The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett

I had the privilege last week of talking with two of "American's finest" - Pvt. 1st Class Adam Lanier of Millen and his friend, Pvt. Caln Stewart of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Both young men are serving in the U.S. Marines, and are soon to be stationed at the "8th & I" Marine Corp Barracks in Washington, D.C. as members of the U.S. Armed Forces Honor Guard.

I could not help but admire their enthusiasm, wisdom and dedication to duty as we talked. It is hard to imagine that these young men may one day find themselves in harm's way. It is also easy to forget that while we are enjoying the safety and luxury of our homes and lives, there are others who are making enormous sacrifices to protect the freedoms we enjoy.

I wish Adam and Caln, along with all of our service men and women, only the best as they represent our country with pride and valor. May God protect and bless each of them!

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Happy birthday to: Joyce Ann Jones, Richard Lockhart Jr., John Kenneth Bragg, Sally Kirkland, Victor Sweat, Faye Black, Roy Cheney Sr., Tammy Troisi, Edna Pierce and Larry Thompson.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries this week are: Mr. and Mrs. Larry Johnson.

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Military Active Duty List: PV2 Ashley Clifton, U.S. Army, Yongsan, Korea; Airman First Class Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Capt. Andrew P. Thomas, U.S. Marines, 2nd Marine Division, F.A.S.T. Company, Bahrain, Persian Gulf; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Ali Al Salem AFB, Kuwait; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, Camp Taji, Iraq; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Calif.; SPC Grade E4 Arthur Lamont Milton Jr., HHC 1-36 Infantry Support, Friedberg, Germany; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Iraq; Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Petty Chief Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; LCPL Dwain "Cade" Lee, 1st Marine Division Combat Service Support Group II Security Element, ArRamadi, Iraq; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion- Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, A-Gang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Bagdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas.