Spotlight: Sarge Yates (RetSgt)

By Brenda Essig (Zanymuse) on October 3, 2011

It is my honor and privilege to present this weeks Spotlight subject. This is a man who has faced many rough times in his life, yet manages to retain his faith and the courage to overcome all obstacles to providing for his family. He also has a passion to share his knowledge of the survival skills that can save lives. Please join me as we get to know Sarge.

Meet Sarge, In his own words.

I was born on a cold chilly morning on 14 October 1970 around 08:30 (a.m. that is) and weighed in at a just under 8.5 pounds. This was in Sparta, Tennessee and I was the second child, born not quite two years later than my only brother.

We were not wealthy or even modestly accustomed to having any amount of money about the house. Our lil house, that I was born in, still stands today even though it is not much or very big. It is now vacant and boarded up. Times were a bit harsh on my family and it did not take long for my dad to get me and my brother out of that lil house and away from my birth mother (she was not much worth her salt! ) I have not had anything to do with my birth mother since!

I was only 2 years old when we moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, at the very end of Heck Road where there was very few or no other folks, apart from our family, that of now 6 children. Our family now consisted of three new sisters, a new brother, my brother, and me the smallest, with my father and father’s new wife. For the next 8 years I grew up thinking she was my mother, until age 10, when they split.

We moved back to Tennessee where me and my brother were sent to a children’s home in Greenville, Tennessee. There we spent 4 years within the system as no one would have us or care for us. We had very little or no contact with our real family just folks that would sponsor us. (Have anything to do with us/ Foster parents if you will.)

For the next few years my brother and I dealt with an abusive father who had removed us from the children’s home and moved to middle Tennessee. By the time we were 16 & 17 we were working and living on our own. Thankfully there were a few folks from the area that would help us out with food and bills. At age 17 I had to find my father to get him to sign my military enlistment papers just so I could get in (my way out and away from him legally). My brother moved back to Florida.

When I joined the military I had finally found a home and had, for the first time, brothers and sisters that really seemed to give a rat’s back side if I was alive or dead. (Besides my brother, he always took care of me.) This is where I became hardened and like stone, with very little emotion toward anything or anyone. When it was all said and done I had my time in and would have to be retired out of the military due to medical injuries.

Southern Grace, my wife, and I had played together when I was very young, but neither one of us knew it until much later in our relationship. I took her on a river boat cruise, as just friends, and from there we started to develop a relationship.

When my first daughter was born I was terrified, as I did not want to be anything like my father or do what he had done to me and my brother. By the time my second daughter was born everything had subsided and I was ok, seeing that I had not done too badly with my first one (with my wife supporting my efforts all the way.) All of us like to fish, shoot guns, working in the garden, and of course, we love to travel now that we can.

We recently took our first family vacation, starting in Panama City Beach, FL where we soaked in the sun, played on the beach, and visited many of the sites around the area. For a week this was our home. Then we were off to New Orleans, where we hit about all the sites round the area in the French Quarter and swamps LOL.

After a fun filled week, & bit of an exhausting one, we headed to Baton Rouge, LA to see the Shop of Red Jacket (Sons of Guns). While we did not get to see the insides of the shop it was a fun detour for us. They were filming for the next season’s shows.

I started my Cubit as a survival site OSS, Outdoor Survival Skills with Sarge , as a way to pass on some knowledge that I had acquired and learned throughout my lifetime of 40 years. However due to many complications and medical issues I had to stop with its production for quite some time. I do hope to resume its build soon but have yet another issue that has not been disclosed to anyone at this time. It is a medical issue that may take some time to recover from. I just have to wait on the doc for a few more tests to confirm his findings.

By now most everyone knows about my rooster, Mr. Peepers. He is a spoiled lil brat, if you will, but I guess he deserves it at now, age 10. While my family does not have the “normal pets” like most folks do we love our unusual ones.

The Sarge

Sarge and his family grow produce for their use and their garden looks wonderful. Just looking at it makes my mouth water for fresh from the garden food.

It was an honor to be able to present this spotlight on a man who overcame the hardships of his youth, served his country proudly and continues to face the health issues from that service with dignity and courage.

Visit Sarge at his cubit here.

Thank you Sarge.

About Brenda Essig
I believe that everyone has a story worth telling and a uniqueness that sets them apart from the crowd. We are like snow flakes. We look similar at a glance but no two are identical.

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Comments and discussion:

Subject Thread Starter Last Reply Replies

Re ; Sarge RetSgt Oct 19, 2011 6:03 PM 3

Hi, Sarg Roadrunner Oct 19, 2011 10:20 AM 4

Sarge's story murielw1 Oct 16, 2011 11:01 AM 1

Good start for both of you! Lance Oct 15, 2011 8:18 AM 13

Good job~ kaglic Oct 11, 2011 3:01 PM 1

Success is measured in many ways.... stormyla Oct 4, 2011 12:38 PM 4

From one soldier to another! NEILMUIR1 Oct 4, 2011 11:38 AM 1