Novak speaks to Veterans

The Veterans at the Library held their weekly meeting at the Franklin Memorial Library Monday morning, July 7, at 9 a.m. With Chair Johnny Tapley presiding, they had 45 in attendance. Shari Watt, Marsha Riner, and Joyce Fennell provided a great breakfast consisting of grits, sausage gravy, biscuits, fresh fruit and muffins, orange juice, cranberry juice, grape juice, apple juice and coffee. Chair John Tapley spoke about the upcoming events, and discussed the December 13, 2025, “Wreaths Across America” event. He stated that they need to try and walk as many Emanuel County Cemeteries as they can to locate veteran’s graves. It looks like at the present, they will place over 2,500 wreaths this year. Christian Novak, a history teacher at ECI, thanked them for paying the Emanuel County Board of Education for their field trip to visit the Mighty Eight Air Force Museum in Savannah. Veterans had heard that the school system was charging his group for the use of an Emanuel County school bus, so they decided to jump in and help these students learn what freedom is all about by visiting the museum and learning about the “greatest generation”. Christian spoke about the foreign cemeteries that have American Serviceman buried, and that those countries have taken care of the cemeteries as well as we take care of Arlington Cemetery, VA.