Every Sunday morning, 95-year-old Glerand Honeycutt, who is a World War II veteran, can be found sitting in the pews at Zoar Baptist Church.
Honeycutt, and many other veterans, will be honored in a God and Country Day service Sunday.
Each year, for the last 10 years, Zoar’s members hold “God and Country Day” as a way to honor and remember the veterans who have served in the military.
“We honor those who served during peacetime and during conflicts,” Woodrow Smith, veteran and church member, said. “We hold a special celebration for them in our 11 a.m. service, and have a good old Fourth of July cookout after the service.”
Smith, who is retired as a Sergeant First Class from the United States Army, along with Gerald Holland, who lost a brother in the Vietnam war, and Pastor Kelvin Blackman, work to put this special service together along with others in the church, including the adult choir and the youths.
“We consider this as a solemn and heart touching service where we honor those present and remember those who have gone on before us,” Smith shared. “The program will have a video with pictures and will tell how they they are related to members of our congregation. There will be patriotic music and posting of the flag, among other things.”
At each service, there is a guest speaker, and this year Colonel Michael Larsen, Quartermaster Corp US Army (retired), will be sharing his story.
A cookout will immediately follow the service. The Shed Heads of the Grateful Shed will prepare the meal for this year’s celebration.
The public is invited to the annual service. The church is located at 740 Zoar Church Road, Salemburg. For more information, contact Smith at 910-990-4791.
