©2009 NPT PHOTO BY DUAY O"NEIL

Veterans present Wednesday evening at a Veterans Day program at Macedonia Baptist Church
were, from left, Jackie Stewart, Fred Lee, Clarence Hammond, Kathy McCravy, Rev. Carl Bragg,
Nelson Dawson, Paul H. Dockery, Charles Stewart, Roger Ramsey, Jr., William Olden, and
Michael Paul Evans. The event was sponsored by the Tanner Community Action Initiative.

NEWPORT-Closing out a round of Veterans Day programs was a special tribute at Macedonia Baptist Church. The second annual event was sponsored by the Tanner Community Action Initiative.

The military service of four local veterans-James O. Hamilton, Jackie Stewart, William Olden, and Acel H. Osborne-received special attention.

Music, devotions, prayers, and testimonies also highlighted the program.

Members of the New Generation Choir opened the program with the selection "I Shall Not Be Moved" and "Glory, Glory Hallelujah."

TCAI member Linda Hampton-Parker welcomed the crowd, with Kathy McCravy giving the response.

Hampton told those present, "We go where we want to go, eat where we want to eat, and live where we want to live because of you who have made these freedoms available to us."

McCravy said, "On behalf of all of us veterans, I thank you for our day of thanks. Let us remember all those who are on the battlefields at this time."

Roger Ramsey, Sr. and Jerry Haney then led devotions and prayers, using as their text passages from Psalms.

Numerous personal testimonies from the audience then followed, ending with a spontaneous a capella rendition of "Battle Hymn of Republic."

In paying tribute to Hamilton, Shedenna Dockery told the group about his World War II military service.

"I visited James Oscar Hamilton this past Monday afternoon," said Dockery. "He is 91 and in remarkably good health. He still resides in the Caney Branch community of Greene County, just over the Cocke County line."

According to Dockery, Hamilton drove a Diamond T truck in Okinawa.

"I saw places I never would have seen," Dockery quoted Hamilton. "He also recalled the long sea voyages to and from the South Pacific. He said when he learned he was going to be returned to the United States he dropped the board he was carrying."

Hamilton's numerous military medals include the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Bronze Star, and the World War II Victory Medal.

Hampton-Park detailed the military service of Jackie Stewart.

Stewart left for Fort Jackson, S.C., in June of 1969 for basic training and later was sent to Fort Lewis, WA for more training.

His years of service included stints in Vietnam, four tours of duty spent in Germany, and time at Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Gordon, Ga., and time in Alexandria, Va..

He retired in September of 1990 having achieved the rank of Master Sergeant E-8.

Stewart's military honors include the Combat Infantry Badge, with Bronze Star and a Second Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart with Oak Leaf.

Donna Stewart paid tribute to her uncle William Fleming Olden.

"He was born Dec. 26, 1935," said Stewart, "and joined the Army when he was 19."

After finishing his basic training at Ft. Jackson, S.C., he was sent to Europe for job training as a radio operator.

"His areas of location in the military included Germany, Korea, Dominican Republic, Italy, and Vietnam," said Stewart.

Brittane Osborne honored the service of her father, the late Acel Osborne.

"Today is the day that we celebrate and honor many men and women who fight heroically and diligently to protect our country," she said. "My father Acel Osborne was one of these people."

Osborne, another career serviceman, studied at UT-K, the University of Chicago Nursing School, the University of Connecticut, and Walters State Community College.

"While in the Army, he became a sergeant," said Osborne.

Her dad's military honors included the Combat Infantry Badge, two Korean War Badges, the Good Conduct Medal, the Korean Service Medal, a Bronze Star, the United Nation's Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Armed Forces Commendation Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Carbine Expert Award, a Sharpshooter Medal, and a certificate from President Nixon.

Members of the Macedonia Men's Chorus added their tributes by singing "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord."

In his benediction, the Rev. Jesse L. Jones, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church spoke of the "many Biblical heroes who were soldiers and commanders."

Jones, whose son will soon deploy to the Middle East again, said, "I praise God to the soldiers of God. All veterans have sacrificed something we cannot give back. God bless you, and God keep you."