Where I Live: Former flight attendant during Vietnam War finds Euless oasis to write her memoirs

By BJ Elliott Prior

I was a flight attendant for 40 years and had the opportunity to be part of the flight crew that transported our soldiers in and out of Vietnam. My years were 1969-1971.

I had always wanted to write about those two years and the heroic soldiers of the Vietnam War. I found the opportunity after my husband and I purchased a home in the Fountain Park neighborhood of Euless, complete with a backyard view of a pond filled with a variety of ducks and birds.

We call our home “God’s house” and truly believe He led us to be able to purchase it. There, my home office became an oasis of serenity amid the bustling cities to write my 2017 book, “Behind My Wings.”

Euless is the fifth-largest city in Tarrant County with 60,000-plus residents. It’s nestled in between Fort Worth and Dallas and offers easy access to major freeways and DFW Airport. Euless was named the best place in the U.S. to live by a columnist with The New York Times. Filled with new and affordable homes and schools that excel at all grade levels, Euless is diversified and offers churches of all denominations.

Our town also provides me the opportunity to keep celebrating our country’s civil servants.

We were blessed to receive part of a 9/11 monument placed in a perfect spot, with yearly solemn remembrance by our police department and firefighters. The American Legion Post 379 represents our veterans who not only served our country but continue to serve their community. Please stop by — and always thank a veteran at every opportunity.

Our firefighters helped design our new fire station. They work as a team and train both in fighting fires and emergency medical services, saving lives and helping their neighborhood. Our police department offers not only the best officers, but also an awesome, free program called ‘Citizens Police Academy.’

Furthermore, our neighborhood strongly supports local businesses and has a hard working city council. Neighbors help neighbors, especially when the ice storm hit in 2021. Some opened their homes for those who had no power. And finally, Euless offers beautiful parks with trails and places for sport activities.

To live here is fulfilling. Fountain Park, Euless: The place to live and thrive. God bless America.

BJ Elliott Prior is a former flight attendant and author of “Behind My Wings,” a memoir about her experience transporting soldiers during the Vietnam War. She and her husband have lived in Fountain Park since 2013.