Photo By Staff Sgt. Ruth McClary | Ken Davis, a veteran volunteer with the N.C. Baptist Men disaster relief organization,...... read more read more
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The only thing that makes camouflage stand out is dirt! Luckily, North Carolina National Guard service members participating in the Operation Panther exercise have a few good men and women helping them wash away the grit and grime of the day.
It’s one less thing we have to worry about while we are here,” said Spc. Bertha Fisher, of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 105th Military Police Battalion.
“Mostly all of our volunteers are retired military,” said Dowell Eakes, a site supervisor with the N.C. Baptist Men. “We still have a need to serve but now our service is for the Lord.”
Some of the volunteers completed training in April 2012 for this event but they are mainly called to work during disasters. They call themselves the “disaster junkies”, assisting the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross by setting up mobile hospitals, showers, laundry services, child care facilities, and cooking stations that are capable of feeding 50,000 or more people a day.
“We go where ever we are needed, not just here in North Carolina,” said Jim Hendrix, another volunteer. “This is not only for the Baptist either, anyone can volunteer.”
There is a mutual respect circling the small temporary base as veteran’s and active service members trade stories while their laundry is being washed. They note the changes in the military over the years, such as the differences in the pre-packaged meals, but they know that some things remain the same.
Ken Davis, a veteran volunteer, was taking a much needed break from his laundry duties when he recognized the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team deployment patch that Maj. Steven Jakan, of the 105th MP BN, was wearing. That was the same unit that he was assigned to back in the late fifties. Jakan ripped the patch off his jacket and gave it to him, stating that he deserved it more than he did!
Eakes, a Vietnam veteran, gave a breakdown of how the N.C. Baptist Men organization is mostly run by veterans and structured very similar to the military. Colored hats are worn to distinguish the leaders and Eakes describes it by the rank division of the military.
“We are actually set-up like the military except we are the Army of the Lord,” said Eakes. “The white hats are like the colonels, the blue hats are like the sergeants, and the yellow hats are the enlisted.”
Eakes stated his awareness of the rules that separate church from state, but adding a little scripture here and there doesn’t cross the line, and it gives the kids who attend the churches that donate funds to this cause a way of participating in the aid of others all over the U.S.
“The children from the churches draw and write scriptures on the bags, said Barbara Ward, a first time volunteer from Fayetteville, N.C. “One scripture read, ‘ Jesus is the light of the world,’ and the child drew a candle holder with the light glowing, it was just awesome!”
“The second, third, and sixth graders draw on the laundry bags,” said Eakes, “With kids that young you know that it is made from the heart, there is no prejudice there.”
Ward was excited to see so many female soldiers. In this assignment she got a sense of how the soldiers live during training because the volunteers slept on air mattresses in the basement of Mulberry Baptist Church here, much like the soldiers slept on cots in their housing areas during the exercise.
“I noticed there are far more women’s clothes than men [dropped off at the laundry],” said Ward. “I worked at Fort Bragg for 35 1/2 years and I have noticed a big change with the women in the Army. Our hats go off to the North Carolina women in the [National] Guard.”
Although the volunteers worked from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, completing on average around 120 loads per day, they all greeted each soldier with genuine smiles and great conversations. Despite generator break downs, working outside in small trailers, and braving the heat, they always found time to thank the soldiers for their service.
These veteran volunteers really made a huge impact on the soldiers, proving that the American people support them no matter the mission. It reminds soldiers of the true purpose for their service; to always be ready and prepared to support the local, state, and civil authorities and in the process, hopefully make those who served before them proud.
“You men and women are the most respectful and courteous people we have come across in a long time,” said Eakes. “We were worried about our country and where we were headed, but after meeting you folks, we feel good about the military and the security of our country.”
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2012 15:54 |
| Story ID: | 94600 |
| Location: | CHARLOTTE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 497 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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