Honoring Our Military Veterans & Personnel on VETERAN S DAY 2013 November 11, 2013 Sardis Missionary Baptist Church 1615 4 th Court West, Birmingham AL 35208 Rev. Dr. 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
A Hero s Hero So many soldiers Living on the street Their spirits broken, With defeat What must they think When they look around Eyes passing by, Staring at the ground? Does anger fill them When we turn away, From the debts we owe That should be repaid? What if at that moment, Just once, Instead We saluted in honor, Right hand to head? To let them know They are not ghosts, Thanking them for being Braver than most. If everyone would Show them grace We just might find Their pain erased. For all the heroes Still fighting to live And for heroes like you, Who continue to give. If you see someone Who is really lost Please stop and remember What our freedom cost. Reference: Disabled American Veteran s Memo Book 2
Rev. Dr. Kurt S. Clark, Sr., E-4 Clifford L. Clark E-4 YEARS 1988-1994 Specialist National Guard Desert Storm 1964-1966 Vietnam Veteran 3
Chester Cochran E-5 YEARS 1969-1971 Platoon Leader, Basic & AIT Section Leader, Vietnam Billy R. Dawson E-3 US Coast Guard 1972-1975 Eddie Dick SGT US Air Force 1949-1952 4
Ronald Dick AZ2 Glenn Drayton, Sr. ADJ 2 YEARS 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) 5
YEARS George Evans SGT Reserve 4 Years Retired USAR (Assignments included 1st Battalion 83rd Artillery Unit Baumholder, Germany. Attended First NCO Academy) John Neil Frazier PFC 1970-1972 Vietnam Veteran 6
YEARS Beatrice Guyton US Air Force Air National Guard 4 Years 9-1/2 years Radio Operations- (Communications Technology) Tommy Guyton, PVT Clarence King 2 Years 7
Leon Nash, Sr. SFC YEARS 1974-2000 26 years: 3 years Active 23 years Army Reserves Linda Butler Hannah LTC (Retired) Reserve 29 years, 3 months of Service 8
Austin Holifield E-3 YEARS 1951-1953 Ryan L. James, Sr. Gunnery MSGT US Marine Corps Over 23 Years of Service 9
YEARS Michael Johnson, Colonel US Marine Corp 28 Years of Service Comptroller for 4th Marine Aircraft Wing Marcus Matthews, SSGT US Marine Corp 20 Years of Service Persian Gulf, AMTRAK (Amphibious Assault Motor Vehicle Personnel), Instructor, Recruiter, Iraq War, Purple Heart 10
Roger R. Moore E-4 YEARS 1972-1975 Demetrius A. Nollie, Airman 1 st Class US Air Force 1981-1984 11
Tommy N. Nollie, Jr. 1 st Class YEARS US Navy 1979-1999 Desert Storm James F. Odom MSGT 21 Years of 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.) 12
YEARS B. Roy Powell E-3 Signal Corps 1963-1964 Stephen M. Reaves Specialist 4 Years 3 rd ID Fort Stewart, GA Iraq 13
YEARS Freddie E. Sawyers E-3 US Air Force 1966-1969 Vietnam Lizzie B. Simpkins SP4 Women's Army Corp 1957-1960 (Army Chemical Center, MD) Freddie Walters E-6 35 Years of Service 14
Joe L. Williams, Jr. SP4 YEARS 1958-1960 Earl S. Wilson, Corporal US Paratrooper () 1953-1956 188 Airborne Division Korean Veteran 15
John Askew US Air Force YEARS Israel Askew US Air Force Eric Foster, Jr. Al Henson Timothy Irwin US Marine Corps 16
Donald LaQuitus Johnson YEARS Benjamin Marshall US Navy William David McClung, III Desmond Ross US Air Force 17
Frederick Kendall Sawyers Lieutenant Colonel US Air Force YEARS Henderson Williams, Jr. US Navy 18
Arlington Cemetery NAME & Sam Hopkins, III SGT Caesar Huff Corporal Gone, but never forgotten YEARS 1967-1970 (Served in Viet Nam, 1967-1968) 1953-1955 ( 71 st IMF Div. Band) 19
YEARS James Simpkins MSGT US Air Force 20 Years (Served in Vietnam War and the Cuban Crisis) 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) 20
21
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 22
UPDATES If any information contained herein is incorrect, please accept our sincerest apology. You and your family are so very important to us as we recognize our brave Sardis Veteran s each year. If anytime throughout the year, you have an update, addition, or correction to this booklet, you are invited to 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 wish 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 & YEARS (OPTIONAL) 23
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