Newspaper Page Text
April 16, 2008
"Reporter
PAGE 5A
From the outside looking in
A poem
for fallen
soldiers
F ormer State Rep. Larry Walker and
now back to full time practicing
home-town law in Perry writes a col
umn for the local newspaper. Larry
and I share columns and sometimes
ideas.
Larry received an e-mail from a former leg
islative colleague, Buddy DeLoach, and without
further ado, I want to share it with you. Get a
handkerchief and your American Flag ready.
Here it is:
Larry, Ever since the war in Iraq began, we at
Fort Stewart/Hinesville have gathered to dedi
cate an eastern redbud
tree for each 3rd ID sol
dier killed. This line of
trees is known as
Warrior's Walk. Once a
month the families of
these brave soldiers come
to Fort Stewart to have
gold stars pined on moth
ers and spouses. As
I watch those white
army vans arrive
carrying family
members, I try to
remember how
many times I have
observed that scene and wonder how many
more will have to come. This week we dedicat
ed seven new trees. They now number 393.
I have seen young widows carrying unborn
children. I have seen children too young to
understand and I have seen teenagers who did
not understand. They come from one end of
this land to the other. I'll never forget a
younger brother that walked behind his mother
and sister. He looked uncomfortable in a black
suite that probably
had not been often
worn. His trousers
were too short. His
home was Iowa. I
guessed he lived on
a farm. His mother
and sister held on
to each other and
he walked behind
as if he were lost.
When the ceremony was over I said to him,"
I'm sorry for your loss and thankful for your
brother's life." He nodded and his mother said,"
My son was proud to be a soldier. He believed
in what he was doing."
I often think of that young farm boy and won
der what it is like to give up a big brother at
that age. The last tree we dedicated was for
Capt. Nathan Raudenbush of Royesford, PA.
He was 25 years old. His widow said that he
talked so much about missing his 18-month-old
son that she threatened to box him up and
send him to Iraq. She said that her husband
replied that he would stay here until the job
was done so his son would never have to go.
During each ceremony the wife of a young
Canadian officer attached to the 3rd ID, reads
a poem that she wrote for the fallen soldiers. I
forward it to you under separate cover. It is dif
ficult to go month after month and look into
the eyes of family members. This young woman
has found a wonderful way to express for us
what we all feel in her poem titled HONOR. I
wanted to share these things with you because
I know you care.
And here is the poem by Kathleen Mills as
referred to by Buddy:
Honor
On my honor we will stand at
The place where you rest
And remember you.
On my honor we will pick up
The torch of freedom and
Carry it for you.
On my honor you will not be a
Silent memory, we will
Speak of you often so the
World will know what
You have done.
On my honor, as you reach the
Gates of heaven you will
Hear the voices of a
Grateful nation rise up
And we will honor you.
Kathleen Mills
Thanks Larry for sharing Buddy’s letter and
for allowing me to share it with readers of The
Reporter.
God bless our soldiers, and God bless
America.
Donald Jackson Daniel is the founder and for
mer publisher of The Reporter. He can be con
tacted at tullaybear@bellsouth.net.
Cole announces re-election bid
State Rep, Jim Cole (R-Forsyth)
announced Monday that he will seek
re-election to Georgia’s 125th House
District in 2008.
“It has been one of the greatest hon
ors of my life to serve the people of
Monroe, Jones, Jasper and Lamar
counties in the State House,” said Cole.
Continued Cole, “As a floor leader for
Gov. Perdue, we have been able to help
the Governor secure passage of many
items critical to our communities and
our entire state. Progress continues on
the relocation of the Georgia
Department of Corrections to the Tift
College Campus. The impact of this
vital project has only begun to be felt. I
am proud of my consistent record of
service and respectfully ask the voters
to grant me another term to continue to
provide this kind of “get the job done”,
conservative leadership in the State
House.”
Elected in 2004, Republican
Representative Jim Cole is presently
serving as the legislative voice under
the Gold Dome for the constituents of
District 125, which includes Jasper
County and parts of Monroe, Jones and
Lamar Counties. His legislative duties
currently include membership on the
Natural Resources & Environment, and
Public Safety Committees. Cole also
serves in the following leadership posi
tions in the House: Governor’s
Administrative Floor Leader and Vice
Chair of the State Institutions and
Property Committee. Cole was recently
appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue to
serve on the House Fiscal Affairs
Subcommittee. Members are appointed
by the Governor and the Speaker of the
House, and have the authority to
review the budget requests of various
state departments, bureaus, boards,
commissions, institutions, and agencies
at any time.
Cole attended Mercer on an academic
and athletic scholarship where he
played baseball. After graduating with
honors, he was drafted by the
Milwaukee Brewers and played pro
baseball until he suffered a career end
ing injury. He returned to middle
Georgia and completed his MBA at
Mercer. In 1997, he started Culligan
Water of Middle Georgia.
Jim is a very active community
leader. He serves on the Board of
Directors of the Georgia Chamber of
Commerce. A graduate of Leadership
Georgia, Jim is also a member of
Forsyth United Methodist Church,
Director for the Georgia Industrial
Children’s Home and the President of
the Mercer University Booster Club.
Jim is happily married to the former
Gaylyn Lawson of Forsyth. Jim and
Gaylyn are the proud parents of
Caroline and Lawson.
Cole can be reached at the State
Capitol at 404.651.7737 or
jim.cole@house.ga.gov. Voters can learn
more at www.votecole.com.
The Low Down on High Falls
The yurts are coming, the yurts are coming
H ello from High
Falls.
Congratulations
to all of “The
Best of
Monroe County” win
ners.
High Falls won in two
categories:
High Falls Towaliga
Watershed Alliance for
Best Conservation
Group in Monroe
County, and High Falls
State Park for Best
Place to Hike in
Monroe County.
The Monroe County sher
iff’s office has opened a
new sub-station here in
High Falls where the old
flea market used to be. I
spoke with Brad Freeman
of the sheriff’s office and
cleared up some of the
misconceptions surrounding
this move.
First of all, this is not
something that just came
up. This has been in the
works for almost two
years. A lack of funding
and other issues had to be
worked out
before they
could be up and
running.
The one in
High Falls is
actually in oper
ation now, as of
this past
Monday.
There are
three other sub
stations, in
Juliette, Bolingbroke and
Culloden.
Brad explained that one
deputy will be assigned to
each sub-station.
Another consideration for
doing this had to do with
logistics, fuel cost and hav
ing a place to meet and
check in with each other
without having to report to
Forsyth so often.
Brad also told me chil
dren, under some circum
stances, can be picked up
from there for visitation if
there is any question of an
unsafe situation occurring
at another location.
We welcome these
deputies to High Falls,
their presence is appreciat
ed.
One last note—crime has
decreased in High Falls and
that is the best news of all.
Spring is here, the traffic
has really started to pick up
and according to Bobby
Wilson, so has business.
Bobby is the manager of
High Fall State Park and
confirmed an exciting project
soon to begin: the pre-con
struction meeting for the
new yurts will take place
next Tuesday. For those of
us who are not familiar with
a yurt, it’s very much like a
huge dome shaped tent that
can accomadate several
people).
Hopefully, there will be six
of them.
Another meeting on the
12th with a geologist should
prove to be interesting, we
will follow up with Bobby at
a later date.
I want to take this
opportunity to thank all of
you that have sent me e-
mails and kind words of
encouragement and support
since I have been writing
this column.
I welcome your comments
and suggestions and hope
you will continue to read my
articles.
See you next time and
remember:
“Most of the shadows of
this life are caused by stand
ing in our own sunshine.”
Margaret Sigretto is the
new High Falls columnist for
the Reporter. Email her at
highfallshideawa@bell-
south.net.
By Margaret
Sigretto
Destination: Bolingbroke
Like the area, Bolingbroke fire station growing
By Vicki
Smith
T he addition to
Bolingbroke Fire
Station (#4) has
finally become a
reality. This end of
Monroe County is a fast
growing area and this busy
fire station had outgrown the
facility and it was
time to expand. This
addition will provide
needed space for a
fire truck that has
been sitting in the
weather in a fire
man's yard for a long
time. The dedicated
Bolingbroke
Volunteer Firemen
saw the need for
another fire truck and
since county funds are short,
they raised money thru
BBQs, silent auctions, dona
tions, etc. and bought &
equipped a class E-l
firetruck. This truck serves
as a second engine for the
Bolingbroke area and a back
up for all other stations and
in exchange the county had
ok'd the expansion to house
it. Well, a year later, the
footings are in and the block
should be laid next week. An
added benefit to the addition
will provide space to house a
sub station for Monroe
County sheriffs deputy
Richard Coughenour, thus
making his job more efficient.
J.D. Chapman, Jimmy
Mickle and James Weeks,
along with all the other
Bolingbroke Volunteer
Firemen, say having this fire
truck on site will make a
huge difference in an emer
gency situation. Their only
agenda is our safety.
Donations are greatly appre
ciated and if you would like
to make a (tax deductible)
donation, please mail a check
to RO. Box Bolingbroke, GA
31004. I feel very fortunate
to have such dedicated volun
teers/firemen in my commu
nity and it gives me peace of
mind to know they take their
jobs very seriously.
I hope you will make
plans to attend the
annual Bolingbroke
Social (date to be
announced) in the fall
as we will proudly
host this event at the
Bolingbroke Fire
Station. You can
check out the new
addition and meet
Bolingbroke's finest.
Vickie Smith is the
Bolingbroke columnist for the
Monroe County Reporter.
Email her at
vicki.smith@remax.net.
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Bolingbroke volunteer firemen are excited about their sta
tion expansion, including Kevin Bunn, Mike Crews, Will &
Jake newton (J.D.'s grandsons), J.D. Chapman and Jimmy
Mickle.