to the "Andy Burnett' benefit account at these banks or any of the numerous branches of these two area banks.
Tickets to the dinner are available from members of the sponsoring organizations. In the Holly Lake Area call John Sparks, 903 769-1234 or Sven Sterner, 903 769-0962 or any HLVFD Volunteer Fireman. In the Hawkins area call Dr. Shane Bogard at 903 769- 5545. In the Brookhaven, Country Trails, and The Woods area call Frank Hicks 903 769-2543. At Lake Hawkins call Margo Cobb 903 769-2882.

Last Updated on Friday, 24 April 2009 15:33  

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