12/22/2021 2:40:00 PM
"They Have Treated Me Like a Brother"
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Michael Douglass Plumbing employee Frankie Renda and owners Lane Curtis and Jim Curtis meet Lemuel Turner after connecting him to city water and sewer at no charge. |
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Brian and Jack Halstead of Amberjack Sanitation talk with Lemuel Turner during septic tank removal. They even donated the dirt for to fill in the hole! |
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By Chris Cameron
Referring to this country’s veterans, President Barack Obama once stated, “It’s about how we treat our veterans every single day of the year. It’s about making sure they have the care they need and the benefits that they’ve earned when they come home. It’s about serving all of you as well as you’ve served the United States of America”. Over the past year, VFW Post #10178 and three businesses in Englewood have exemplified this statement for a local veteran. Lemuel Turner, a WWII veteran, was facing home repair costs like every homeowner encounters at some point. A friend of his reached out to the VFW Post in February after learning that Mr. Turner’s water heater had stopped working and he had been without hot water for three weeks. The VFW has a relief fund set up for assisting veterans and their families in need. Past Post Commander Danny Fuson, the current Relief Fund chair, contacted Gem Statewide Plumbing to replace the water heater. They not only set up a new water heater for Mr. Turner, but owner Louis Gemma did not charge this veteran for the water heater and installation.
During his interactions with Mr. Turner, Danny learned that his 100th birthday was in March and that he was a Harley-Davidson man. To celebrate this occasion, Danny organized a surprise birthday party drive-by with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and three of its Harley Davidson motorcycle units, Englewood Fire Department, VFW members and VFW district commander Bob Muhlhauser attending. Mr. Turner received patches from the deputy motorcyclists, a certificate from the National VFW Commander, a WWII certificate, and Post #10178 post certificate.
Fast forward to October when Mr. Turner once again began to have plumbing issues: the house toilets were backing up and the cause was determined to be tree roots infiltrating his leach field. The funds needed to hook up to Englewood water and sewage were beyond his financial reach and once again Post #10178 stepped up to assist this veteran through their Relief Fund. Michael Douglass Plumbing ran the necessary lines for the hook-up. The business’ owners, Jane and Jim Curtis, upon learning that the customer was a 100-year-old veteran, said, “no charge” as a way of thanking him for his military service. Amberjack Sanitation was hired to crush and remove the septic tank, and since the owner Brian Halstead and his son Jack are veterans, they decided to absorb the cost for a fellow veteran.
Danny Fuson says the VFW Post serves both veterans and the Englewood community. They interact with local organizations such as Lemon Bay Sunrise Rotary, Girl Scout Troop 419, Englewood Animal Rescue Sanctuary (E.A.R.S.), Englewood schools through the VFW’s Voice for Democracy and Patriots Pen contests, Lemon Bay Junior Navy ROTC program and Englewood Elementary School. You will find the VFW participating in special occasions at Lemon Bay Cemetery, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and events held at the Englewood Veterans Memorial and Freedom Pavilion. He also states that area businesses and organizations step up when needed to help take care of veterans and their families in need, such as Mr. Turner.
Lemuel Turner was born and raised as a farm boy in Huntsville, Alabama. He answered his country’s call to serve in the U.S. Army during WWII and was stationed in England. Upon returning home, he worked for Redstone Arsenal. In 1958 he relocated to Englewood and locally his jobs include working as a lifeguard at Warm Mineral Springs and at a sporting goods store in Venice. Regarding how the Englewood community has honored him, Mr. Turner says he doesn’t have the words in his vocabulary to express his gratitude and appreciation for the VFW and for the businesses that have supported him, “They have treated me like a brother!”
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