Fort McCoy observes Memorial Day 2022 with special prayer luncheon

Dozens of Fort McCoy community members gathered May 26 at McCoy’s Community Center for the 2022 Memorial Day Prayer Luncheon.

The luncheon, organized by the Fort McCoy Religious Support Office, included free food for event-goers and a special service held in the banquet room of McCoy’s.

Guest speakers for the event were Reverend Laurie Graber and her husband, retired Army Lt. Col. Tom Graber. Both Grabers are retired federal civil service employees — both with more than 30 years of service each.

The Grabers co-founded “Acres of Hope Ministry.” It’s an outreach ministry that serves as the caretaker of two local area facilities. The first facility is The Gathering Place that was built on Laurie’s family farm property in Norwalk, Wis. The other facility is the Sparrow’s Nest at Abbey in Sparta, Wis.

The Grabers spoke about building their ministry and serving and supporting others.

“I’ve been praying about this event and time to honor America's heroes,” Laurie said. “I’ve asked Tom a few questions here and there about what we should talk about, what we want, and what the Lord was leading us to share. But we need to provide you some additional information that wasn’t in our bio(graphy) so that you can all understand why God chose us for this.

“Tom’s a veteran, a father of two veterans, a son of a veteran, a nephew and also a grandson of a veteran,” Laurie said. “And our oldest son, Robert, is a sergeant major serving at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. And our youngest son Brandon serves as a captain on the (Department of Defense) police force at Fort Carson, Colo. So we’re very proud of the lives our sons are leading and how they are raising their families as well. And as for me, I’m (connected) to several veterans, and I have a cousin who today rests in Arlington National Cemetery. I’m a wife of a wonderful husband who served in Iraq even after he retired from the Army Reserve, and a mother of two sons who served tours in South Korea, Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan

“(During) much of my federal career … I worked for every military service except for the Coast Guard and my cousin in law retired from the Coast Guard,” Laurie said. “So our family has that covered as well. We are blessed that our relatives return home so that we might have the opportunity to appreciate them more over the years. Tom and I have both lost co-workers and colleagues who have served and sacrificed for our freedoms.”

Graber described the beginnings of their first ministry facility.

“We were going to retire with our dogs … and we were going to travel and do all sorts of things,” Laurie said. “And God had a different plan for us. … So on a flight going somewhere Tom and I sketched out The Gathering Place building. We hired a contractor and set about building a horse barn-looking building with seven bedrooms and four bathrooms, a kitchen area, and a meeting area.”

She also discussed how the team at Sparrow’s Nest at the Abbey is creating a program to support veterans.

“It’s a program called Together with Veterans,” Laurie said. “It’s a suicide-prevention program for rural veterans. … This program must be led by the majority of veterans. The steering committee meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. Currently the program is working on their action plan of how and what this program is going to be able to do in the community. If you’re interested in helping in this program, please let us know (by visiting sparrowsnest-abbey.com).”

In addition to the guest speakers, Fort McCoy Garrison Chaplain, Maj. Robert Rand spoke during the event, providing the invocation, a special prayer for leaders and the nation, and the event’s benediction.

“Thank you for coming out today,” Rand said. “Remember those who sacrificed in their service to our communities and nation who often to the point (have) given their own lives.”

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Raymond with the 181st Multi-Functional Training Brigade and Police Chaplain Jef Skinner also provided special prayers for families and service members and for police and firefighters. Sgt. Antoinette Wolliston with the Fort McCoy Religious Support Office provided narration and led the event. And Fort McCoy community member and pianist Michelle Jones provided special music for the event.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.