Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, which is observed every year on the last Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service.
At D&B Tile Distributors, we choose to honor all veterans, past and present and thank them for their service to our country. Too often this holiday is obscured by sales and picnics rather than focusing on the heroic efforts of veterans who are dedicated to protecting the country. Please spend a few moments as we recognize family members of our employees who are currently serving. In addition D&B Tile Distributors took part in a military makeover of a home for a decorated war hero in our area.
Richard Favreau, Diretor of the Delray Beach Store has two children that are currently serving in the military. Rose Favreau has chosen to serve her country by enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. She has qualified to train in aerospace physiology and is currently waiting to be called for basic training in San Antonio Texas.
Stephen Favreau is currently serving in the U.S. Air Force at McCord AFB in Washington State. Stephen is an honor guard, and is undergoing training in aviation electronics. He has served two years of his six-year tour with the Air Force. We are very proud of both of them, and thankful for their commitment to serve their country. They both worked at the D&B Delray location while in high school.
Vince and Judy Mcintyre are both employed at D&B Tile. Their son Vincent is in Afghanistan at the moment maintaining supplies and inventory for the U.S. Army effort in that country. He is responsible for tracking the shipment of needed parts and supplies to give the troops in the field what they need. Vince has been in the Army for two years and should return from this deployment in February of next year.
Vince graduated from Deerfield Beach, High School and when he left school, he wasn’t sure what to do. His mother told him if he wasn’t accepted into a reputable four-year institution, he had four choices, the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. "This is a great opportunity for him to mature and get his life in order. At the end of his four-year tour, I fully expect him to begin college and hopefully complete a master’s program in business," said mom Judy.
D&B Tile Distributors, along with many other organizations have combined forces to retrofit Lieutenant Keefe's home in Okeechobee, FL to accommodate his injuries. The entire process has been documented on a made-for-tv presentation titled Designing Spaces which is airing on the Lifetime Network beginning this month. D&B Tile Distributors donated tile from the Port St. Lucie store for the project. D&B participation was coordinated by Rob Buster from the Pt. St. Lucie store.
1st Lt. Robert M. Keefe, USMC medically separated from the Marine Corps on November 29th, 2012. He continues to serve through any capacity possible as a veteran advocate, volunteer, mentor and public speaker.
Lieutenant Keefe enlisted in the Marine Corps in February 2001, and completed his recruit training at Parris Island. Following Recruit Training, he completed various MOS training courses to become a Reconnaissance Marine, subsequently being assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Bn, 3rd Marine Division, Ill Marine Expeditionary Force, and Okinawa, Japan. There, he served in different billets to include Team Leader, Platoon Sergeant, and Company Ops Chief.
Following Basic School and Logistics Officer Course, he was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, in November 2009. Lieutenant Keefe served as a Platoon Commander for a truck platoon during the battalion1 s deployment to Afghanistan from July 2010 to February 2011.
Lieutenant Keefe’s personal decorations include the Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Good Conduct Medal w/ Bronze Star. Lieutenant Keefe is married to the former Bianca Padgett of Managua, Nicaragua. They live in Okeechobee, Florida and have three children: Zane 10, Leah 10, and Ricky 5.