Franklin church holds annual dinner, service to honor area veterans

FRANKLIN — More than 70 veterans were honored at Christian Faith Fellowship's annual dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

The church honors veterans each year with dinner and a service.

The Rev. Bob Meeker opened the evening with prayer. Reverend Bob Meeker and the event planner Isolina Rich organized the event.

Don Devore was the Veteran speaker of the evening.

He spoke about when he was in the Vietnam War, he was severely wounded and he woke up in an emergency field Veteran’s hospital.

When he woke up in the field he was greeted by a chaplain. He said he came back to the U.S. and remembers that he was very sick and had to have surgery. The doctor told him if he didn’t get better, they would have to amputate his arm and leg.

He remembered three astronauts from Apollo 13 were in trouble and he was in bed feeling sorry for himself. Devore described how he went into a brief coma and during that time another chaplain spent two nights staying with him and praying. Devore said to the veterans that “there is nothing that can separate you from the love of Jesus.”

Meeker spoke to the veterans after dinner. He told them he sees men that served from Korea to Vietnam and women that serve now.

Meeker said every one has something in common.

“We still stand up; we stand in the best possible position that our body can allow and we let people know what we really believe,” he said.

Meeker told everyone people are proud of our service men and women.

“I am proud and stand tall that I served in the United States Marine Corp," he said.

Meeker explained that “we have never once gone into a nation unprovoked.”

He said the U.S. has "always responded to evil wherever we've never been and that we have retaliated with the force that was necessary, and I pray that we continue to.”

Meeker spoke of how proud he is of the veterans' accomplishments.

Meeker said a lot of veterans walk around feeling shameful for some of the things they had to do in the war. Meeker described how he found out that God’s love is mercy and his all-consuming grace was enough for him to accept forgiveness.

Meker said people need to pray for the last several generations of veterans who have or are pondering suicide because they can't face what has taken place.

Patricia Tino, one of the leaders from the “In Him” Ministry presented a poem to the Veterans’.

"It's nice to not be forgotten and it was a nice night," veteran Ashley Conrad said.

The service in the church started with the color guard the National Anthem. Meeker asked if anyone in the congregation needed prayer for healing of their hearts and restoration. Some of the veterans raised their hands.

Volunteers from the "In Him" recovery group helped church members and the teens served the meals.

Joe Conti prepared all the food for the event.