Shining Lights of Area IV

By Cpl. Jung Han Soh (Daegu)May 24, 2017

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

To celebrate the contributions of Area IV Chapel volunteers had done for the last year, the staff of the Soldiers Memorial Chapel held the Area IV Chapel Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at the Camp Walker Evergreen Community Club on May 10.

Many volunteers, 167 to be exact, gave one year of volunteer time. For other, this was their second or third year of volunteering for the chapel in the Area IV community.

Col. Thomas B. Wheatley, Eighth U.S. Army Command Chaplain, attended the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner as a guest speaker to speak highly of those who sacrifice themselves for the Area IV community.

"The really fuel or energy or talent from any church or congregation is not the pastor, it's not the staff, it's really the volunteers," said Wheatley. "You are the energy behind everything that happens. You are not doing it for recognition, you are doing it because you love you kids, you love your church, you love the lord and you love the people in church. That's why you do it."

Soldiers and Family members gathered at the Evergreen Club to receive their Certificates of Appreciation. It was 167 volunteers for more than a year, some were two or three years of volunteers.

"I looked up the word 'volunteer' which means the person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service undertaken and they perform it willingly and without pay, said Wheatley. "It has a military definition, too. A volunteer, a person who enters the service voluntarily. Some of you are probably doing both. Some of you are serving in the military and if you are a spouse or Family member of somebody serving in the military, you are serving in the military, too. I think you made many sacrifices or maybe even more than we do."

Larry D. Smith, Acting Deputy to the Garrison Commander, praised the volunteers and reinforced their importance in the community and to the Garrison.

"On behalf of the Garrison Commander, Sergeant Major and the Deputy, I want to thank you all for being great ambassadors for the Garrison," said Smith. "Oftentimes, people come on Camp Walker and the only interaction with the Garrison is the chapel and the only interaction with the Garrison staff is you. So, thank you for being a great ambassador for representing USAG Daegu in such an excellent way. The other thing I'd like to tell you is 'Don't lose sight of the importance of what you' because somebody is watching you, somebody is looking for someone doing something right and oftentimes that person is you. Don't lose sight of that what you do is so very important. Chaplains come and go but you are the light that endures in the community forever. Thank you for being the light of USAG Daegu."