Memorial Day Service on May 29, 2011

Gretna Christian Church 100th Anniversary

Minister:  Dwight Mays

111 Leftwich Street
Gretna, Virginia
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 644 Gretna, Virginia 24557

During the Memorial Day Service at Gretna Christian Church last Sunday, Reverend Mays read aloud the names that were posted on the blog site and the choir sung the following special song.

No Greater Love

Once on a hill, far from his home,

A valiant soldier prayed alone.

As morning light spread to the sky, 

The day had come that he would die.

Across the sea, a world apart,

A pain went through a mother's heart;

Anther verse in freedom's song

had just been written by her son.

No greater love was ever known.

No greater love was ever shown.

A life laid down, laid down for friends;

No greater love, there is no greater love!

Once on a hill, far from His throne,

The King of Glory prayed alone.

As morning's light spread to the sky,

The day had come that He would die.

Beyond the cross, a world apart,

A pain went through a Father's heart.

The final verse in freedom's song

Had now been written by His Son.

No greater love was ever known.

No greater love was ever shown.

A life laid down, laid down for friends;

No greater love, there is no greater love!

A life laid down, laid down for friends

No greater love, there is no greater love!

Words and Music by Lew King and Barry Lyall

Arranged by Marty Parks

Mark E. Poole  photos
Disciples of Christ Historical Society 

Gretna Christian Church

Atha Bailey

Linda Dalton

Memorial Day May 29, 2011

My mother sent me this picture of my Uncle Clarence Bailey's funeral in June of 1953 which took place at Gretna Christian Church.  He was a much loved young man that lost his life in the Korean War.  Below the picture I have posted the poem by Rupert Brooke.  I have changed some of the wording, but none of the meaning.

If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field That is for ever Virginia.  There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed, A dust whom Virginia bore, shaped, made aware Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam, A body of Virginia's, breathing Virginia air, Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home. And think, this heart, all evil shed away, A pulse in the eternal mind, no less Gives somewhere back the thoughts by Virginia given Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day; And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness, In hearts at peace, under a Virginia heaven.

Memorial Day Weekend

It's a lovely day this morning.  I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for viewing and sharing with me.  I have posted three blogs with names of veterans that were church members, relatives and friends of church members.  These posts are under May 27 and May 28.

Thank you again.

Janice

Memorial Day Weekend Part III

Gretna Christian Church 100th Anniversary

Minister:  Dwight Mays

111 Leftwich Street
Gretna, Virginia
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 644 Gretna, Virginia 24557

REMEMBERING OUR SERVICEMEN AND SERVICEWOMEN

Spec 4 Clyde Douglas Shelton, Jr.

U.S. Army Vietnam

KIA June 4, 1967 at age 20

Bronze Star and Purple Heart

CPL E. L. (Pete ) Shelton

U.S. Army World War II 1941-1945

Pvt. Joel Simpson

U.S. Army World War II

John O. Whittaker

U. S. Army Medic World War II

Sgt Connie Wilhelm

U.S. Army World War II

James Russell Wilhelm

U.S. Navy World War II

Staff Sgt. Clyde D. Worley

U.S. Air Force Korean War

E4 Willie Walker Worley, Jr.

U.S. Navy Vietnam

Spec 4 Bennett H. (Pete) Yeatts

U.S. Army

July 29, 1959 to July 28, 1965

CPL Garcia Yeatts

U.S. Army Korean War

Ramsey L. (Booty) Yeatts

Sgt. 1st Class - Air Force

Vietnam

Sgt. Major U. S. Army (retired)

Below I have attached two you-tube links to the Star Spangled Banner and the Naval Hymn which I thought you might enjoy.  Please remember our military this weekend and have a safe and happy holiday.

Also, If anyone has another family member or someone they would like to have acknowledged for Memorial Day, please contact me.  I will be glad to add their name.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Iu8y2pvuRg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ETrr-XHBjE

Mark E. Poole  photos
Disciples of Christ Historical Society 

Gretna Christian Church

Atha Bailey

Linda Dalton

Memorial Day Weekend Part II

Gretna Christian Church 100th Anniversary

Minister:  Dwight Mays

111 Leftwich Street
Gretna, Virginia
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 644 Gretna, Virginia 24557

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

The Star-Spangled Banner

Francis Scott Key

REMEMBERING OUR SERVICEMEN AND SERVICEWOMEN

Russell E. Dalton
U.S. Navy World War II


Sephron Kathleen (Mays) Despard
U.S.Army WAC World War II


PFC Elbert Lee Dove
U.S. Marines World War II
KIA Iwo Jima 1945


Seaman 1st Class Acie B. Gibson
U.S. Navy World War II


Herbert Anderson Gibson
U.S. Army World War II


Harold Arnold Hardy
U.S. Army World War II


Dalton B. Harris
U.S. Army World War II


CPL Shirley A. Hogan
U.S. Army World War II


A.L. (Dick) Lassiter
Aviation Ordinanceman 3rd Class
U.S. Navy World War II


Major Morton Ralph Mays
U.S. Army Signal Corps
World War II and Korean War


PFC Clarence Matherly
U.S. Army World War II


PFC Harold Matherly
U.S. Army-Medic World War II


Sgt. Oscar Lee Mills
U.S. Army Korean War


PFC Earl Pickral
U.S. Army World War II


Judson Ballard Pickral
U.S. Army  Korean 
2 Bronze Stars Awarded


PFC Randolph Pickral
U.S.Army World War II


PFC Turner Pickral
U.S. Army World War II


Paul Grover Rowland
Coxswain (T) V6 USNR SV
USS LST 1004
Asiatic Pacific Area
U.S. Navy World War II


CPL Junior Curtis Saunders
U.S. Army Korean War


Staff Sgt. Floyd Schlauch
Army Air Corp World War II
POW in Bularia for 32 days
2nd Lieutenant U.S. Army  Korean War

Mark E. Poole  photos
Disciples of Christ Historical Society 

Gretna Christian Church

Atha Bailey

Linda Dalton

Gretna Christian Church Memorial Day Weekend

Gretna Christian Church 100th Anniversary

Minister:  Dwight Mays

111 Leftwich Street
Gretna, Virginia
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 644 Gretna, Virginia 24557

This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend.  For the next few days I will be posting names of Members and Relatives of Gretna Christian Church that have served in the military.  It is a great responsibility that these men and women carry on their shoulders.  They are the representatives of our country during great strife abroad and at home.  They risk so much so that we can enjoy those truths declared in the Declaration of Independence - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This Memorial Day I would like to recall a prayer which I consider appropriate even though it was written many years ago during World War II.  To be exact it was December 8,1944, General Patton of the Third Army of the United States called the Chief Chaplain James H. O'Neill requesting a prayer for good weather which resulted in the below message that was sent out to all of the Third Army as a Prayer Card.  General Patton, according to Chaplain McNeil, believed in the power of prayer.

Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend.  Grant us fair weather for Battle.  Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who upon thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations.

The prayer card was distributed to all the troops by December 12-14, 1944.  On December 16, 1944, the German Army began their offensive attack under the cover of the bad weather which crippled our aerial defenses.  On December 20, 1944, the weather cleared, much to the surprise of the weather forecasters, permitting our superior air force to attack the German forces and supply lines.  Thus, our army prevailed.  

Remembering Our Servicemen and Servicewomen

PFC Donald Wayne Adkins

U.S. Army - Vietnam

KIA October 17, 1967 at age 19

Purple Heart Award

CPL Tommy Leonard Bailess

Tail Gunner U. S. Army Air Force

Korean War

PFC Clarence M. Bailey

U.S. Marines

KIA Korean War 1953

Purple Heart Award

Henry Jasper Barley

U.S. Army World War II

Served with the 638th Tank Destroyer Battallion in

European Theater

Wounded Christmas Day, 1944, in Belgium

Purple Heart Award

William Floyd Bowler

U.S. Army-World War II

Bronze Star and Purple Heart Award

CPL Abner J. Dalton, Sr.

U.S. Marines World War II

Purple Heart Award

Sgt. Berkley P. Dalton

U.S. Army-World War II

KIA France July 28, 1944

Pvt. Charlie M. Dalton

U.S. Army - Artillery  World War I

Served 14 months in France

Born 1895  Died 1967

PFC Eric W. Dalton, Sr.

U.S. Army-Medical Corp 

World War II

Lee Roy Dalton

Aviation Electrician

U.S. Navy-World War II

Tomorrow I will be posting more names.  If anyone would like to add a name, please write on comment box and I will be glad to add.

Mark E. Poole  photos
Disciples of Christ Historical Society 

Gretna Christian Church

Atha Bailey

Linda Dalton

References:

http://www.pattonhq.com/prayer.html

Carl Jackson Barnwell Minister

Gretna Christian Church 100th Anniversary

Minister:  Dwight Mays

111 Leftwich Street
Gretna, Virginia
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 644 Gretna, Virginia 24557

Carl Jackson Barnwell was the minister for Gretna Christian Church in 1951.  He was born in Greenbrier County, West Virginia on June 16, 1921.  He was ordained in 1945.  His wife was Joyce Geraldine and they were married on August 29, 1941.   Reverend Barnwell attended Johnson Bible College.

I have been searching for information about Reverend Barnwell.  I did find that he was the Baccalaureate  Speaker for Gretna High School Class of 1952.  In May of 1955 he gave a talk entitled, "How can the rural church provide leadership in rural community development?"  He gave this talk at the Second Annual Rural Life Institute Meeting for Pittsylvania County.

So far this is about all I have found.  I did find where he conducted several funerals in the area.

The Danville Bee 

Mark E. Poole  photos
Disciples of Christ Historical Society 

Gretna Christian Church

Atha Bailey

Linda Dalton