Veterans Day is a time to honor the brave men and women who risked their lives serving our country. Mustang Creek Estates of Frisco recognizes Veterans Day every year with different activities for all of the residents, including veterans and those whose loved ones served. This year, the seniors handwrote letters to be mailed to soldiers overseas along with patriotic pictures colored by the seniors. The handwritten letters contain personal messages of gratitude and encouragement. Mustang Creek Estates of Frisco realizes the importance of Veterans Day and hopes these cards put smiles on the faces of the men and women who currently serve in the United States Armed Forces. This initiative is especially meaningful to Douglas Wilson, a resident of Mustang Creek Estates of Frisco, who served in the Navy for more than 10 years. In honor of Veterans Day, Wilson, 77, reflects on the reasons he joined, his service experience and the importance of paying tribute to all veterans.

“Joining the Navy in the 1960s was one of the best decisions I made in my life,” said Wilson. “During the first few weeks in service, I questioned whether I made the right decision because it was extremely challenging, both physically and mentally. But when I look back, I am grateful I continued to work hard and improve myself, because the Navy literally turned my life around in the best way possible.”

Before Wilson joined the Navy, he was on the wrong path in his life and he believes he would’ve ended up in trouble with the law. That’s when he decided to join the military. During his service, Wilson was a computer programmer, although he had never worked on a computer prior to joining the Navy. Thanks to his training and the experience he gained during his service, he eventually began a successful career as a networking system engineer. Wilson was stationed in San Diego and eventually in Japan, where he got married to his wife. He and his wife had three children and they also raised one of their three grandchildren. Wilson is proud of his time in the Navy, and he encourages young people to join the armed forces with an objective in mind.

“If you join the military, go there with something you want to accomplish for yourself and for the country,” said Wilson. “The first few weeks or even months are very challenging, you have to get up early in the morning, exercise for long hours, etc. That’s the time you might feel discouraged, but if you go there with a goal, it will help you to get over the hardest times. It is important to celebrate Veterans Day because it can help young people get a feel for serving and helping others. I look forward to writing letters for the soldiers overseas because everyone needs to read a message of encouragement, especially our soldiers who are deployed and away from their families.”

“Every year our team brainstorms different ways to honor the veterans and those who serve, and this year we wrote messages of gratitude and encouragement to the brave men and women overseas,” said Beth Babcock, executive director at Mustang Creek Estates of Frisco. “We enjoyed the stories Douglas and other veteran residents shared with us, and we are thankful for their service.”

Mustang Creek Estates – whose mission is to provide seniors with high-quality residential-style assisted living and memory care at an affordable price – has additional locations in Allen, Burleson and Keller. Recently, Mustang Creek Estates opened its newest senior living community in Sachse.