Veterans on Commission share their dedication to service
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — Serving their country and now community, two of the Chambers County Commission members reflected on their time in the military and what being a veteran means to them.
District 5 David Eastridge
Chambers County District 5 commissioner David Eastridge said he served in the Air Force and signed papers to join after high school, but there was not a spot for him, so he waited for his turn to join — and stopped everything to serve his country when he was called.
“In 1969, the Vietnam War was pretty hot and heavy, and I wanted to go into the Air Force,” he said. “When I graduated from high school, I went ahead and signed the papers, but they didn’t have a slot for me, so I was eligible for the draft — so I went ahead and started school and put in for a military deferment. I started going to Opelika Tech, [I was studying] machine shop. In the first quarter, they contacted me and said, ‘We have a slot for you.’ So I quit school, quit my job and went on in as soon as I could.”
Eastridge said that his military time brought him to new places he hadn’t been but while he was deployed, it cost him $13 a minute to call his family by Ham Radio.
“I stayed two years in the Azores, and after that, I was sent to Wichita Falls, Texas again, where I had my basic training, but [then I did] my specialty training,” he said. “I was an instructor for two years, and after that, I got out… My military service wasn’t traumatic but I’m proud I served — it makes me feel good.”
As a commissioner and a veteran, Eastridge said he is passionate about people utilizing their right to vote, and wants to encourage locals to go vote during elections — because he said many people wish they had that right.
“So many times, people will say, ‘Well, how can we get more people to vote?’ And I always say, ‘tell them they can’t,’” he said. “That rings volumes to me — if you were to tell somebody they can’t vote for who represents them, I bet you’ll just about get a fight… [Veterans and those in the military] fight to preserve our right to vote and vote for the people that represent us, but still, people are just nonchalant — they don’t think about it.”
Eastridge said this holiday season, people eating holiday meals and spending time with family should think about the soldiers overseas, recognizing the service and sacrifice they are making and the time they are having to spend away from loved ones.
“In the military, there are some lonely days — one time I was on temporary duty, to Okinawa, and Christmas came around,” he said. “My family wasn’t there because I was just there for a temporary job — the base was closed down, I still went to the mess hall but it was a lonely feeling to be just there. I don’t think I even called my parents that time, because back then, calling wasn’t real practical. So anytime you sit down now, remember there’s somebody sitting somewhere and their family is at home having Christmas dinner, and they’re sitting there at the mess hall eating what they get.”
District 1 Charlie Williams
Chambers County District 1 commissioner Charlie Williams said he joined the Air Force, and he said his service allowed him to pursue higher education at Auburn and helped him grow into an adult.
“I entered the military for the benefit — I wanted to go to school, but I couldn’t afford it — I went military, so I could get on the GI Bill,” he said. “I served in the Air Force, I spent three years in Germany and I spent one year in California. I decided to get out because I always wanted to go to school, and I got out and went to Auburn University. I would have never seen and done [many things in my life] if it weren’t for the military. I got to see all of Europe for three years. I became a man in the military — I left home at 18 years old and went to Germany, and I spent three years in Germany, and during that time, I became a man. I had made my own decision to take care of myself — the military changed me.”
As a graduate from Auburn University in 1975, Williams said he is thankful for the opportunities the military provided him, most notably the ability to go to school without financial concern.
“It allowed me the freedom to go to school without having to worry about financial responsibility — I could concentrate on my studies, I didn’t have to work, didn’t have to have a job — because of the GI Bill,” he said. “It just afforded me a lot of freedom and a lot of opportunities. It was four years of my life, and it was well worth it — I got a chance to do a lot of things, I got a chance to see a lot of things and also a lot of benefits. The people in this country, probably 75% really have a lot of respect for veterans. I wear my [veteran] hat out to the store, and people tell me, ‘Thank you for your service.’ So that makes you feel good when people appreciate the sacrifice that you made in order to make this country better.”
Williams said he wants to encourage community members to register to vote and exercise their right to vote — to help decide who will represent them in the government.
“[People] need to register to vote — it is a privilege that his country has that no one should deny themselves, [they need to] not only register, but [they need] to go out and vote,” he said. “I think that’s a great thing any person can do to be involved in [deciding who] will lead your community… We live in a democracy, and we get the chance to decide on the way that we want to live our lives. We get chances to decide who we want to lead us — I think that’s one of the privileges more people in the world would love to have.”
After serving in the military and graduating from Auburn, Williams said he continues his life of service through community involvement and representing his community as an elected official.
“I was the first black elected official in the city of Lanett, and I was elected to the Lanett City Council in 1988,” he said. “I also served on the Lanett School Board. I was the president of the Lanett Athletic Club — all these days before I became a commissioner. The military gave me the insight to be able to work and understand people. I think that things can always be better, but people have to get involved. I just didn’t like people sitting on the sideline talking and not willing to do anything, and I didn’t want that to be me. I wanted to give all I can give to my community, and that’s why I served and ran for office and try and do the best I can to make the community better.”
