New Veteran attends Veterans at the Library

The Veterans at the Library held their weekly meeting at the Franklin Memorial Library Monday morning, December 16, at 9 a.m. With Chair Johnny Tapley presiding, they had 50 in attendance. The Beta Sigma Phi organization provided breakfast consisting of biscuits with syrup, jelly breakfast casserole, goodies and fruit candy. Shari Watt provided orange juice, grape juice, apple juice, cranberry juice and coffee. The newest Veteran to attend the Veterans at the Library is Roger Lee Richards. Richards served in the U.S. Army and the Georgia Army National Guard. Richards was a member of Company D, 878th Combat Engineer Battalion located in Swainsboro and served from 1973 through 1975, and was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas and Fort Stewart, Georgia. His highest rank was Sergeant E-6. Veteran Sandra Bailes presented the three ladies who assist every Monday morning with Christmas gifts. The program was presented by Sergeant David Wright, East Georgia State College Police, assisted by EGSC Police Chief Trey Drawdy and Sergeant Danny Garrigus, who is part of the Georgia Southern University Police. Drawdy has been selected as the new Police Chief of Georgia Southern University and will take over that position on December 21, 2024. Sergeant Wright’s program was a slide/video presentation of the Civilian Response Course, Active Attack Events, Stress Response, and A.D.D./Run, Hide, Fight. Chair Johnny discussed the Wreaths Across America day on Saturday, December 14, when Veterans placed 2,196 wreaths on Veteran’s graves in Emanuel County.

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