Honoring Our Military Veterans & Active Duty Personnel on VETERAN S DAY 2011 November 11, 2011 Sardis Missionary Baptist Church 1615 4 th Court West, Birmingham AL 35208 Kurt S. Clark, Sr., Pastor Isaiah 40:31, they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. 1
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Clifford L. Clark E-4 1964-1966 Vietnam Veteran Chest Cochran 2 Years of Service Billy R. Dawson E-3 US Coast Guard 1972-1975 3
Eddie Dick SGT US Air Force 1949-1952 Ronald Dick AZ2 Glenn Drayton, Sr. ADJ 2 US Navy 1971-1974 (Aircraft Carrier USS Saratoga, Bermuda, Memphis) US Navy 1973-1977 (Aircraft Carrier USS Saratoga, Plane Captain & Certified Jet Mechanic in the SH-3H Helicopter) 4
George Evans SGT Reserve 4 Years Retired USAR (Assignments included 1st Battalion 83rd Artillery Unit Baumholder, Germany. Attended First NCO Academy) James Finch Corporal/ Technician Fifth Grade 1943 1946 (World War II Veteran, served in the Southwest Pacific, received the Good Conduct Medal, received the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal) 5
John Neil Frazier PFC 1970-1972 (Served in Vietnam) Beatrice Guyton US Air Force Air National Guard 4 Years 9-1/2 years Radio Operations- (Communications Technology) Leon Nash, Sr. SFC 1974-2000 (26 years: 3 yrs Active/23 yrs Army Reserves) 6
Linda Butler Hannah LTC (Retired) Reserve 29 years, 3 months Austin Holifield E-3 1951-1953 7
Michael Johnson, Colonel US Marine Corp 28 Years Comptroller for 4th Marine Aircraft Wing Marcus Matthews, SSGT US Marine Corp 20 Years Persian Gulf, AMTRAK (Amphibious Assault Motor Vehicle Personnel), Instructor, Recruiter, Iraq War, Purple Heart 8
Roger R. Moore E-4 1972-1975 James F. Odom MSGT 21 Years Service (Duties were in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Korea, Germany, Vietnam, the Middle East and Africa. Stateside duties were on Nike Missile sites and with Special Operations at Fort Bragg, NC and Fort Campbell, KY.) 9
B. Roy Powell E-3 Signal Corps 1963-1964 Freddie E. Sawyers E-3 US Air Force 1966-1969 Lizzie Simpkins SP4 Women's Army Corp 1957-1960 (Army Chemical Center, MD) 10
Freddie Walters E-6 35 Years Service Charles B. Williams Sr. MSGT US Air Force 1971-1995 (Aircraft Maintenance Technician) 11
Earl S. Wilson, Corporal US Paratrooper () 188 Airborne Division Korean Veteran 1953-1956 12
John Askew Current Active Duty Personnel Begin Here US Air Force Active Duty Israel Askew US Air Force Active Duty Eric Foster, Jr. Active Duty 13
Tommy Guyton, Private First Class 1 Year Al Henson Timothy Irwin GySGT US Marine Corps Active Duty - Camp LeJeune, NC 14
Ryan L. James, Sr. Gunnery MSGT US Marine Corps 21 Years Currently Active Duty - Iraq Donald LaQuitus Johnson Active Duty - Iraq Benjamin Marshall US Navy Active Duty - Iraq 15
William David McClung III, Specialist E3 4 Years of Service Active Duty - Iraq Jemale Merritt Active Duty Demond Oden Active Duty - Iraq Desmond Ross US Air Force Active Duty- Arizona 16
Frederick K. Sawyer Major US Air Force Active Duty Henderson Williams, Jr. Joe L. Williams, Jr. SP4 US Navy Active Duty Iraq (USS Aircraft Carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower) 17
Arlington Cemetery NAME & Sam Hopkins, III SGT Gone, but not forgotten 1967-1970 (Served in Viet Nam, 1967-1968) 18
Caesar Huff Corporal 1953-1955 ( 71 st IMF Div. Band) James Simpkins MSGT US Air Force 20 Years Service (Served in Vietnam War and the Cuban Crisis) 19
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Dear Lord, Today we honor our veterans, worthy men and women who gave their best when they were called upon to serve and protect their country. We pray that you will bless them, Lord, for their unselfish service in the continual struggle to preserve our freedoms, our safety, and our country s heritage, for all of us. Bless them abundantly for the hardships they faced, for the sacrifices they made, and for their many different contributions to America s victories over tyranny and oppression. We respect them, we thank them, we honor them, we are proud of them, and we pray that you will watch over these special people and bless them with peace and happiness. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. By Joanna Fuchs "PEACE I leave with you, my peace I give you, not as the world gives do I give to you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." -JOHN 14:27 21
To those waiting to come home I walk a road less traveled towards a path I cannot see It has led me to this valley that now lies in front of me As I walk into the valley I've come to a fork in the road I stand silently before it, not knowing which way to go I know I'm not to worry; yet each morning I'm awake As I wrestle with decisions on which road I must take There is a way seems right to man, that is not my choice I'm standing at the fork, oh Lord, waiting for Your voice This journey is not clear to me; I do not understand This was not of my choosing; this is not what I'd planned Which way do I turn, oh Lord, which way do I go? I am standing in the valley; Your will I wish to know I walk a road less traveled towards a path I cannot see It has led me to this valley that now lies in front of me Light my path and calm my fears, for I do not understand Yet the deeper in the valley, the more I grip Your hand Written by SLM You are continually in our prayers. 22
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Thanks to those who provided information and photos for this booklet. Copies of this booklet will be available online at www.sardisalive.org For more information about honoring American Veterans, please access the following website: http://www.va.gov/ 24
UPDATES If any information contained herein is incorrect, please accept our sincerest apology. You and your family are very important to use as we recognize our Sardis Veteran s each year. If you have an update, addition, or correction to this program, please complete the following information and return to the Sardis Missionary Baptist Church office or fax to 205-786-4425. All changes, updates, and corrections will be made to the on-line document which can be printed in color or a program booklet can be printed at your request. If you with to include a photo, you may scan and email your photo to webmaster@sardisalive.org or drop your photo off at the office. All original photos will be scanned and returned to the owner. NAME & (OPTIONAL) 25