WS Chronicle

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY 

THE CHRONICLE

Veterans all across the country celebrated Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11. The veterans of St. John C.M.E. were honored by the congregation this past Sunday, as well as those who have also formerly served on their usher board and as greeters.

St. John has been honoring their veterans for years, but senior pastor Rev. Omar L. Dykes said he learned from his grandmother to honor those who came before him, so this was the perfect opportunity to honor the former ushers and greeters as well as the veterans.

“It was nothing big or flashy, just to be appreciated and to know that we have been recognized was great,” said Herman B. Springs III.

Ronald Teeter, a former staff sergeant in the Marine Corps, said “It’s an honor that the church recognizes us because usually a lot of folks in the world don’t respect what we have done as far as trying to keep peace and keep them safe. Overall, I’m just glad it was done for us.”

Both the ushers and veterans were given a special gift from the church. Before Dykes began his sermon, he wanted to personally thank the veterans and ushers for their service. He then touched on the recent presidential election and how it will affect the people. He wanted to convey to the people that we cannot afford to lose hope.

He posed the question of, “Where do we go from here?” He said we have to keep moving because God will be with us.

“For me, it’s a big honor, and I think some-times what we try to do is make sure we build a bridge between what is happening in the community and country as well as what’s happening in the church,” said Dykes. “The military definitely has a place not only in serving the country but also in serving the church, so today was a celebration of marrying the two.”

Dykes continued by saying “We wanted to give back. I am a person who was raised by my grandmother. A lot of what I was trained came from my grandmother’s kitchen table. So a part of my pastoral approach has always been, we have to give back to those who have paved the way for us,” when speaking about honoring the ushers and greeters.

Darrly West, U.S. Army veteran added, “It’s nice that the church and the community would come out and appreciate the veterans. It’s appreciated every year for them to recognize us and give us a little token.”

“For the people to recognize us, that was something we all enjoy every year,” said Sylvia Fisher. “It was good to let people know that there were people of color in the military throughout every branch.”