Reedy River Baptist Special Veterans Day Service

Written by Carol Hightower Leake

Nov 28, 2007 at 12:00 AM

The Duckett Family: Forest Duckett, Sr., Veteran US Marines; Mrs. Lucille Ducket; their son, Forest Duckett, Jr., Veteran US Air Force; their daughter and son-in-law, Col. Cheryl Duckett Allen USAF, & Col. Gregory Allen USAF. Reedy River Baptist Church held a special Veterans Day Service Sunday, Nov 11, 2007. Col. Cheryl Duckett Allen, USAF and Col. Gregory Allen, USAF posted the colors.   Adam Burgess, Minister to Students and US Army veteran, led the pledges and gave an inspiring personal testimony of his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. The congregation joined in singing "The National Anthem," "America the Beautiful," and "America." Rev. Dick Jensen of First Foundations gave a moving message about patriotism, duty, and honor. The church presented certificates of appreciation to the 2 active officers and nearly 50 veterans present. Richard Sawyer, chairman of the history committee, collected photos of men and women in uniform who are past or current church members. This photographic display included service men and women from 1862 until the present.   Patriotic activities continued Sunday evening with special music from Mr. Steve Kaminski and a message from Rev. Jensen about veterans in the Bible. Reedy River Baptist Church, a member of the North Greenville Baptist Association, was established ca. 1780. Membership has included veterans of The Revolutionary War, The War Between the States, The Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korean Conflict, and Vietnam Conflict. Sixty-seven church members served in World War II. Many of these veterans are buried in the historic church cemetery. The Men’s Fellowship Sunday Class places flags on the graves of all veterans every Memorial Day.