The Veterans at the Library held their weekly meeting at the Franklin Memorial Library Monday morning, March 9, at 9 a.m. With Chair Johnny Tapley presiding, they had 33 in attendance. The Kiwanis Club of Swainsboro provided a great breakfast of sausage biscuits, grits, oatmeal and mixed fruit and Librarian Shari Watt furnished the orange juice, grape juice, cranberry juice and coffee. Chair Johnny talked about the upcoming Veterans Cup Golf Tournament and Veteran Scotty Nasworthy handed out the list of ‘hole’ sponsorships that were sold last year. After some discussion about the tournament, the Veterans moved to the Veterans and First Sponsors Memorial Park. Since Helena Storm broke the flagpole a year and a half ago, the city ordered a new 40' flagpole, and the Veterans purchased a new 8' X 12' U.S. Flag to mount. They also mounted seven new U.S. Flags to the fence in honor of the seven U.S. Army soldiers that have died so far in the Iranian war: Captain Cody Khork, Major Jeffrey R. O'Brien, CW3 Robert M. Marzan, Sgt. First Class Noah Tietjens, Sgt. First Class Nicole Amor, Sgt. Declan Coady and one unnamed soldier. In a memorial service, Veteran Dess D. Smith III called out the names of all 33 service members and one unnamed service member, and Veteran Scotty Nasworthy played taps on his bugle. Scotty also added two new 250th Anniversary flags on poles at the Veterans Park entrance. The Veteran’s 8'X12' U.S. Flag will fly at half-staff for a few days in honor of the seven service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
