2012 NOV 11 — today we celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the day originally proclaimed by president woodrow wilson as “armistice day”, honoring the end of World war i in 1918. unfortunately, the “war to end all wars” did not ultimately fulfil its noble destiny, and the steadfast service and heroic sacrifice of wilson county’s men and women have been required since. thus, today we have veterans day, a single day dedicated to the cause of world peace and To those men, women and families in service to it. we at the wilson times sincerely thank you for your sub-missions, but primarily, we thank you for your service.

- Bradley Hearn,

Special sections editor

Pg. 2-4, 6Family Service

pg. 5Civil war

Pg. 5WW I

Pg. 7-10WW II

PG. 11-12Korea

PG. 13-15Vietnam

Pg. 16-17Miscellaneous

PG. 18Iraq/afghanistan

the descendant

s of

james kelly wh

ite &

sadie mercer w

hite

Families in Service

Wilson native james H. “doodle” mercer (bottom right, standing), served as a pilot during wwII.

Watson, Melford Private First ClassArmy1944 to 1946Japan

White, Bryan E.1988 to presentNASA

McCarter, Bobby W.ArmyServed 22 yearsKorea

Denton, James D.Staff SergeantArmy2 Bronze Stars

White, Floyd E. “Bud”Navy1955 to 1974

Mercer, CharlesC.D., IISergeantArmy1953 to 1955

White, James H.Staff SergeantArmyWWII

Walston, Dennis E.CorporalMarine CorpsHelped w/ evac of Saigon in 1975

Denton, Joseph P.NavyWWII

Mercer, JayNational Guard24 years

White, William R.Petty OfficerFirst ClassNavyVietnam

Smith, Samuel L.SergeantMarine CorpsIraq, Instructor at Camp Geiger

White, Paul H.Staff SergeantAir Force1940 to 1945

Walston, Orin V.Air ForceLate 1950s

White, MichaelFirst SergeantArmy1984 to presentIraq

Denton, Willie M.Air Force20 yearsVietnam

White, TommyMedicArmy1965 to 1969

photos at right, FRom the top: staff sergeant donald stehley, army, wwii; james b. white, marine corps, vietnam, hotel company, 2nd battalion;

Clarence H. speight, navy, 1973-76; melvin amerson, army, 2 yrs; tech sergeant stacy v. west, air force, 1973 to 1993.

NEW PIC???Call Van Hook

OBITUARIES

Saturday, October 13, 2012 wilsontimes.com 4A

Milton Randolph

CookMilton Randolph

Cook, 62, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012.

He was preceded in death by his par-ents, Milton Cook and Rachel Hayes Cook.

He is survived by his sons, Milton Cook Jr. of Ashe County, Timothy Cook of Sparta and Richard Cook

(Amy) of Wilson; sisters, Terri Kay Cook (Raid) of Wilson and Peggy Cook Sykes of Wilson; seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren; special loving friends, Chris Coley and Hazel Coley; and his canine companion, Molly.

Milton served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was a highly decorated veteran receiving the Navy Commendation medal and Purple Heart medal during the Vietnam War.

A private graveside service will be held Mon-day, 2 p.m., in Maplewood Cemetery.

Online condolences can be made at www.thomasyelverton.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Thomas-Yelverton at Evergreen Memorial Park, 2704 Nash St. N., Wilson, NC 27896.

John Thomas Perry Jr.

John Thomas “Tommy” Perry Jr., 51, died Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, 2 p.m., at Wilson Memorial Service. Interment will fol-low in Snow Hill Cemetery.

He was preceded in death by his fa-ther, John T. Perry Sr., in 2004.

Surviving is his mother, Patsy Tripp Perry; sister, JoAnna Haa-kinson (Greg) of Raleigh; brother, Brian Perry (Wanda) of Wilson; niece, Jessica Perry; neph-ew, Josh Perry; and best friend, Paul Tucker, of Lucama.

The family will be at Wilson Memorial Ser-vice, Saturday, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Memorials are suggested to St. Jude’s Chil-dren’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Arrangements are by Wilson Memorial Ser-vice, 2811 Fieldstream Drive N., www.wilson-memorialservice.com.

Elaine FischerElaine Fischer, 69, passed away Friday, Oct.

12, 2012. She is survived by her daughter, Christina

Davis and husband, Charles, of Wilson; sister, Toni Blackburn and husband, Jim, of Dearborn Heights, Mich.; brother, John Malacos and wife, Denise, of Findlay, Ohio; and two grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held Sunday, 2 p.m., in Evergreen Memorial Park with the Rev. Cliff Harwood officiating. A time for visitation will follow the service.

Online condolences can be made at www.thomasyelverton.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Thomas-Yelverton at Evergreen Memorial Park, 2704 Nash St. N., Wilson, NC 27896.

Henry Staggers Jr.WILMINGTON — Henry Staggers Jr., 64, for-

merly of Wilson, died Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 at Methodist Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Funeral services will be held Monday, 1 p.m., at Tabernacle of Prayer, 1601 Lane St., Wilson, with Pastor M.K. Smith officiating. Interment will follow at Rest Haven Cemetery.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service Monday.

A public viewing will take place Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. at Community Funeral Home in Kenly.

He is survived by his wife, Mary; son, Bran-don; daughter, Antoinette; mother; three sisters; four brothers; and one grandson.

Arrangements are by Community Funeral Home, 212 W. Second St., Kenly, NC 27542.

Milton Randolph Cook

John Thomas Perry Jr.

Froyo 101 will start offering frozen yogurt self-service style in the Heritage Crossing shop-ping center by the middle of November.

Froyo, an abbreviation for frozen yogurt, and 101, meaning everything starts here, is a new business in eastern North Carolina, said David Yang, owner. The first Froyo 101 opened in New Bern in 2011. The chain’s second location is Wilson and three more stores are being planned in eastern North Carolina, Yang said.

Not only will Froyo 101 offer a variety of frozen yogurt flavors, with up to 50 topping choices, but the store will also be designed with its own unique look and feel. No two Froyo 101 stores are the same and the Wilson store will have a different look each day, Yang said.

“Every store, we design differently,” Yang said. “I don’t want the customer to feel like they’re going into the same store again and again. I want them to have a new experience.”

The Wilson location’s in-terior will be painted juicy pink with boxed lights in walls that will change colors and 300 ceiling pen-dent lights that will change colors throughout the day or once a day. The colors

will be changed to adapt to certain seasons, holidays and special events, Yang said.

“The light will change so smoothly that you prob-ably won’t see it,” Yang said. “We’re trying to have a modern look to the store.”

The design of Froyo 101 is meant to give custom-ers a different experience while also offering differ-ent flavors of yogurt and a variety of toppings from which to select. The busi-ness will allow customers to serve themselves, with as much or as little yogurt as they want with or with-

out toppings. The items will be paid for by weight, at 45 cents per ounce.

“We have over 100 dif-ferent yogurt flavors and we offer 12 different fla-vors every day and we will rotate them,” Yang said. “You’re not limited to any flavor and you can mix it as you like.”

The yogurt will be non-fat, sugar-free yogurt. Sor-bet will also be available. Among the toppings avail-able, there will be several types of fresh fruit.

“It could be a lunch or afternoon snack,” Yang said. “A yogurt shop is also a place where people can

hang out. It’s more than serving the product. It’s about the customer enjoy-ing being there.”

Interior work has started inside the business that is in part of the former loca-tion of Carolina Cheese Co., near Starbucks. Froyo 101 will open in a 1,200-square-feet store at 3601 Raleigh Road Park-way and operate seven days a week, from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Applica-tions are being accepted at the store. The business plans to hire seven em-ployees.

rochelle@wilsontimes.com | 265-7818

Froyo 101 opening soonBy Rochelle MooreTimes Staff Writer

David Yang stands inside the future Froyo 101 frozen yogurt shop and holds a picture of what the business will look like when it opens in the Heritage Crossing shopping center in November. Brad Coville | Times

Tickets are printed, the band is booked and the caterers confirmed. But organizers hope the key-note speaker will be up in the air.

A mystery guest arriving by helicopter could drop in on the Wilson County Republican Party’s oyster roast Oct. 20 at the Wilson Industrial Airport.

“Our huge surprise guest speaker will not be announced to the public by design,” Wilson County GOP Chairman Gary Prof-fitt said. “Unless the game plans change, I will not be notified until that Friday morning” before the Sat-urday event.

Proffitt wouldn’t drop any hints about the sur-prise guest’s identity, but

he said he’d reveal the speaker’s name the day before the event if his or her attendance has been confirmed.

Republicans are plan-ning a candidate meet-and-greet for their fourth annual oyster roast fund-raiser. Governor hopeful Pat McCrory and other Republican state office-seekers have been invited, and organizers are still waiting on candidates to respond.

Proffitt said candidates for nonpartisan judicial offices also were invited.

State Sen. Buck New-ton of Wilson and state House candidate Susan Martin will be in atten-dance, Proffitt said, along with U.S. House hopeful George Holding.

“We urge and welcome the public to attend,” Prof-

fitt said. “They’ll have a great time.”

The oyster roast is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 20 and will fea-ture music by Samantha Casey and the Bluegrass Jam and catering by Tripp’s Seafood, Parker’s Barbecue, Quince and the Washington Crab & Oys-ter Co.

The menu includes oysters, shrimp, barbecue pork and Texas beef bris-ket. Beer and wine also will be available.

Each candidate will have an opportunity to make brief remarks, Prof-fitt said.

“Once the surprise guest speaker arrives, we’ll al-low him or her to speak for as long as he or she wants,” he said.

Admission is $40 per person, and Proffitt said

on Thursday that more than 225 of the 500 tickets printed had been sold.

“The public is beginning to respond more so than in the past,” he said.

The event isn’t just for registered Republicans, Proffitt said. Democrats, Libertarians and unaffili-ated voters are welcome.

Proffitt said Republicans planned the fundraiser to coincide with early voting, which begins Oct. 18.

“Anybody who’s unde-cided or not clear, if they hear the candidates speak Saturday night, hope-fully they’ll go to the polls Monday morning with that fresh in their minds,” he said.

To purchase tickets, visit the Wilson County GOP headquarters at 2506-B Nash St. or call 265-0058.corey@wilsontimes.com | 265-7821

Surprise guest to attend GOP oyster roastCounty, state candidates invited to Oct. 20 Republican fundraiserBy Corey FriedmanTimes Online Editor

The Wilson County Board of Education will meet in regular session Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at Central Office.

Items on the agenda include proposed revision of the Re-porting Violent Acts policy, se-lection of the delegates for the North Carolina School Boards Association annual conference, adoption of proposed mission, vision and belief statements for the school district and an update from the Discipline Ad-visory Committee.

The board will also consider contracting with Scholastic Scheduling Solutions to help with scheduling issues at the high school level and consider applying for a Race to the Top District Grant.From staff reports

School board meets Monday

today in historyToday is Saturday, Oct. 13,

the 287th day of 2012. There are 79 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:On Oct. 13, 1962, Edward

Albee's searing four-character drama “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” opened on Broadway with Arthur Hill as George, Uta Hagen as Martha, George Grizzard as Nick and Melinda Dillon (whose 23rd birthday it was) as Honey.

On this date:In A.D. 54, Roman Emperor

Claudius I died, poisoned ap-parently at the behest of his wife, Agrippina.

In 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Knights Templar on charges of heresy.

In 1775, the United States Navy had its origins as the Con-tinental Congress ordered the construction of a naval fleet.

In 1792, the cornerstone of the executive mansion, later known as the White House, was laid during a ceremony in the District of Columbia.

In 1845, Texas voters ratified a state constitution.

In 1932, President Herbert Hoover and Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes laid the cornerstone for the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington.

In 1944, American troops entered Aachen, Germany, dur-ing World War II.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon held the third tele-vised debate of their presidential campaign (Nixon was in Los An-geles, Kennedy in New York).

In 1972, a Uruguayan char-tered flight carrying 45 people crashed in the Andes; 16 sur-vivors who resorted to feeding off the remains of some of the dead in order to stay alive were rescued more than two months later.

In 2010, rescuers in Chile using a missile-like escape cap-sule pulled 33 men one by one to fresh air and freedom 69 days after they were trapped in a collapsed mine a half-mile underground.

Today's BirthdaysFormer British Prime Min-

ister Margaret Thatcher is 87. Playwright Frank D. Gilroy is 87. Gospel singer Shirley Caesar is 74. Actress Melinda Dillon is 73. Singer-musician Paul Simon is 71. Actress Pamela Tiffin is 70. Musician Robert Lamm (Chica-go) is 68. Country singer Lacy J. Dalton is 66. Actor Demond Wil-son is 66. Singer-musician Sam-my Hagar is 65. Actor John Lone is 60. Model Beverly Johnson is 60. Producer-writer Chris Carter is 56. Actor Reggie Theus is 55. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is 54. Singer Marie Osmond is 53. Rock singer Joey Belladonna is 52. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer is 52. NBA coach Doc Rivers is 51. Ac-tress T'Keyah Crystal Keymah is 50. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is 50. Ac-tress Kelly Preston is 50. Country singer John Wiggins is 50. Actor Christopher Judge is 48. Actress Kate Walsh is 45. Rhythm-and-blues musician Jeff Allen (Mint Condition) is 44.

A4OBIT

Thank YouThe Family of

Thelma Ray Delaney Johnsonwould like to express our sincere appreciation for the many acts of kindness shown during the loss of our loved one. Thank you for the prayers, donations, food, flowers, cards, visits, and thoughts. Your

comforting expression of sympathy is deeply appreciated and will

always be gratefully remembered.The Family

Cook, Milton R.Marine CorpsVietnamPurple Heart, Navy Commendation Mdl.

Your choice for perscription

needs

Mooring, Arthur, Jr.CorporalArmy1944 to 1945

Mooring, Phillip A.Specialist 5Army1970 to 1976

Mooring, John P.PrivateArmy1994 to 2000

Ruffin, James, G., Sr.S.F.P. - 3rd ClassNavy1957 to 1960

Rodgers, DonnieAir Force1974 to 1977

Ruffin, James, G., Jr.SergeantArmy Nat’l Guard1985 to 1993

Rodgers, Herbert H.Air Force1948 to 1952Korean War

Whitley, Mack E.Private First ClassArmyWWIISouth Pacific

Whitley, WaynePrivate First ClassArmy1966 to 1968Korea

Whitley, Mack A.Master SergeantAir Force1966 to 1967Vietnam

Jones, Luther J.Drill SergeantArmy1963 to 1969Retired from Wilson PD

Langston, Jerome E.Navy19691st brother to enlist

Langston, Derrick B.Army1971

Harris, William H.PFCArmy1943 to 1946

Johnson, Joseph W.PrivateCadet Corps - BHS1958 to 1961

Families in Service

Edwin b. langston served in the navy

fathers and sons

Joyner, Norris G.Private First ClassArmy1957 to 1959Served in Germany

Joyner, James S., Jr.SergeantAir Force1986 to 1991

Joyner, James S., Sr.Master SergeantAir Force1954 to 1974

Private, short-term accommodations are available in Wilson when you need a short break as a caregiver for an elderly loved

one. Wilson PInes is here to help give you that much needed time away. Whether you need 3 days or 30 days, we’re here to help.

403 Crestview Ave., Wilson, NC 252-237-0724

Call Lakitta Morgan252-237-0724

for more informationand up-to-date

availability

Thompson, LouisNavyKorea

Thompson, GlennNavy20+ yearsWWII, Korea

Thompson, WashNavyWWII

Families in Service

Thompson, VanceArmyWWII

Surname, NameRankBranchWar

Thompson, FateArmyWWII

All the men of the Thompson fam-ily fought in wwii with the exception of louis thompson, who joined later and served in the korean war. he was joined by glenn thompson, who served in the navy for over 20 years.

2500 Nash St. NW, Suite E • Wilson, NC • 252-237-4778

Veterans Residential Servicesof Wilson

In grateful appreciation for service, dedication, sacrifice, honor and commitment

Thank You Veterans!GREENFIELD SCHOOL

The Option for Excellence in Education

1700 US 301 South, Wilson, NC252-291-0131

Honoring W.C. (Billy) Herring Army - World War II

East Coast Equipment

TRACTOR & TRUCKCOMPANIES

DBA: White’s International Trucks/IC Bus and White’s IdealeaseBobcat of Wilson/New Bern

And All VeteransFor Serving Their Country!

Pone, Shanna J.E-4 / Senior AirmanAir Force1996 to 2000

Jones, Royce F.E-4Army1965 to 1967

McCray, MauriceE-41980 to 1983Reserve - ‘83-’86

Jones, Joel A.E-4Army1980 to 1986

Davis, James E.E-4Army1965 to 1967

Jones, Curtis R.E-4, MPArmy1969 to 1971

Hinnant, LamonE-4Air Force1998 to 2001

Farmer, Joshua L.SPEC-41969 to 1971

Jones, Johnnie L.E-5Army1965 to 1967

Descendants of roy and mattie davis jones, the first four veterans (starting clockwise) are their sons, the next three their grandsons, the next their great-granddaughter, and the last is a cousin.

High, Gerald R.Tech. SergeantAir Force1958 to 1978Japan, Germany

High, Billy I.Pvt. - Army, ‘54-’56Lt. Col. - Army Reserve, Nat’l Guard, 6 years

High, Horace H.1st Class SergeantArmy1955 to 1975Vietnam, Camp David

Williams, Christopher S.Navy1990 to 1998

Williams,Billy E.Navy1975 to 1977

Williams, Kennieth R.Navy1976 to 1980

The sons of the late james earl williams, shirley williams batts and stepfather rudolph batts of wilson.

bands of

brothers

Winstead, John N.ArmyWWIFrance

Finch, Albert P.Corporal.Army1917

Wiggins, Calvin R.ArmyWWI20th Division

Langley, SingletonCivil WarDied in battle in 1862

Private First class ernest W. Thorne, a native of elm city, was inducted into the 81st Army Divi-sion (comprised of men from north and south carolina) during world war I. after heavy casualties were sustained by the 81st, thorne was transferred to the 42nd rainbow division where he saw action in france and germany for the remain-der of the war.

To the right, Thorne’s dog tags, as well as a new testament bible he carried during the war. part of a county-wide initiative, the bible’s inside cover reads: “presented by the churches of wilson county - sept. 19, 1918”

Above, two separate reunions of wilson civil war soldiers in downtown wilson sometime in the early 1900s.

Wilson C. Daniel

The sons of thomas w. pridgen and lily carter pridgen (from left to right): Richard d. pridgen, sr., staff sergeant, marine corps, 1939-45; thomas o. pridgen, sergeant, army, served as a tank operator in the pacific; william w. pridgen (see right); fred c. pridgen, petty officer third class, navy, 1946-51; wilbur r. pridgen, tech sergeant, army, occupied italy during wwII.

Families in ServiceThe Uss juneau served as a temporary home for ricky L. Aycock (right) during the late 1970s.

K. Wayne AycockSP-4Army, ‘64 -‘66Vietnam25th Infantry Div.

Aycock, Lewis T.SergeantNC Nat’l Guard1962 to 1968

Aycock, Ricky L.E-3Navy1976 to 1980

D. Gerald AycockArmy, ‘64-’66Coast Guard, ‘72-’01Dominican Republic, Desert Storm

Thompson, W. GordonStaff SergeantArmy1944 to 1946

Thompson, MaggieRuth NarronComm. Telegrapher,3rd ClassNavy, 1944 to 1946

Chief medical corpsman William W. Pridgen served in the navy from 1936 to 1958. He was stationed at pearl harbor while it was attacked and saw action in normandy, including d-day

emma grace davis, of wilson, while on a trip to washington, DC this summer with her parents, Carey and shannon, visited the wwii memorial and struck up a conversation with a wwII vet, proclam-ing: “you’re my hero!” the veteran, also visiting for the day, was moved to tears, and the two spoke for a long time before hugging and posing for the above photo.

Lt. Walter E. Brown (seated on the right in the photo) was a doctor in the medi-cal corps of the navy dur-ing wWII. A native of wilson and graduate of duke uni-versity school of medicine, brown was aboard a c-47 transport plane carrying wounded and sick soldiers away from guadalcanal when the aircraft was blown into the water. His

presumed date of death was nov. 14, 1943.

Courage. Sacrifice.Courage. Sacrifice.Dedication. Honor.Dedication. Honor.

We Salute You!We Salute You!

Clewis, Allen L.Staff SergeantArmyWWII

Swinson, AaronArmyWWII 1943

McKeel, N. “Bill”PFCArmy1942 to 1945Japan, Germany

Williams, BenSergeantArmy1941 to 1946

Nichols, Cecil E.Staff SergeantArmy1941 to 1944

Winstead, Carl M.PFC - Army1941 to 1945POW, Purple Heart,Bronze Star

C. Johnson Moore, Sr.Lt.Army Air Corps & Defense Intelligence Agency

Eason, Clifton T.Naval Radioman1939 to 1945

Mitchell, Clarence R.Tec. Sgt.Army1942 to 1946

Ferrell, Charles R.CorporalArmy - Anti Aircraft1942 to 1946

in november of 1944, William thomas daniel received the silver star for gallantry in action during the battle of the rhineland near gey, germany. these two photos were snapped before and after his commanding officer pinned the medal on during a brief lull in the fight.

Winstead, ArthurArmyWWIIDeployed: Germany, France, Italy

private first class elmer I. joyner served in the north and south pacific with the army from 1942 to 1946

WILSON CRISIS CENTER24-Hour Telephone Listening, Information and Referrals

A UNITED WAY AGENCYVOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

24-Hour Crisis Center

HOTLINE237-5156

237-5156243-6444

237-7626If you need to talk, we’re there to listen!

~

Honoring Those Who Have Served

Bowen, EdselTechnical SergeantArmy1945 to 1948

Ford, BruceArmy1944 to 1946

Thigpen, E.L.“Buster”AMM 1/CNavy1941 to 1944

Newby, Garland T.Army1944 to 1948

Walls, Elmo, L., Jr.CorporalArmy, 1940 to 1945D-DayPhoto w/ wife Kitty

Hyman, Willis E.NavyWWII

Lamm, Harry L., Sr.Seaman First ClassNavy1945 to 1946

Pope, George I.Master SergeantArmy1939 to 1945N. Africa, Italy

Mercer, Garry D.PrivateArmy, 1944 to 1945MIA - Battle of BulgeSister, Cleo M. Sullivan

Goff, HoracePrivateArmy Air Corps1944 to 1946

Webb, Willie C.PFCArmyWWII European Theater

Winstead, Henry C.ArmyWWII

Atkinson, Willie M.PFCArmy1945 to 1946Five medals

Winstead, JacelleCorporalWWIIGen. service engineer, England/France

Bass, Isaac LesterSergeantArmy1942 to 1946Battle of the Bulge

Gardner, James E.Navy, ‘43-’45Army, ‘46-’47

Casey, JamesNavyDec. 15, 1943 to Aug. 14, 1945

Sharp, George T.SergeantArmy1941 to 1944

Mercer, Jesse “Jack”ArmyWWIIPurple Heart

Boykin, James A.Chief Warrant Off.Army, 30th Inf.1941 to 1945

Felder, James V.Master SergeantArmy1943 to 1946

sterling c. harris, of rocky mount, served in the army from 1942 to 1946 and achieved the rank of first sergeant. after basic training with the 83rd infantry div. at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, he was stationed at Fort leonard wood in missouri and fort benning in georgia (where he also served as drill sergeant). Along with two of his sons, Jack and Jim Harris, a commemorative brick has been laid in his honor at The Rocky Mount Veterans Memorial at Jack Laughery Park.

Petty officer third class ernest A. Whitley served in the navy from 1944 to 1946. He fought in the pacific and received several medals, includ-ing a bronze star for his bravery in combat.

Michael ThigpenSenior Gunner Rank: Specialist

3 Tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom

Joshua D. BarnesLance CorporalOkinawa, Japan

Thanks toMichael Thigpen,Joshua D. Barnes

and to all who haveserved our great country,

we salute you all!

Miles, Joseph E.PrivateArmy1943 to 1946

Hackney, John N.CaptainArmy1942 to 1945

Batchelor, John A.ArmyWWII

Burnette, Joab P.Gunnery Sgt.Marine CorpsWWIIGuadalcanal

Conley, Lloyd E.Chief Pety OfficerNavy24 years

Vick, LinwoodArmyWWII

Exum, Levell, Sr.SergeantArmy1941 to 1945

Johnson, Lester L.Staff SergeantArmy1940 to 1945

Howell, Osburne K.Army Air CorpsWWII1942 to 1944

Dickerman, Morgan Paul, IILieutenant, Jr. GradeNavy1942 to 1945

Howell, Milford J.Private First ClassArmy1943 to 1945Bronze Star

Ashe, Katherine J.LieutenantNavyWWII

Eagles, Robert B.PFCArmy1944 to 1946Battle of the Bulge

Stickland, Ransom “Pete” EdwardCorporalArmy Air Corps1943 to 1946

Lamm, RandolphCorporalArmy1942 to 1945Battle of the Bulge

Lucas, Paul A.ArmyWWIIPurple Heart

Woodall, Robert N.Private First ClassArmy Air Corps1942 to 1945

Gray, Robert M.Marine Corps1943 to 1946

Poole, Robert B., Jr.CorporalArmyWWII

Barnes, RobertTech 5th GradeArmy1946 to 1947

Maplewood & Rest Haven CeMeteRies

Remembering our Courageous Veterans

McAllister, Kenneth E., Jr.Tech Sgt.ArmyWWII - Pacific Theater

Bissette, Julian S.PFCArmyWWII Combat medic

Nichols, Louis E.PFCArmy1941 to 1944Heavy artillery

Batts, LossieCorporalArmy1945 to 1946

Batchelor, Sherwood H.Navy1945 to 194830 years in N.C. Army National Guard

Jones, Roma“Big Boy”Staff SergeantArmyWWII

Watson, LannisStaff SergeantArmy1944 to 1946

earl s. winstead, gun-ner’s mate first class, served aboard the uss pc-623, which rescued survivors of other ships sunk by enemy action in the philippine islands.Winstead, who served in the navy from 1942 to 1945, ultimately received a letter of commendation from his commander and presi-dent truman for his courageous actions. Amid the chaos of res-cuing the survivors of a

battle on november 18, 1944, he defied direct orders and placed himself in harm’s way, jumping into shark-infested waters to save a soldier who had already lost one of his legs to the sharks.

Front, Jayme B. Perry, PA-C, James Kovach, PA-CStanding, Paul Greenlaw, MD, B. Todd Smith, MD, Adam Thorp, MD, Gerald C. Vanden Bosch, MD,

Michael J. Kushner, MD, Robert N. Satterfield, MD, Lewis P. Martin, MD

We salute you for your extraordinary courage and dedication to our country!

Butts, W. H. “Pete”Army1940s

Winstead, W. “Cliff”PFCArmy1942 to 1945

Newby, ThomasArmy1942 to 1946

Bowen, TheodoreNavy1943 to 1948

Dotson, William T.PrivateArmy1943 to 1946

White, William R.SergeantArmy1941 to 1945

Lamm, William W.PFCArmy — Infantry1943 to 1945

Williamson, Wiley C., Sr.Seaman 1st ClassNavy1943 to 1944

Eason, Wilbur L.ArmyWWII

Barnes, Wade D.Army Air CorpsWWIIPhoto: England, ‘45

Newby, Willie L.Army1943 to 1947

Blackwell, Willie B.Staff SergeantArmy1945 to 1948

Craft, Stephen D.HAICNavy1944 to 1946South Pacific

Turner, SydneyGunners Mate 3rdClassNavy, 1943 to 1945Okinawa Invastion

Colonel william S. Stone served in the medical corps of the army from 1930 to 1955. in 1946, he was awarded an “order of the british empire” (O.B.E.), the highest honor granted to americans by great britain and the equivalent of being knighted.

Jones, John “Red”Marine Corps1942 to 19462nd Marine DivisionSouth Pacific

Lisa’s Beacon Orthotics AdHas to be color

Sullivan, Edward E.Army1951 to 1952

Davis, Clifford H.Private First ClassArmy1951 to 1953

Lewis, Charles L.PFCArmy1950 to 1954Korea

Turnage, CarsonAir Force1952 to 1955Deployed to Seoul, Korea

Crumpler, CarrisCorporalArmy1952 to 1955Korea, Purple Heart

Fields, Bobby W.PrivateArmy - Infantry4 years

Johnson, Willie R.CorporalArmy - 1950s Radio Operator, Germany

Ford, BobbyArmy21 yearsKorea, Vietnam

Scott, Benjamin F., Jr.CorporalArmyKorea

Langley, Allie L.ArmyServed 20 yearsKorea

william h. pridgen, a corporal in the marine corps, served from 1951 to 1953. The photos above were taken during his time in the korean war.

Jerald f. bass, sr., Private first class, served as a military policeman and with the security force co. in the marine corps from 1957 to 1960. he was stationed at norfolk naval base and guantanamo bay, cuba.

Below, a clipping from the wilson times in 1957, featuring bass and fellow wilson natives ted perry, hatten hodges and billy moosha comparing measurements after returning from marine basic training at parris island, sc. the men reportedly gained between 10 and 30 pounds of muscle each during their training.

Adams, Franklin E.Airman 1st ClassAir Force1957 to 1965

Davis, Clarence J.Army1951 to 1953Korea

Sgt. 1st class Bobby moore, of the 7th calvary dispensary, participates in winter training on mt. fuji, japan during the winter of 1956. Moore served in the army from 1953 to 1961.

Rowe, Malary C.SP-3Army82nd and 101st Airborne Div.

Sullivan, Wm. NathanArmy1951 to 1953 Korea

Blizzard, Willie ‘Bill’SP-3Army1954 to 1956Korea

Williamson, James B.Lt. ColonelArmyWWII

Black, Henry H. Sgt. Major - MarinesKorea, D.R., Vietnam Purple Heart, Silver Star, 3 Bronze Stars

Ford, Henry C.Army30 yearsKorea

Flowers, George M., Sr.Military PoliceArmy1956 to 1959

Atkinson, LacyGunnery Sgt. Marine Corps1943 to 1965

Teague, Kenneth E.“Tommy”PFCArmy1954 to 1956

Brown, JerrySeamanNavy1957 to 1961

Viverette, James R. ‘JR’Private First ClassArmy, 1953-55A. Reserve, 1955-’63Served in Germany

Nobles, William “Tom”Staff SergeantAir Force1951 to 1955Air Comm. Service

Wastson, William T.ColonelArmy1948 to 1979Purple Heart

Winborne, Thomas J., Sr.ArmyPhoto: 1954

Whitfield, Starkey E.PFCArmy1958

Farmer, James, E., Jr.Private First ClassArmy1953 to 1954Artillery, (264th FA)

Howell, Marvin R.Staff SergeantArmy1953 to 1961

Smith, James H., Jr.Sergeant First Class82nd Airborne and Special Forces1948 to 1957

CAROLINA FORGE

Cpl. willie r. johnson, pictured in the middle, served as an army radio operator in germany from 1952 to 1954 during the korean war.

lonnie r. tomlinson, sr. served in the army with company b (out of fort jackson, sc), 502nd airborne infantry, from 1955 to 1957.

Joyner, Arnold W.SP-4Army1963 to 1965Korea

Smith, Andy W.SP-4Army1970 to 1971

Langston, Alton P.SP-4Army1966 to 1968

Kersey, AlanYN-3Navy1962 to 1966USS Enterprise

Christian, Charles H.SergeantArmy1966 to 1971

Parker, Carlton R.SergeantAir Force1970 to 1974

Bill vaughan served in the navy from 1969 to 1972 and was stationed aboard the uss neptune, an intelligence gathering vessel during vietnam. from 1971 to 1972, he worked for the commander and chief of the navy’s atlantic fleet.

MaJ. Bob Carlson served in the Marine corps from 1960 to 1980. Pictured above, carlson in danang, vietnam in 1970.

PFC Wayne whitley served in the signal corps of the army from 1966 to 1968 and was stationed in korea.

Stone, Robert T.MajorArmy Medical Corps1970 to 197295th Evac. Hospital

Harris, BenjaminSergeantMarine Corps1967 to 1973

Joyner, D. WayneSP-4Army - 1968 to 19692 Bronze Stars

Witherspoon, Charles E.SergeantArmy1969 to 1971

Warren, Calvin L.CorporalMarine Corps1970 to 1973Vietnam, ‘71-’73

Page, Buddie H.Army1966 to 1968Vietnam

Van Casey, DannyPFC - Marine CorpDeployed: 3/5/69KIA: 3/24/69

Cotten, Dan R.Air Force1971 to 1974Vietnam

Sgt. Dennis W. edwards pictured (right) with two friends to the day they left vietnam. edwards served in the Army from 1966 to 1968.

Michael kushman, e-5, prepares to drive a 3/4 ton truck with a trailer full of weapons and equipment into a chinook helicopter during “operation: santa fe” in november of 1967. Kushman served in the army from 1965 to 1969.

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Pipkin, Edward E. “Buddy”SergeantArmy1968 - Korea

Ward, Ernest L.CW-2Army22 years (‘63-’88)Vietnam

Fulghum, GeraldPFCArmy1966 to 1968Vietnam

Bunn, Gerald D.Staff SergeantAir Force1967 to 1971

Letchworth, George P.SP-5Army1966 to 1968Vietnam

Kearney, George E.SergeantArmy1968 to 1970

Frey, JerryPFCArmy - 25th Inf.Vietnam

Lucas, James T.SPEC-5Army1967 to 1973

King, James D.E-4Army1966

Overton, James A., Sr.Specialist E-4Army1959 to 1965Germany

Currie, Dennis E.SPEC-4Army1967 to 1969

Pittman, Elme L.SergeantArmy1950 to 1972Medic - M.A.S.H.

Hinnant, Elm RaySergeantAir Force1974 to 1978

White, Ezzard C.SPEC-4Army1972 to 1975

O’Briant, David C.E-4Marine Corps1968 to 1974

Ruffin, Herbert, Jr.E-4Marine Corps1968 to 1970Vietnam

Davis, GreadlySPEC-4Army1971 to 1974Vietnam

Jenkins, John W.SergeantArmy - 1968 to 19719 service medals and bars

Shepard, JimmyE-4Army1974 to 1978

Wells, Jimmy D.Army1972 to 1976

Smith, Jimmy E.SergeantMarine Corps1968 to 1972

Nelson, Jerry R.SergeantMarine CorpsVietnam - Tet

Howell, Jerry O.SergeantAir Force1966 to 1970

Jarmon, Larry E.SPEC-4Army1968South Korea

Ward, Kenneth “KW”E-4Army1973 to 1976

Batchelor, Kenneth W.SergeantArmy1968 to 19742 years in Vietnam

Short, Joseph B.LieutenantArmy1967 to 1990

Batchelor, Johnny H.Marine CorpsVietnam

Barron, JohnSergeantArmy1960 to 1968

Brothers earl and ron ford eventu-ally both joined the Air Force in the early 1970’s. Ron served in Vietnam and Earl was stationed in Alaska.

Cpl. Doug Tennis poses with a captured bolt-action, Russian-made mosin-nagant sniper rifle in Ahn Hoa in august of 1968. tennis served in the Marine corps from 1967-69.

Bryant, Luther, Jr.Master SergeantArmy, ‘64-’67Army Reserve, ‘77-’04

Davis, Linwood E.CorporalMarine Corps1966 to 1968

Glover, Ronald E.SergeantArmy1968 to 1970

Edmundson, Rodney G.Airman First ClassAir Force1962 to 1965

Rios-Maldonado, Pablo, Sr.E-4Army1961 to 1964

Witherspon, MartinSP-4Army1963 to 1965Radar Operator

Finch, Rudy F.Staff SergeantAir Force1966 to 1970

Barnes, RoySPEC-5Army1967 to 1970

Williford, William “Billy”Army Nat’l Guard1963 to 1969

Bulluck, William H.SPEC-4Army1963 to 1966

McKeel, William C.E-4Army1968 to 1970Bronze Star

Christian, Vernon W.PFCMarine Corps1967 to 1970

FAST SERVICE ...TAKE OUT, TOO.

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Hardison, Leslie “Les”Airman First ClassAir Force1962 to 1966Airplane mechanic

Batts, Lee R., Jr.CorporalMarine Corps1974 to 1978

Batchelor, Ray t.SPEC-5Army1966 to 1968

Webb, Randy G.CorporalMarine Corps1973 to 1977S. Pacific, Germany

Woodard, Roscoe, Jr.“Squirt”Lance CorporalMarine Corps1967 to 1969

Durham, Ronnie C.SergeantArmy1968 to 1969Nat’l Guard, ‘80-’82

Godwin, Stanley H.A1CAir Force1960 to 1964Alaskan Air Command

Webb, Rufus L., Jr.Marine Corps1967 to 1968Vietnam

Rogers, Zane D.SPEC-4Army1968 to 1970

Bradley, Woodrow, Jr.SergeantArmy - 1971 to 1977First Signal BrigadeDaNang RVN

friends david neal and quince watson, both serving in the army, met up in vietnam in 1970. Neal was stationed in thailand and watson vietnam.

Call Jacynthia Christian about dates. Might be wrong.**243-4588

Lt. Col. Mavis G. cisneros served in the army nurse corps from 1954 to 1975. She received numerous medals, including a bronze star and army commendation medal.

Ford, Bobby R.Army1947 to 1968In Vietnam, cook to Gen. Westmoreland

Mincey, GeorgeE-4Army1980s

Black, Michael J.SergeantMarine Corps- 10 yrs.MP, PresidentialHelicopter Squadron

Harris, BillyCorporalArmy1984 to 1986

Pender, Larry D.SPEC-4Army1975 to 1979

Stem, Jasper G.Airman First ClassAir Force1956 to 1960

Adams, Mark F.E-4Air Force1982 to 1986

Ward, Ronald“Ronnie”E-5Army1981 to 1995

Woodall, Robert M.CaptainMarines, ‘72-’84Nat’l Guard, ‘86-’96

Edwards, Johnny R.E-4Army1978 to 1981

Sergeant Bobby lee richardson served in the marine corps from 1980 to 1987.

Sergeant major james e. lamm served in the army from 1959 to 1982.

The Veterans “Moving wall” in washington dc, submitted in honor of vietnam veteran William R. O’Briant, 1st Airborne, Army

Blair, Larry O.SergeantMarine Corps1981 to 1985

Jones, RiddickArmy1990

Garnett, RoscoeAir Force1958

Our deepest gratitude and admiration

to those who have served our country

with honor, dignity, pride and sacrifice

V E T E R A N S

Dail, Robert E.SPEC-4Army1956 to 1958Germany

Neal, Kenneth E.SergeantAir Force1975

Harris, Jerry A.E-4 / Spec-4Army1976 to 1980

Lucas, VernillE-6Army1978 to 1992

Jenkins, Tony “TJ”SergeantArmy1984 to 1990

Wells, TimothyArmy1979 to 1985

Neal, Willie L., Jr.SergeantArmy1975 to 2001

Little, James C.Master SergeantAir Force1956 to 1978Vietnam

McDougal, Anthony M.Staff SergeantMarine Corps1984 to 1995Kuwait

J. Alan overton, pictured on the right, served as a petty officer in the u.s. navy from may, 1984 to march, 1988.

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From One Veteran to Another,Our heartfelt gratitude

to all thosewho have served!

Wells, Roger L.Army1977 to 1992

Salazar, R.GMGNavy1996 to 2000

Newby, BernardDrill SergeantMarine Corps1958 to 1994Vietnam

Wells, Tommie, Jr.Army1989 to 1994

the photo of Sergeant Benjamin williams above was taken this summer during his tour in afghanistan. williams is in B company, 1-508 Parachute infantry regiment, 4th brigade combat team, 82nd airborne.

Kubas, Robert E.NC Nat’l GuardPresent42nd CST (WMD)

Best, Rashod D.SergeantArmy1999 to 2006Iraq / Afghanistan

Pender, Michael A.Staff SergeantArmy1995 to Present

Davis, Justin K.SPCArmy2010 to Present

Alston, Charles A., Jr.Army1992 to 1994

Hawkins, ByronStaff SergeantArmy1993 to Present

Smith, Jimmie E., Jr.Lance CorporalMarine Corps1990 to 1993

Harris, Corey C.SergeantAir Force1989 to 1993

Barnes, William E.SPCArmy1989 to 1993

Mays, William H., IIIE-5Marine Corps1988 to 1991Desert Storm

Jones, Victor V.E-4Army1988 to 1992Desert Storm

Private Second Class Jayson wain bacott served in the army in 2003 and was stationed at Ft. jackson, sc.

The words on the screen were now invisible, obscured by the ocean of tears in my eyes. After 32 years the E-mail had just revealed what had happened to King.

King, serial number 326F, was an eighty-five-pound German Shepherd, trained as a United States Air Force Sentry Dog, who along with his handler, Sgt. Chris Raper, was sent to South Vietnam in December of 1966.

The recent airing of the documentary, “War Dogs,” on television’s Discovery Channel had again opened wounds caused by my experiences in Vietnam, America’s most unpopular war. The scenes of handlers with their dogs on patrol, and the abandonment of these dogs by the military, after the war was over, caused long suppressed emotions to sur-face. Immediately after the show I posted a short story and message on the War Dogs website, (war-dogs.com). I requested informa-tion from anyone who might have been assigned to my old unit, the 31st Security Police Squadron, at Tuy Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam in 1966-1967. It was a desperate search for information that might, just might be able to allow me to know what had happened to King. I spent many hours, unsuccessfully, searching web sites for information about King until I found the website for the Vietnam Dog Handlers Association, There I met Tom Mitchell, one of the Association’s officers. Not only was Tom instru-mental in starting VDHA, he was also a K-9 handler at Tuy Hoa Air Base the same time I was there! I sent Tom an e-mail and waited .

Over the next few days I thought of the two and one-half year’s King and I had worked together. We first became a team in July of 1965 at Glasgow Air Force Base in northeastern Montana. King’s handler had been recently discharged from the Air Force and I had been selected to be King’s new handler. After eight weeks of intensive training, we were a working K-9 Sentry Dog Team. King was trained to detect intruders, alert his handler and attack the intruder if necessary. I reflected on our time spent together at Glasgow AFB

soldier’s best friend

and the almost unbearable weather conditions — ex-tremes of cold and heat that would test the endurance of the best. Patrols were from sundown until sun-up but the dogs never complained, just their handlers. I learned to rely upon and trust King’s acute senses and at the same time, King learned to trust and protect me. Neither of us knew at the time that our ultimate challenge lay ahead, in a far away country called Vietnam.

The war in Southeast Asia was intensifying daily and more K-9 teams were being sent to Vietnam. Just two weeks before Christmas of 1966, King and I boarded a C-130 for the long flight to Vietnam. I still remember being cold on the flight over and a flight crew-member passing out blankets. It was the last time I would be cold for a long time.

Arriving at the sprawling Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon in sweltering heat and humidity, King and I were quick to be introduced to the dangers of war. Just a few nights before our arrival, a sentry dog and his handler were wounded, during an attack by Viet Cong guerril-las. The handler, seriously wounded, was evacuated to

a hospital in Japan. His dog, Nemo, had lost an eye in the attack and was later sent to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, home of the Air Force Sentry Dog School. Nemo, was just one of less than two hundred war dogs of the more than four thousand that served in Vietnam to return to the states. For hundreds of other K-9’s, like King, it was a one way trip. I was both saddened and frightened from the day’s events. The life of this twenty-year-old airman, ten thousand miles from home, was changed forever. That day, before leaving King at the kennels, I hugged him tightly. I think that was when I realized just how attached to one another King and I had become.

King and I were sent to Tuy Hoa Air Base, which was located near the coastal town of Tuy Hoa, 285 miles northeast of Saigon. The base was being hastily prepared for the arrival of F-100 jets and for the next year it would be our home.

Our time there was spent looking for infiltrators, sabo-teurs and protecting the outer perimeters of the base from penetration by Viet Cong guer-rilla units. It was best described as a sort of “no mans land,” where anything that moved was probably the enemy, and where King and I became a

vital part of the base’s first line of defense.

I remembered our nights on patrol in the inky darkness of the monsoon nights, when the moon would not appear for weeks. This was a time that was valued by the enemy because they could operate more easily undetected. I re-membered the torrential rains and the times I would allow King to seek shelter under my poncho. I remembered the C-ration meals we shared to-gether, while others were able to sleep or go to the “mess area” for hot meals. I remem-bered the long, hot and humid summer nights, that would cause rust to form on my CAR-15 rifle, but cleaning it became secondary to King’s needs. I remembered the two canteens of water I carried, one for King and one for me. When King’s was empty I would share mine with him. I remembered the dry season when I would spend hours removing ticks from King’s coat and using a torch to burn them from the kennels ce-ment block walls. I remem-bered the sounds of war we shared, the constant flights of helicopters and the medical, “dust-offs,” that brought in the dead and wounded from the battlefields. We witnessed the thundering explosions and

the illuminating skyline of the distant mountains of the Central Highlands, caused by the B-52 bombers President Johnson committed to the war effort in the summer of 1967. I remembered the sounds and sights of “Puff the Dragon,” an AC-47 gun ship. Equipped with mini-guns, “Puff” would fly in a circle above the target area, firing six thousand bullets per minute, to help drive away the attacking Viet Cong. I remembered how King’s eyes followed the red tracer bullets as they formed unintelligible characters on their downward spiral. I remembered the hastily dug fox holes we shared and how I would pray that the bullets missed us and I believe that if dogs could pray King would have said a prayer for me too! I remembered the rising sun that signaled the end of another night on patrol and King’s excitement when he saw the truck coming that would take us to the kennels. I remembered the trip back to the kennels, riding in silence, as we were too tired to talk, and how King would seem to know that danger, at least for a while, was absent. In minutes he would be sleeping soundly with his head on my lap.

I remembered the night I visited King at the kennels

for the last time and how I tried so desperately to explain why I was going home and he could not go with me. Somehow I knew he did not understand, even as he licked the tears from my cheeks. The walk from the kennels to the living quarters was only a few hundred yards, but in many ways it was longer than the trip home to America the next day. In my heart I knew King would not survive the stress of the war much longer as he was almost eight years old, and for a “war dog” that was old.

The tears now were as real as they were then. Wiping them away, I reread the E-mail - “King 326-F died of a heat stroke in August of 1968. He was eight years old.” King lived only eight months after I left him.

The guilt of leaving King and not knowing what hap-pened to him had lived with me all these years. My only consolation is in knowing that because of King there are fewer names on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. King, one of America’s forgotten heroes, will live forever in my heart. Welcome home King 326-F. The war is now over for me too!

‘Welcome Home King’

Official records indicate the lives of as many as ten thousand soldiers were saved in Vietnam due to the actions of K-9 Teams.On President’s Day, February 21, 2000, a memorial dedication service was held at March Field Air Museum at Riverside, CA. A statue of a K-9 Handler and his dog was unveiled. The statue stands 16 feet tall and is ten feet wide at the base.

Story and information provided courtesy of the vietnam security police association, inc.www.vspa.com

By chad raperspecial to the veterans day section

A U.S. Army sergeant from Wilson says he’s recovering after a roadside bomb blast pitched his armored vehicle airborne in Afghanistan late last month.Sgt. William Lamm of the 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment was injured when an improvised explosive device detonated as his Stryker armored vehicle returned from a southern Afghan village Oct. 23, he said Friday.“The only thing I remember was my platoon leader mentioning something about seeing a guy he said he had seen in a different area,” Lamm said. “The next thing I remember, I woke up on the ground.”Lamm said the five soldiers in the armored vehicle escaped with broken bones, cuts and scrapes. He suffered a broken humerus, which caused nerve damage to his right hand, a traumatic brain injury and cuts to his face and legs.“We all lived,” he said. “None of us got hurt extremely bad.”Lamm received the Purple Heart and the Army Combat Action Badge, he said.Military officials couldn’t confirm details of the IED attack in time for this story. The Army’s public affairs office referred ques-tions to NATO’s International Security As-sistance Force, which did not immediately return messages.

‘SHOCK AND DISBELIEF’

Lamm grew up in Wilson and graduated from Hunt High School in 2005. His moth-er, Vicki Brkic, said she learned of Lamm’s injury through a phone call last week. She described her reaction as one of “shock and disbelief.”“It’s absolutely horrible to know that

they’ve been injured, and you don’t exactly know where they’re at, what their condition is,” Brkic said. “You get bits and pieces for a few days.”Lamm’s mother was frightened, but now she feels fortunate.“We’re very lucky,” she said, “because there’s a lot of people not coming home.”Brkic said she can’t bear to watch news reports of American troops fighting in Afghanistan.“I would not be able to function if I had to watch the news every day,” she said. “That’s all I would do is worry about him. I have to put him in God’s hands. As much as I worry about him, this is what he signed up for. It’s his job and his responsibility, and I’m very proud of him.”After the attack, Lamm said he was hospi-talized overnight at the Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. Officials transferred him to the Bagram Airfield, he said, and he also received treatment in Germany and Texas before returning to his duty station.Lamm is stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord outside Tacoma, Wash. He is recuperating at his home on the base with his wife, Beth, and his children, 3-year-old Ryleigh and 1-year-old Ryder.“I’m comfortable,” he said Friday, four days after returning home. “I’m sitting on my couch watching basketball. I’m glad to be home and just kind of hanging out.”The explosion brought Lamm face to face with mortality and made him reflect on the importance of family.“It makes you appreciate things a lot more — things you might have taken for granted earlier in life,” he said. “Just going on deployment and coming back, you learn to focus on the little things that make you happy.”

‘BEST JOB IN THE WORLD’

Lamm works as a unit supply soldier, but he said he was filling in for a chap-lain’s assistant on the day of the explo-sion. Five members of his platoon were returning from distributing surveys in an Afghan village to determine residents’ needs, he said.“We’re still over there doing our jobs,” he said. “We’re trying to help the Af-ghan people fend for themselves.”The roadside bomb blast came during the seventh month of a 9-month deploy-ment, Lamm said. This was his second tour in Afghanistan.Lamm was in the firefighter training program at Wilson Community College before enlisting in the Army.“I wanted to see the world, and it seemed like the best way,” he said. “I enjoy every part of being a soldier. This is the best job in the world.”Lamm is thankful for the outpouring of support his family’s received. Friends set up a charitable fund, Love for the Lamms, through the State Employees Credit Union.

Donations to the fund will help the Lamms pay for day care and transpor-tation when William Lamm has doctor appointments and help the family make ends meet during his recovery.“I would just like to say thank you to everyone who helped out,” Lamm said.Contributions to the Love for the Lamms Fund can be made at any State Employees Credit Union branch.“The community has been absolutely wonderful with all the support and prayers,” Brkic said. “There are just so many agencies and so many people. Everyone has reached out to see what they can do.”Brkic said her daughter-in-law and grandchildren recently visited her in Wilson while her son was deployed. She’s planning to visit her son at his Washington home in about two weeks.“I’m going to give him a big kiss,” she said. “I haven’t seen him since last April.”

[This article originally appeared in the Wilson Times on November 3, 2012.]

Wilson soldier recovering from bomb blasT

Sgt. William Lamm, a Hunt High grad, recounts Oct. 23 explosion in Afghanistan

By Corey FriedmanTimes Online Editor