Adelia Ladson
MOULTRIE — The Veterans Interview Project, under the direction of Beau Sherman, instructor and CNS distance learning coordinator, had its second screening at the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library’s second annual Honoring Our Veterans event.
Continued from last year, the project interviews veterans about their time in service. It is a partnership with the library, CNS and the Colquitt County High School video production class.
“Welcome to our second annual veterans event at the library,” said Melody Jenkins, director of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System.
She said she and her staff were excited about the event and the projects that have been connected with it.
She said she remembered when Veterans Day was just passed over, but now the younger generation seemed to be really honoring veterans. She referenced all the programs the local elementary school have held for Veterans Day.
She introduced the Rev. Hugh Ward who gave the Invocation.
“Serving one’s country is serving a great honor. ... I’m here as a veteran but I’m here also because I know many of you served in a way I never could have,” he said.
Jenkins spoke about the previous year’s interview project and how it had been continued this year. She introduced and thanked Sherman for his spearheading of the process.
“Beau is a force in this community who is helping preserved the history of this community through video,” she said.
She also thanked the students, Becca Evers and Dusti Hall, and their teacher, Samantha Hardin, for contributing their talents to the project. They could not attend the event because of testing at school, she said.
Jenkins then presented a copy of The Veterans Interview Project DVD to Ann Glass, chairperson of the Catherine M. Bryant Veterans History Project, to be kept at the library. Another copy will be given to Jack Bridwell for the Museum of Colquitt County History.
She then asked the veterans who participated in the project to raise their hands as she called their names, and she presented each of them with a copy of the DVD. The veterans who participated this year were Jack Bridwell, U.S. Navy; Hinton Reeves, U.S. Air Force; Hoyt Whelchel, U.S. Army; Jim Kirk, U.S. Navy; Manis V. Long, U.S. Army; Judson McLean, U.S. Air Corps and Air Force; Hiller Gammage, U.S. Army; Dr. Walter Harrison Jr., U.S. Navy and Marines; Clarence J. Summerford, U.S. Air Corps and Air Force; Emery J. Suber, U.S. Navy; and Howard Hall, U.S. Air Corps and Air Force.
“Thank you, all of the veterans who participated in this project. We will always be grateful to you and all of the veterans,” Jenkins said.
She also thanked the organizations who made the veterans event at the library possible including the John Benning Chapter of the NSDAR; the Moultrie McNeil Chapter of the UDC; the Magnolia Garden Club; Women’s Federated Guild; and Friends of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System.
The Veterans Interview Project will be broadcast on CNS starting next week.
Sherman said they would continue this interview project next year. The project now has about 15 interviews total preserved on DVDs.
“This is just preserving history. This is honoring the veterans and also preserving their stories,” he said.
Anyone interested in being interviewed for the project can contact the library.
“That’s real good. That came out real good. ... It was just like I told it,” said Emery Suber after watching his interview.
