Interview: A few minutes with Sherrie Vera

We're kicking off our interview series today at Off the Lake.
For our first interview we're talking with Sherrie Vera, asking her all kinds of questions about growing up in Miami, kids, and movies...

OTL: So Sherrie, tell us a little about yourself. Did you grow up in South Florida?

SV: Yes. I grew up in Miami, the northern part of the city in the Ives Dairy area. I went to N. Miami Beach High School. Born and raised in south Florida, I’ve spent my whole life here. Now we live in Tamarac.

OTL: What kind of things were you into growing up in Miami?

SV: I was always the kind of sporty girl. I was the only girl on my city baseball team. (Laughing) I’d rather be playing sports than cheer leading. I don’t know, when I was a kid we were always playing outside in the streets, we didn’t have all the toys and ipods and computers kids have now.

OTL: Did you have any idea of what you wanted to do?

SV: I think I always wanted to teach. Even as a younger girl, I loved the idea of teaching kids.

OTL: Any jobs growing up, or in your young adult years?

SV: I waitressed for a while, but I was always a student. I tried to be involved in school as much as I could. Then I went into hair dressing for quite a few years, but I got bored. It was largely the same people every day and I tend to get bored easily. I like being around people, interacting, and working on projects. Hairdressing gives you some of that, but it was time for me to move onto something else.

OTL: Now what was that something else? I imagine it was something to do with your two boys?

SV: Yeah. Jose (21) and Michael (18). At that time we decided to home school the boys, so I was able to put into practice some of the things I always wanted to do. I did a lot of studying and went through the certification process to do it properly. It was a pretty big challenge, but we made it.

OTL: Tell us about the decision to home school. What led to that?

SV: We just felt it was the right decision for the boys. I was able to give all my attention to them, where they wouldn’t have received that in school. They really responded well, and I enjoyed it. We didn’t home school because we wanted to take our kids out of school, or because public schools were awful, or we weren’t comfortable with them there. It was because it was the best move for the two boys.

OTL: How did you meet your husband Mike?

SV: (smiling and laughing) We met out socially with a group of friends. I remember Mike just walking up, and he started to talk to me. We hit it off and started dating. We were married 4 months later.

OTL: And how long have you been married now?

SV: 12 years.

OTL: So what type of things do you and Mike like to do?

SV: Well, actually, we really like going out to dinner. Enjoying each other. Life has changed big time since the boys are older and out on their own. We have a lot more time to ourselves, which is nice, and we get to go out, which is always a good thing.

OTL: How’d you guys end up at NCC?

SV: Through my sons really. Our oldest son was a good friend of Melissa Horn's, who of course grew up here, and she invited Mike my youngest son to the youth group here. He loved it and got really involved, so we started coming with him on Wednesday nights. Before we knew it we were working in the kitchen, and then decided to make NCC home.

OTL: And now you’re the children’s director here. How did that come about?

SV: (laughing) Yeah. That wasn’t really the plan. I remember when we filled out the interest card, and my husband Mike checked “children” as my interest and I said, “No! What are you doing? Not yet!” (Laughing) So I started working with the kids, which I just love, and at the same time I was a teacher’s assistant here at the school (Paragon Elementary) then the children’s position at the church opened up and I remember talking to Scott Lawry about it. He told me to think about taking the position, and I did. Originally I thought no way, but then I decided to take it. I love it! It’s been incredible.

OTL: Alright, here come a few quick fire questions… What’s your favorite food?

SV: Italian. I love pasta

OTL: Favorite music?

SV: I like the Newsboys, but I’m not going to lie… I used to be a huge JOURNEY fan! (Laughing)

OTL: Coolest place you’ve ever been?

SV: VEGAS. My dad lives there.

OTL: Favorite movie?

SV: (laughing) My favorite movie of all time is Grease 2!

OTL: GREASE 2? There’s a Grease 2?

SV: Of course. I liked the first one just because of John Travolta, but I think I loved the second because I identified with Michelle Pfeiffer. I think I wanted to secretly be her. I’ve seen it like 50 times (laughing).

OTL: Thanks for hanging out with us today Sherrie.

SV: Thanks for having me!

LST 557

LST 557
South Pacific
World War II

Our ship was part of the invasion of Okinawa on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945. On April, 2, we carried the 6th Marines into the beach. When they unloaded and stormed the beach it was a successful landing, and after a two-day pounding by battle ships, heavy and light cruisers, destroyers, and aircraft bombers.

We were ordered the next day, April 2nd, to pull back off the beach and proceed to Bunker Bay on the other side of the main island, to a place called Tsuken Shima. This is where the well- known war correspondent, Ernie Pyle, was killed and where we had our first casualties. We were being targeted by shore batteries and after several close calls we were finally struck with a direct hit from a five inch shell hitting one our ship mates in the head, killing him instantly. The same shell struck a steel metal mount in the ship's fan tail area (The Stern). The shell burst, killing another ship mate and wounding several others. While this was happening, our ship's captain was being escorted down from his position and I saw his face and entire body covered with blood and was told later, part's of the ship mate's head was mixed with that blood. As the shore battery ceased, I saw three of our 6 F Hell Cat Planes diving in and around the cave where the gun that hit us was firing from. We were on our ship cheering, knowing the gun was taken out. Not long after however, there were two kamikazi suicide planes headed directly for our ship. One of our 40 mm guns shot the first one out of the sky. The other plane crashed only ten feet from our ship's stern and we could see the dead pilot go down and sink in the water.

There were other sporadic attacks through that day. We saw many other ships around us burning from bomb strikes, and some were burying their ship mates, letting their bodies sewed up in canvas slide into the sea. The next morning, we did the same for our two ship mates. That same day, our twenty-six year old Captain had us line up for inspection. I, along with the remaining crew noticed our Captain Joseph Devine had turned completely white from the shock of the shell hit the day before.

This story happened to my ship mates and me.

When I was 19.

Today I am 81.

And thankful to be alive to tell it.

John Hearn GM 3/c L.S.T. 557
Deerfield Beach, FL