GMC Carry The Load Spotlight Sid Clyburn

OVILLA, Texas - May 29, 2013 - PRLog -- Ovilla, Texas (May 20, 2013)…Sid Clyburn of Sewell Buick GMC is a 22-year GMC employee. He works in Sales and says serving in the military was “great training for life in the real world.”

Hard to imagine, once learning that he was in the U.S. Air Force for four years, worked as an Air Craft Controller, is a Vietnam veteran, and was stationed at NakhonPhanom Royal Thai Air Base – known as NKP, located 75 miles from North Vietnam and north of Vietnam’s Demilitarized Zone.

NKP was home to the 56th Air Commando Wing, renamed the 56th Special Operations Wing in 1968. According to Phil Carroll, who was with the 56th Security Police Squadron at the base in 1971, “it’s been called ‘the worst base in Thailand, but the best base we had in Vietnam.’…It was just ‘eight clicks [eight kilometers]’ from communist invested, war-torn Laos. This proximity was extremely convenient for Air Force combat missions flown from there, and a lifesaver for shot-up U.S. aircrews desperate to put it on the ground right now.”

Carroll continues: “Although Laos wasn’t ‘Vietnam,’ and the war in Laos wasn’t officially happening, there was war there…There were 35,000 North Vietnamese Regular Army (NVA) troops in Laos by 1968, and 80,000 by 1970 – experienced enemy combat troops swarming a country the size of Idaho…As one former officer…said, ‘Most of the time it seems we were in some form of higher alert due to the threat level. Just north of NKP city was a known communist terrorist crossing point.’”

In addition, most of the NVA Regulars “were supporting and defending the Ho Chi Minh Trail where it went south – right past NKP. All the troops and supplies to support the communist’s aggression in South Vietnam went down that trail network, so defending it was critical to them. We knew that every bomb and bullet that went down that trail was going to be used against Americans in the south, so stopping it was critical to us.”

This was Clyburn’s tour of duty – his preparation for life in the real world. Sadly, because of an unpopular war, returning servicemen didn’t get the recognition and respect they deserved or shown appreciation by their country’s citizens. They, like many former veterans sent to war zones, don’t talk much about that period of their lives. Clyburn seems no different.

Hesimply says Carry The Load “is new to me. I just found out about it,” and adds,“But I think it’s great that GMC is sponsoring the event.”

In honor of Carry The Load, DFW GMC Dealers are calling all military – active duty and veterans – and friends and family! DFW GMC Dealers want people to salute a veteran or active duty military hero or first responder (fire, police, medical) by going to the DFW GMC Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/GMCDFW)and entering a “salute.” If you have a story and photo to share about the person you are saluting, DFW GMCDealers will donate an additional $5 if you post it on their Facebook wall.  DFW GMC Dealers – a 2013 sponsor of Carry The Load – will donate $5 for every salute and story up to $10,000 from today through May 27, 2013.

To leave a salute, go to https://www.facebook.com/gmcdfwand click the “Salute!” tab. The salutes will be posted on a special Honor Roll Call. Check back each day to see the salutes.

The Dallas Memorial March will be held Sunday and Monday, May 26-27, at Reverchon Park and Katy Trail. Money is raised by event participants and sponsors with a goal of $1 million. Recipients for 2013 are Assist The Officer, Heroes On The Water, Friends of Dallas Fire-Rescue, Tip Of The Spear Foundation and Sons of the Flag Burn Foundation.

The 2000-mile, 27-day Carry The Load National Relay left West Point, NY, on April 30 and will finish in Dallas Memorial Day weekend. The journey honors America’s fallen heroes and their families. Follow the relay on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CarryTheLoad.

For more information on DFW GMC visit www.facebook.com/GMCDFW.  To donate, register or for more information on Carry The Load, go to http://carrytheload.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1047584&lis=1&kntae1047584=47F9C79D19D9402DA30D2937C8574A9B. More information on the National Relay is available at http://carrytheload.org/.

Thank you Sid Clyburn for Carrying The Load.

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Contact: Jo Trizila, TrizCom Inc., jo@TrizCom.com, Office: 972-247-1369, Cell: 214-232-0078

DFW GMC Dealerships

Classic of Arlington, 1400 E Interstate 20, Arlington, TX, 76018, 817-375-3000, www.classicarlington.com

Ray Riding Motors, Inc., 1111 East Hwy 243, Canton, TX, 75103, 903-567-4131, www.johncrow.com

Classic of Carrollton, 2700 N I 35 East, Carrollton, TX, 75007-4402, 972-242-4000, www.classicofcarrollton.com

Freedom Chevrolet Buick GMC, 8008 Marvin D. Love Freeway, Dallas, TX, 75237, 972-298-4911, www.freedomchevydallas.com

Gateway Buick GMC, 11438 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX, 75238, 214-342-7052

Sewell Village Buick-GMC, 7474 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX, 75209, 214-902-2222, www.sewellgmc.com

James Wood Decatur Buick-GMC, 2111 S Hwy 287, Decatur, TX, 76234, 940-627-2177, www.jameswooddecatur.com

James Wood Denton Buick GMC, 3906 I 35E S, Denton, TX, 76210, 972-434-1515, www.jameswoodpbg.com

Hiley BG of Fort Worth, 3535 W Loop 820 S, Fort Worth, TX, 76116-6648, 817-632-8800, www.hileygm.com

Luttrull-McNatt Buick GMC, 1608 W Hwy 82, Gainesville, TX, 76240, 940-665-5591, www.luttrullmcnatt.com

Classic of Granbury Buick-GMC , 1909 East Hwy. 377, Granbury, TX, 76049, 817-279-9775, www.classicgranbury.com

Freeman Buick-GMC, 501 W. State Highway 114 , Grapevine, TX, 76051, 817 410-5000, www.freemangrapevine.com

Southwest Buick GMC of East Texas, LLC, 4001 Interstate 30, Greenville, TX, 75402, 903-455-5100, www.greenvillepontiacbuickgmc.com

McKinney Buick GMC, 3950 S. Central Expressway, McKinney, TX, 75069, 469-952-5200, www.lonestarautogroup.com

Ewing Buick-GMC, 4464 Plano Pkwy, Plano, TX, 75093, 972-964-7400, www.thinkewing.com

Heritage Buick-GMC, 930 E I-30, Rockwall, TX, 75087, 972-771-7272, www.heritagebpg.com

Bruner Motors Inc., 1515 West S Loop US 377, Stephenville, TX, 76401, 254-968-2135, www.brunergm.com

Carlisle Buick-GMC, 1701 W US Highway 287 Bypass, Waxahachie, TX, 75167, 972 938-1991, www.waxahachiebuick.com

Jerry's Buick-GMC, 3118 Fort Worth Hwy., Weatherford, TX, 76087, 817-596-5581, www.jerrysbuickgmc.com