October 22 | 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Cove Campus Treehouse
Please join us in honoring our veterans.
What is it like to experience war?
Many of us do not have the personal experience to answer that question, largely because of the sacrifices of those served to keep it that way. Service and sacrifice are recurrent themes throughout the scriptures; and to those who have served and sacrificed so that we may live, we want to say thank you and welcome home!
Everyone is invited to this special event featuring 3 guest speakers who will be sharing their unique experiences, tied together by the Vietnam war (please see the abbreviated version of their bios below).
There is no charge for this event. Thank you for registering so that we can have an accurate head-count!
Please invite anyone you would like to this event. It will be a special day.
Guest Speakers:
Than Boyer, Author of the Ground Kisser
Than Boyer began her life as part of a wealthy family in Vietnam. After the US military left Vietnam, the country fell into Communist control, leaving her family in poverty. Her story of escape and rescue includes fleeing by boat, encountering pirates, and happenings the Lord governed and knit together in a way you will have to hear to believe.
Charlie Miller II, Command Sergeant Major (U.S. Army, Ret.)
In 1970, Charlie Miller II deployed to Da Nang, the northern section of South Vietnam as a Platoon Sergeant in the 1st Aviation Brigade, 212th Aviation Battalion. He served in a critical role in the mission, keeping the Gunships in the air to provide cover and air power for ground forces. In Vietnam, he was responsible for storage, maintaining and issuing of ammunition and fuel for aircraft in the battalion. Miller was inducted United States Army Ordnance Hall of Fame class 2000 and was selected by the Governor of Alabama as The Alabama State 2022 Vietnam Veteran of the Year.
Gary Michael Rose, Captain
United States Army | Vietnam War | Medal of Honor Recipient
Between September 11–14, 1970, Sergeant Gary Michael Rose served as a Special Forces medic deep in enemy-controlled territory during one of the most intense engagements of the Vietnam War. Surrounded by a larger, heavily armed enemy force, his unit endured relentless rocket, mortar, and machine gun fire.
Through it all, Sergeant Rose repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to save others. He sprinted through open ground to reach the wounded, using his own body as a shield while administering life-saving care. Despite being knocked down and injured by a rocket blast, he refused evacuation and continued moving from soldier to soldier, treating the wounded for days under constant fire.
During multiple failed evacuation attempts, Sergeant Rose risked his life to carry and lift wounded personnel to helicopters. When one aircraft crashed under enemy fire, he pulled injured soldiers from the wreckage and continued providing aid—despite his own wounds. Over four days of continuous combat, nearly half of his unit became casualties. Sergeant Rose never stopped. His actions saved countless lives, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2017 by President Donald J. Trump.