Vietnam veteran Michael Lee Bell named August Texoma Hero in Sherman

HOT 107.3 FM named Michael Lee Bell its August 2026 Texoma Hero, and the station set a ceremony in his honor for noon Friday, Aug. 28, at VFW Post 2772, 1707 Baker Road in Sherman. The station's announcement identifies Bell as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, a Vietnam veteran and a recipient of the Bronze Star.

By the program's account, Bell served in the Army from Jan. 6, 1970, to Oct. 27, 1971. He reached Vietnam on Oct. 25, 1970, and stayed until the day his service ended, which places the last year of his enlistment in country.

The announcement describes Bell as a lifelong resident of Grayson County. He graduated from Sherman High School in 1967 and attended Grayson County College. The City of Sherman says county commissioners founded the town in 1846 and that it is the Grayson County seat.

Post 2772 says Billy Teague and HOT 107.3 FM founded the Texoma Hero program in January 2015 to recognize two things: what a veteran did in uniform, and what that veteran has done for the community since taking the uniform off. The station's Texoma Heroes page says the program presents one veteran with a ceremonial flag at noon on the last Friday of each month at the Sherman post, and that veterans of any branch are eligible.

Census Bureau estimates for 2020 through 2024 list 9,190 veterans in Grayson County and 2,410 in Cooke County. The same estimates count more veterans in Sherman than in neighboring Denison, and put the statewide total at roughly 1.4 million.

Bell's generation still makes up a large share of that population. The Census Bureau's 2024 Veterans Day factsheet reports 15.8 million veterans nationwide in 2023 and says 33.0% of them served during the Vietnam War. VA Research says about 2.7 million Americans served in Vietnam and that more than 58,000 service members died during the war.

VA guidance says veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, have a presumption of Agent Orange exposure for VA disability-compensation purposes. The service dates listed in the station's announcement fall inside that window. Grayson County runs its Veterans Affairs Office at 100 West Houston in Sherman, with Jimmy Petty as veterans services officer. Cooke County's veteran services officer, Tim Cortes, works from 301 South Chestnut Street in Gainesville.

Families tracing an old service record should expect paperwork. The National Archives says military service and medical files are not posted online, though veterans and next of kin can order copies. The agency separately lists online databases covering Vietnam-era casualties and awards.