Vet Fest starts with a bang at Cameron University

Cameron University’s annual Vet Fest started with a bang — and squeals of delight — Monday.

The bangs were provided courtesy of Fort Sill and the squeals were provided courtesy of 127 third- and fourth-graders from Bishop Public School.

The firepower was provided by Fort Sill’s Half Section and the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, 428th Field Artillery Brigade and Cameron’s own Big Ollie. Each gun boomed a dummy round to kick off the annual Vet Fest, a two-day event hosted by the Office of Veterans Affairs.

Community members, including veterans, military service members and dependents, were invited to a variety of events at the McMahon Centennial Complex on Monday. Guests included the aforementioned students, who stuck their fingers in their ears just before the guns boomed out their welcome.

“They were loud and they were also pretty scary,” Jesus Soto, 9, said of the guns.

After the ceremonial gun-firing in front of McMahon Village, it was off to McCasland Centennial Complex where students saw a martial arts demonstration courtesy of Southwest Institute of Martial Arts. Then students rotated through various stations where they painted patriotic footballs and listened to a presentation from Gordon Blaker, director/curator of the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum about the Revolutionary War.

But the real fun was outside where the Fort Sill Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit had robots on display. The robots were picking up packages of pretzels and candy from boxes.

“It’s easy for us to be the star of the show when we have these cool things out here,” said 1st Lt. Kaleb Fanning of the EOD.

Joaneyls Santana, 8, couldn’t have agreed more.

“I love the robots,” she said. “I’ve been to Tinker Air Force Base and seen their robots.”

She also said she liked the “people fighting and the cannons. That’s it.”

Students were not the only ones carried away with the robots.

“I need these in my classroom to watch the students,” said teacher Shelly Penrod as she watched the students chase the robots and vice versa.

Field Artillery mascots Big Deuce and Short Round also were on hand to welcome visitors to the two-day event.

One student wanted to know if the Big Deuce (a donkey) was the donkey from “Shrek”.

“Yes,” came back the tongue-in-cheek reply from Spec. Vincent Chapa, Big Deuce’s handler.

“What is he most scare of? Kids?” another student asked.

“Yes,” was the reply.

Short Round, the goat, was not feeling friendly toward the students and kept moving out of petting range.

The two-day event continues today in the McCasland Centennial Complex.