Hugh's News & Commentary

I was not aware of the fact that each year during the Christmas season that families, friends, and volunteers come to Arlington National Cemetery to honor the fallen heroes of our nation, as well as to support the families of those who have paid the ultimate price.

Holidays are significant for families when they are able to get together to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, many families of our United States military are separated, and for some, that separation is permanent.

Just last month, Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) Samuel Kenneth Godfrey, the senior Army chaplain on staff at Arlington National Cemetery, and one of our IPHC Army chaplains informed me that several thousand volunteers gathered in December to honor and remember those who gave their lives in defense of our country on the battlefield whether on the ground or in the air.

Our service members are being remembered during the Christmas holidays at Arlington National Cemetery as a vital part of the nationwide project called "Wreaths Across America."

Thousands of volunteer turned out in December 2010, to decorate some of the graves at Arlington with wreaths brought in by a tractor trailer truck from Maine for the ceremony.

Morrill Worcester, who owns a a wreath company in Maine, started this project in 1992. "It's great to be with several thousand of my closest of friends. Here we are visiting the families of 300 and some odd thousand," said Worcester. "It's just a great day. When I came for the first time some 19 years ago, there were probably a dozen people and now look here."

Chaplain Ken Godfrey said that families feel the loss more deeply at this time of year. "Obviously that brings up a lot of personal emotions and every family deals with that differently" said Godfrey. "Probably a place where emotion is concentrated the most is in section 60 because so many of our current active duty combat death soldiers and military members are buried over there."

Grieving families can be themselves. They don't worry about what other people think or say. If they want to scream, they scream; if they want to cry, they cry; if they want to hug, they hug.

It is a wonderful thing to know that your loved one is remembered by a grateful nation.

By the end of the day, 24,000 wreaths were placed on the headstones at Arlington. Morrill Worcester says he wants to expand this gesture to include the entire cemetery next year.

[Editor's comment: Over the last 13 years as I have served as the ecclesiastical endorser for our military chaplains (as well as civilian institution chaplains) Melvine and I have had the privilege to visit with Chaplain Ken and Karen Godfrey where they have been stationed. We visited them in Katterbach, Germany, Fort Hood, TX, Fort Leavenworth, KS, Fort Stewart, GA, was present for Ken's promotion to Lt. Colonel at Hilton Head, SC, and now in Virginia. Ken and Karen have excelled everywhere they have been in their ministry to soldiers and their families. For the last two years we have seen them at the Centurion Banquet at the Mark Center Hilton Hotel in Alexandria, VA, sponsored by the NAE Chaplains Commission. Ken serves on our Chaplains Ministries IPHC Board and is making a distinct difference with his insights and wisdom.

Chaplain Godfrey requests prayer for Karen and him. On Tuesday, February 1, 2011, Ken will move to the staff of the Army G1 (*) to work staff issues concerning Army Command Policy. This is a directorate that handles a myriad of issues ranging from Sexual Harassment, to Religious Accommodation Requests for exemption to policy, etc. This is one of the directorates that will be deeply involved in the unfolding of changes in the "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy." It remains to be seen what all that will mean.

(*) G-1: Our mission is to develop, manage and execute all manpower and personnel plans, programs and policies — across all Army Components).

Ken says, "We have been so blessed with a variety of assignments. I will sorely miss ministry in Arlington National Cemetery. It is part of me; a true ministry of honor and hope."

Samuel Kenneth Godfrey is an ordained minister of the Upper South Carolina Conference. He and Karen are assets to the Army Chaplaincy. They work together as a team. Karen is gifted in so many ways, one of which is by serving as an event designer and making sure everything happens as it should. Karen orchestrated a marvelous reception for special guests at the annual Easter Sunrise Service at the Arlington National Cemetery in 2010.

Ken and Karen attended Holmes Bible College and served on the staff there. Ken has the M. Div. degree from Erskine Theological Seminary, and has a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Tarleton State University, Part of the Texas A&M System.]