Could it be the proximity to a Veterans Administration health care facility? How about access to other facilities at nearby Fort Hood? Maybe it is even the often quiet atmosphere, and access to places like Lake Belton, or even the people who populate the Central Texas region?
If you ask a veteran or military retiree, in many cases, they’d answer all of the above.
Jesse Wilson is one of those military retirees.
Wilson, a member of American Legion Post 55, spent 21 years in the U.S. Army and retired from Germany through Fort Hood.
“It’s real convenient to Fort Hood and most of the people around here are real friendly folks,” Wilson said. “You are always welcomed wherever you go.”
Wilson, who is originally from Illinois, said the climate was also a factor in deciding on Temple.
Ronnie Brown, a member of VFW Post 4008 for 39 years, spent two years in the U.S. Army, much of it in Vietnam and Fort Carson, Colo.
Brown, however, is a Central Texas native and the 100 percent Disabled Veteran saw no reason not to come back home.
“Look what they have here,” he said, citing Fort Hood and the VA hospital.
But, of course there was more, too.
“There’s golf courses, community living, lakes and fishing,” Brown said. “It’s been proven since 1945 that this is one of the places, that a lot of people who retire come from Fort Hood, Texas.”
It’s no secret that a vast majority of the military retirees in the Temple-Belton area are here courtesy of the U.S. Army and Fort Hood, but there are a few who just found their own way here.
Retired Air Force Lt.Col. Audrey Stebon is one of those people.
Stebon, commander of VFW Post 1820, came to Temple because she has a sister in Troy, but there are a lot of other reasons to stay.
“Having a VA Hospital helps, and I don’t like a lot of traffic and I like small towns,” she said.
Ms. Stebon, who is originally from Massachusetts, said the weather and mild winters were also a factor.
“It’s a whole lot better than being in the northeast where I grew up,” she added.
Shannon Gowan, public information officer for the city of Temple said there are a lot of reasons for veterans and military retirees to consider Temple a good place to live.
“The city not only has the healthcare veterans are looking for, but also the quality of life they may be looking for,” Gowan said.
A check with the city of Temple and the Department of Veteran Affairs yielded no firm numbers regarding the total number of veterans in the Temple community.
However, Nelia Schrum, public information officer for the Temple Veteran’s Hospital said the hospital serves right at 239,000 veterans, covering 39 counties and five congressional districts.
Don Peace, a retired U.S. Army veteran who now serves as a work rehabilitation specialist with the VA, said he sees a lot of veterans in his office every day.
“There are a lot of jobs here, and that is what I do,” he said.
Peace said veterans also settle in Temple because of the city’s proximity to Interstate 35 and cities like Austin, Waco and San Antonio.
“There are a lot of things that get the veterans here,” Peace said.
bkirk@temple-telegram.com
