Newspaper Page Text
Page 2 - The Wiregrass Farmer, Nov. 18,2015
Remembering the four chaplains of the US AT Dorchester
Methodist minister the Rev
erend George L. Fox, Reform
Rabbi Alexander D. Goode
(Ph.D.), Roman Catholic priest
the Reverend John P. Washing
ton, and Reformed Church in
America minister the Reverend
Clark V. Poling are known as
the Four Chaplains.
The four men were aboard
the US AT Dorchester in WWII
when it was struck by a Ger
man torpedo. The four men
worked to get as many men off
the boat as they could. Then,
each man gave his life jacket to
someone else on the sinking
ship.
“They did what they could
to calm the frightened and tend
the wounded,” said American
Legion Post 98 Chaplain the
Rev. William Leggett. Pastor
Leggett was the featured
speaker at the Post 98 Veterans
Day observance in Elrod Park.
“Many reported seeing the four
chaplains standing arm-in-arm
on the deck praying in their
own way.”
The ship sank, taking the four
men down with the boat.
The men were posthu
mously awarded Purple Hearts
and the Distinguished Star.
“The sacrifice these four
chaplains made reminds me of
love and of giving,” Pastor
Leggett said.
He opened his speech with
a reference to John 3:16. “For
God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal
life.” NIV
“This reminds me of the
subject we would like to deal
with today - love,” he said.
Veterans show the kind of
love that God expressed in
John 3:16, he said.
“Thank you so much for
your service,” Pastor Leggett
said.
The JROTC placed this wreath the Civic Center ceremonies and then moved it to the Elrod Park event.
Photos Susan Baker
Pastor William Leggett delivers
the main speech at the Veterans
Day event in Elrod Park.
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VET
(Continued from Page 1)
fice and your sense of duty and
your service.”
Post 98 Commander Andrea
Pierce spoke next.
“All gave some. Some gave
all,” she said, and then asked
for a moment of silence.
“God bless our veterans.
God bless America. If you see
a vet, thank him for his serv
ice.”
Interim School Superin
tendent Tommy Day also
spoke. He said it would be his
“official” visit to the high
school as the superintendent.
“We don’t realize what we
have in America,” he said.
“Where does everybody in the
world want to come? They
want to come here because of
the freedoms we have.”
He said the day of celebra
tion and honor should be a
year-round thing.
“The veterans are looked on
today as they should have been
all our lives. For that, I am very
grateful,” he said. “Without
them, we wouldn’t have the
right to be here today.”
Class President Kayland
Winter urged her fellow stu
dents to remember the sacri
fices made.
“We are here today to honor
our heroes. Say thank you for
their sacrifice. We stand in the
midst of patriots,” she said.
The JROTC program in
cluded a slide show of Turner
County veterans and those still
in the military.
The JROTC led the morn
ing starting at 9 a.m. at the
Civic Center. Maj. Gavin said
the annual event is a JROTC
community service project.
POST 98
The morning’s events were
resumed at 11 a.m. at Elrod
Park with the American Legion
observance.
Post 98 Commander Andrea
Pierce welcomed the crowd.
The JROTC presented the col
ors and Tim Hunt sang the na
tional anthem. Post 98
Chaplain William Leggett gave
the invocation.
Mike Mastrario presented a
certificate of appreciation to
Tim Floyd and Sconyers Gin
for their support of Post 98.
Golden Peanut also re
ceived a certificate of appreci
ation for supporting the post.
Beverly North received a
folded flag for her late hus
band, Robert North.
Former Post 98 Com
mander Wayne Mencer said
the Legion added 18 names to
the Wall of Honor at Elrod
Park before the Wednesday
ceremony. As of the event in
the park, 14 spaces were left.
He said once those walls are
full, more will be added.
“We will extend the wall
out, but we have to sell enough
plaques to justify it,” he said.
Don Rogers was also hon
ored by the Legion for his ac
tions earlier this year thwarting
a robbery in Sycamore.
A Vietnam veteran, Mr.
Rogers shot an accused robber
in a store. The store owners
and family already thanked
him.
“Due the fact that a gun was
involved, all the politicians
backed away,” Mr. Mencer
said.
WE
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ural
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service
567-3431
New procedure reduces acid reflux
General and bariatric sur
geon Christopher Smith, M.D.
with Tift Regional Medical
Center (TRMC) has recently
begun performing a new pro
cedure to assist in reducing the
effects acid reflux.
This new procedure is able
to provide relief for patients
who suffer from gastroe
sophageal reflux disease
(GERD), commonly known as
heartburn or acid reflux.
The side effects of GERD
are caused by a weak muscle in
the esophagus (called the
esophageal sphincter) that al
lows acid and bile to splash up
from the stomach into the
esophagus. This often causes
injury to the lining of the
esophagus and causes symp
toms like heartburn, chest pain,
regurgitation, sore throat, or
cough. Millions of adults in the
U.S. suffer from GERD.
Most GERD sufferers at
tempt to alleviate the side ef
fects of GERD by taking over
the counter or prescription
medications, but medications
cannot address the underlying
issue of the weak esophageal
sphincter muscle. The new
LINX system offered by Dr.
Smith at TRMC is a small,
flexible band of magnets en
closed in titanium beads. The
beads are connected by tita
nium wires.
The LINX System is im
planted around the weak
esophageal sphincter, just
above the stomach. The mag
netic attraction between the
beads keeps the weak
esophageal sphincter closed to
help prevent reflux. Swallow
ing forces separate the beads
temporarily to allow food and
liquid to pass into the stomach.
The outpatient procedure it
self takes approximately one
hour and patients are generally
able to go home within one
day. The benefits of having the
LINX procedure include no al
teration to the stomach, reduc
tion of gas and bloating, in
addition to preserving the abil
ity to belch and vomit if
needed.
Patients report reduction in
acid exposure to the esopha
gus, improvement in heartburn
and regurgitation symptoms,
and a reduction or elimination
of GERD medications.
For more information about
the LINX procedure at TRMC,
contact Dr. Smith’s office by
calling 229-353-2263. Dr.
Smith’s office is located on the
2nd floor of the TRMC West
Campus at 2225 Highway 41
North in Tifton.