A good crowd of veterans and guests attended the annual Veterans Appreciation Program in loving memory of Charles E. Dorsey Saturday, November 16, at New Evergreen Baptist Church in Jena.
Along with a delicious meal provided by the Dorsey family and members of New Evergreen Baptist Church, the program featured prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance, Ron Carr singing America the Beautiful, door prizes, and special guest speaker, veteran Michael Hunter.
Hunter shared with those attending his special memories of Mr. Charles Dorsey and how it was under his leadership while serving with the U.S. Army National Guard’s 1086th Transportation Unit in Jena, that his life was changed.
“When I first started in Jena, I was not obedient to the military,” Hunter recalled. “I didn’t show up on time and I left early. After several months of them putting up with me, I showed up one morning, late as usual, and Charles caught me. Others there were Matthew Bowens, Charles Lee Watson, Oscar Smith, Clarence Coleman, and they told me to meet them in the motor pool.”
“And I did, I went down there with my chest all bowed out and they got me out there between some trailers,” he continued. “And Charles told me, ‘look, I know your sister, your momma and your daddy, and this is the last time you are going to come to drill late and this is the last weekend that you’re going to leave early. And if not, then we’re prepared to whip your romp’, and he didn’t use those particular words!”
“He told me they were going to do that every time I came in late and they were going to make up for it every time I left early,” Hunter said. “I told them that I would take all of them on, one at a time, but before I could get it out, they grabbed a hold of me from behind, and put me across that trailer and they whipped me, right there, in the guard unit motor pool.”
Hunter said that after he was taken care of by those men. Mr. Dorsey informed him that he had put in for him to attend school to become a Sergeant and it was this meeting the motor pool and advancement in rank that helped change his life and set him on the right path.
“Charles Dorsey and the other men I named out, helped straighten my life out,” he said. “He was a friend like you would not believe. Any time I needed something or asked a question, he was there for me. Mrs. Barbara Dorsey, I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to say something about my friend.”
Along with remembering Mr. Dorsey, the group thanked all of the veterans who attended and asked God to bless them and their families for the sacrifices they have made for America.
Photos from the event:
