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Veterans Day: Dotson Davis

The article pictured to the left appeared in the Douglas County Sentinel on July 17, 2005 to honor FBCLS member Dotson Davis. The article states:

Joseph Dotson Davis is not one to talk about his days in the army fighting in World War II; for 60 years his stories of the war were kept from everyone including his family. But after years of urgent requests Davis sat down last year to write his story. And, on Father’s Day, he was honored by receiving the medals he had earned in the war. “I remember not be scared entering the military March 2, 1943 at Fort McClellan, Alabama because it was something I had to do,” he said.


In 1944, Davis fought in the Battle of the Bulge when he, along with other allied soldiers were captured by the Germans.


“My fellow troops in the 28th Infantry Reconnaissance and I were in a Belguim hotel and could see the Germans coming to get us in a whole bunch of tanks, we tried to run but they captured or killed the 28 troops,” he said.

He was held prisoner in the M. Stammlager XIIA war camp for three and a half months and lost 40 pounds from malnutrition.

“I was a prisoner of war for three and a half months and only fed potato soup and slept in a warehouse-like building on straw covered floors with body lice all around us,” he said.

Then one day while Davis was in a box cart being transported by the Germans to another camp, the train came to an abrupt halt while in a mountain tunnel.

“I knew immedately we were being rescued. We were liberated by an American Tank Division, after the bombed the train track crippling the German transportation system,” he said.

After being rescued Davis was immediately sent to the hospital to recover from malnutrition and frost bite.

“I had frost bitten toes, blue under some nails and lost nails on my toes,” he said. Now my feet ache after I have walked a short distance or stand for a long period of time.”

Davis remained in the Army a few more months before being dishonorably discharged in 1946.

After returning home without any military medals, Davis made a decision to remain mum about his Army adventures after marrying his wife Ruth and raising his two daughters, Beverly Reagin of Villa Rica and Marilyn Freeman of Douglasville.

“I was not proud to talk about it, it was an awful time,” he said.

Even now, Davis doesn’t like to go into detail about fighting in the war.

“If people ask questions, I will tell them but I normally don’t talk about it,” he said.

But after years of silence, Davis decided to tell his story within the last year at the urging of his nephew, Robert Davis, of Melbourne, Florida.

“He asked me to tell him the details of the war for several years now, so I finally decided to do it,” he said.
In May, the Davis family took a trip to Washington D.C. to see the World War II memorial. While there, his daughter Beverly inquired about obtaining her father’s medals from the war.

And finally after 60 years, Davis received more than six medals from the U.S. Army including the U.S. Purple Heart and a Prisoner of War medal. Ron Young, a former POW captured by the Iraq soldiers, made a special visit to the Davis home to present the medals.

“My daughter Beverly asked him to come to our families’ Father’s Day cookout, and Ron surprised me with the plaque,” he said.

“I was surprised to see Ron, and I did not know I had so many medals and pins,” he said.

Young made himself at home at the Davis’ home that day enjoying hamburgers and hotdogs and taking pictures with the family.

Ron told me that when he was a POW, the Iraqis only fed him burned rice, so when he came into the kitchen to eat I said, “You want some rice?” Ron laughed and said, “I am staying far away from the rice,” laughed Davis.

You can click on the newspaper articles to enlarge them....

If you would like to see more posts regarding the veterans at FBCLS follow the link
here for a complete listing.

Veterans Day: Man Receives Medals 56 Years Later

The Douglas County Sentinel article from July 4, 2001, that appears with this post (below) discusses FBCLS member Roy Webb. You can click on the article to get a closer view, however the text has been reproduced below:

Almost 55 years after he was discharged from the Army, a Douglas County resident has finally received the medals he received during and after WWII.

Thomas Roy Webb, 74, of Lithia Springs, served as a combat medic at the end of WW II and spent a year with the occupation forces in Japan. His military service includes four years in the Naval Air Reserve and three years in the Georgia Air National Guard.

A mix-up in his military records led the Army to believe Webb was not due any medals. According to Webb, recent efforts by Congressman Bob Barr, the American Legion, and the VFW led the government to finally get around to sending him the medals he justly deserved.

On Monday, a package arrived at Webb’s home containing the four medals. Included were the Army Good Conduct , Asiatic Pacific Campaign, Victory World War II, and Army of Occupation medals.

“I had a great surprise awaiting me when I went to my mailbox on July 2,” Webb said. “I had never received any of my service medals from WW II. I had given up hope of ever getting them.”

Webb, a graduate of Douglas County High School was drafted at the age of 18 on December 21, 1944. He was eventually assigned to the 98th Infantry Division, 323rd Engineering Brigade and on July 4, 1945 reached Hawaii.

Following the Japanese surrender, the division was sent to Japan where they landed, ready for combat, on September 27, 1945.

“It was rough. There was a typhoon in the bay,” Webb said. “We had live ammo. If they had started to shoot, we were prepared to meet it.

After spending a year as part of the occupational forces in Japan, Webb was transferred back to the United States and was discharged in October, 1946 as a Technician, Four Grade. He then had a 30-year career with International Harvester.

Webb and his wife Geraldine, live in Lithia Springs. He is a member of the First Baptist Church, Lithia Springs. They have three children, Diane, Randy, and Steven.

Webb said at first, he did not realize what was in the package he received in the mail. “When I opened the package, there were four boxes,” he said. “Then I took time to read what it said…Then I knew what I had—my service medals.”

“After carefully looking at them, I was shedding tears. This will be the best Fourth of July of my life.”

If you would like to see more posts regarding the veterans at FBCLS follow the link
here for a complete listing.

Pastor Ordination: Rev. Gary Green

This is the order of service for the ordination of Gary Green at FBCLS during the evening service on July 4, 1976.

Click on the image for a larger view...

Rev. Green also preached the message during the morning service that Sunday as evidenced by the church bulletin seen here.

Church Bulletin: July 4, 1976

Gary Green delivered the message for the 8:30 a.m. service. This is notable since his ordination service was that evening during the evening service .

More information regarding his ordination can be seen here

Click on the image for a larger view....

The Original Sanctuary

This is the original sanctuary building that was destroyed by fire. There are a few major differences between this original structure and the rebuilt structure we can see today.

Do you know what they are?

First-today's older sanctuary building does not have the vent that you can see in the gable.

Second-the original building had windows on either side of the front door instead of additional doors.

Third....and this is the most major difference......the original sanctuary building had a foundation of Stone Mountain granite. Look around today and you will see the older sanctuary structure has an all brick foundation.

The image below shows the west side of the basement of the original structure where Sunday School was held for many months prior to the fire.

Below: the west side of the classroom level....taken in July, 1947

FBCLS Heritage

If you click on the image you will get a closer view. The text states:

First Baptist Church of Lithia Springs was organized on April 7, 1946. The Rev. J.A. Patterson was elected the first pastor. The church met for a time in the present Annette Winn School, moving later to the basement of their first building.

The first sanctuary and educational building were dedicated on October 23, 1949. Tragedy struck just five days later as the building was totally destroyed by fire. Not willing to give up, the members moved the meetings back into the school building until a new sanctuary and a few educational rooms were built.

In November, 1952, Rev. Patterson resigned as pastor and in May, 1953, Dr. Marion Beaver was called to lead the congregation.

In 1955, a building fund campaign was launched and on April 27, 1958, the church dedicated two stories of the educational building.

In November, 1962, the church elected a Planning and Survey Committee to start a mission which was constituted on October 2, 1966, as Lithia Heights Baptist Church.

On April 7, 1968, a groundbreaking service was held as another building program got underway to construct a four story educational building. The annex was completed in July, 1970.

Dr. Marion Beaver resigned as pastor in November, 1978, after serving for more than twenty-five years. A Search Committee was elected and Dr. Robert L. Whitmire was called to begin his ministry [at FBCLS] in September, 1979

Groundbreaking: Educational Building

Founding Church members who were present at the groundbreaking for the educational building in July, 1970.

I.C. Williams, Vassie Williams, Mildred Winn, Pat Chandler, Mira Sinyard, Cora Ralls, Alene Ralls Wallace, Loy Chandler, Jr, and Loy Chandler, Sr.

Vacation Bible School: 1946

These images are from the very first Vacation Bible School held at First Baptist Church, Lithia Springs held during the week of July 16-21, 1946.

The picture below has the following notation: Jewell Patterson and Vassie Williams, teachers.

The image below is the Beginners Class taught by Cora Ralls and Amy Copeland.

The image below is the Primary Department for VBS. The workers are identified as Mrs. Jewel Brown, Mrs. Virginia Cochran, Mrs. Paul Akins, and Mrs. Ethel Landrum.

The image below are the workers for Vacation Bible School including Hilma McGouirk, Pat Chandler, Cora Ralls, Vassie Williams, Clara Rainwater, Jewell Morris, Jewell Patterson, Virginia Cochran, Jewell Patterson, Ethel Landrum, Arnold Patterson, Amy Copeland.

The image below is the Intermediate group.