FREESTONE PAST/PRESENT
J. R. (Sonny) SESSIONS
SHERIFF 1965-2001

SHERIFF LES COTTEN
  Recently the Navarro Co Historical Society started a program of guest 
speakers who served their country in wartime. One is Navarro Co. Sheriff 
Les Cotten who seldom spoke of his experiences.
  Cotten entered the Army in the early l960’s and ended up in Vietnam 
during the heavy fighting. During a routine patrol through the Dnang Valley 
near the Cambodian Border his unit decided to set up camp.  Cotten and his 
friend, Second Lt. Eric Shinseki (I am told a graduate of West Point) sat 
down to relax for the evening when the camp hit with a mortar attack.
   Cotten seriously injured with wounds to the back, head and legs and 
rushed from the scene. Hid dog tags were shot off during the attack so 
doctors didn’t know his blood type when went into surgery at the base 
hospital. They also didn’t know his religious preference; a Catholic Priest 
was brought to read his last rites. Lt. Shinseki came comrade before he was 
sent off to hospitals.
  To everyone’s surprise Cotten woke up a couple of days later barely able to
move his eye balls because they hurt so bad-with tubes going in and out of 
him. Cotten recovered enough to return to action but before reuniting with 
his friend Lt. Shinseki who as seriously injured in a helicopter crash and 
visited at the hospital by Les Cotten. This would be the last time either
would have contact with the other for the next 30 years.
  Cotten tried unsuccessfully to locate his friend and didn’t know if he alive 
or dead. Then one day in l997 a friend of Cotten’s who knew the Sheriff 
trying to locate his old Army buddy called that he had been found. He 
learned Lt. Shinseki had been quite busy over the years and still in the 
military, now a decorated military general. General Shinseki called Sheriff 
Cotten on the phone and they had a long visit.
  General Shinseki was about to receive his 3rd. Star and invited Cotten and 
his family to attend the ceremony, Cotton unable to attend this or Gen 
Shinseki’s 4th Star Ceremony in l998. In l999 Cotten received another phone 
call from the Pentagon inviting him to attend Shinseki’s promotion as the 
34th  Chief of Staff of the Army Ceremony. 
  This time Cotten’s wife Cleta told him he was going to be there and they 
were. Since then these friends have visited on several occasions. Gen. 
Shinseki retired as a Four Star General in 2003 after 38 years service. He 
was then named as the 7th Secretary of Veterans Affairs by President Elect 
Barrack Obama and assumed office Jan. 21, 2009 a position he holds today.
  Although I have known Les Cotten more than 40 years and had the 
pleasure of calling him a true friend I learned about this relationship thru the 
news media. Navarro Co. is fortunate to have such a man as Sheriff. The 
Navarro Co. Times recently ran information on this. I hope to have Sheriff 
Cotten speak at a Freestone Co. Historical Comm. meeting again soon.

From The Original Sheriffs Report
  Several criminal hearings and juvenile cases heard by Judge McCain. Bear 
got his first education on Courts.  Bear and others joined Judge with fine 
lunch of hang down, onions and cheese.
  Bear jailed youth who said he not going up stairs into that nasty old Jail but 
did.
  Man treated for bird shot received on quail hunt when friend mistook him 
kind of bird.
  Local man known for bad checks hung some in Mexia with foot race later 
when victim spotted him.
  Complaint renter not paying rent an he having to pay utility bills and now 
done moved girl friend in with rest of his family.
  Archeologist working in County and interested in locating and preserving 
Indian artifacts.
  Young girls held as runaways asked if wanted to see visiting minister 
advised they didn’t need a preacher they needed to see the Sheriff as he only 
one  that could get them out.