To all who have served and to those who still do, the attorneys and staff of Christian & Small want to express our heartfelt thanks for all that you do and have done to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day. We would also like to recognize our own veterans: Partner Thomas W. Christian, Partner Clarence M. Small Jr., Partner Duncan Y. Manley, and Partner Bill D. Bensinger. Thank you all for your service!
A few of our attorneys and staff members shared their thoughts and memories about what makes Veterans Day special to them and recognize those close to them who served on our country’s behalf:
Although he is no longer with us, Bibb Allen‘s presence is with me every day. Bibb served as a pilot in World War II, flying 102 missions – including 17 during the D-Day invasion. He was shot down and listed as missing and presumed dead. That was not too hard to imagine because 17 of the 32 pilots in his flight squadron at the beginning of the war were dead by the end of the war. I asked Bibb if he was ever scared during the war. He first said no, that the real heroes were the men on the ground being shot at on a daily basis. Then he said he was scared the last two missions he flew because he had been promised he would not have to fly more than 100 missions. He said it would have been so unjust if he had been killed flying on one of those last two missions. Bibb didn’t like talking about his war experiences; he said that like everybody else during that time, he was just doing his duty. And, once the war was over, he closed the book on that chapter in his life and never looked back. There is a good reason they were called the Greatest Generation, and I hope we never forget them. – Richard E. Smith, Partner
I am a veteran, having served in the U.S. Naval Reserves. I attended Officer Candidate School in Newport Rhode Island from October 1960 to March 1961. Upon graduation I was commissioned as an Ensign, and I was on active duty and served on ships in the Pacific Fleet stationed in California. I was discharged from active duty in January 1964 and entered Vanderbilt Law school that month. I remained in the reserves until about 1970 after completing my obligation, and I attained the rank of Lieutenant. – Duncan Y. Manley, Partner
My son serves on the destroyer U.S.S. Farragut, which was in from deployment recently. I have another son who served in the Iraq War who was injured and medically discharged. I come from a proud military family: my grandfather served in both World Wars, and my father served in the Korean War. – Terri Courington, Legal Assistant
Veterans Day is so very special to me, as it is one day set aside to especially thank the troops for my freedoms. My first cousin, a fighter pilot in World War II, flew recon over Pearl Harbor the day before it was bombed. We have other relatives who have served or are serving. I love to watch the Birmingham Veterans Day Parade go by, but by golly, it’s hard to watch it when my eyes are filled with tears! Every day should be “Thank You For Your Service Day,” and I pray that America will awaken and ramp up deserving benefits and treatment for each one of our veterans as they return home. Thank you to all who have served. – Lois Medders, Accounting
This photo is of my husband and me during our first real “date” on this day back in November 2008. Ande is a former Marine, and he invited me to go to a Marine Corps Ball with him to celebrate the U.S. Marine Corp’s birthday (November 10, 1775). He joined the Marines straight out of high school and served for four years, including one tour in Iraq. I thank God every day for him, and others like him, for having the courage to do things I never could. – Jenny S. Taylor, Service Center/Receptionist
My dad, who is now 94, is part of the Greatest Generation. He was a pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Much to his chagrin, after graduating from gunnery school as a first lieutenant he was not sent overseas to fight but instead was assigned as a cadet flight instructor. He now counts that assignment as a great blessing. Had he been chosen to fly missions over Germany, he might not have had the long and productive life that he has had as an FBI agent, lawyer, law professor, U.S. Attorney, great husband and incredible father. I am thankful for my Dad and all of the thousands of men and women who have proudly served our country through the years. – Sharon D. Stuart, Partner
I had the honor to meet and be with Bob Cahoon, 94, a great man and a World War II and Korean Veteran, during the Bluff Park Veterans Program. I thanked him for his service. I also am pictured with Mike Jackson, who is retired from the Army and now works in the insurance industry. These are two great men who served our country! Happy Veterans Day to all the men and women who have served our great country! – David L. Faulkner Jr., Partner
I am so proud of my father, who served in Vietnam, and my son (pictured left), who currently serves in the U.S. Army. My son’s position is Specialist E4 and is based in Grovetown, Georgia, and he recently won Soldier of the Year for 2015. He joined seven months after getting married and is signed up for eight years. – Jackie J. Gillman, Legal Assistant
My husband, Benjamin Ryan Lamp, served as a U.S. Marine from April 1996 to October 2002. After his service in the Marine Corp, he wanted to fly Blackhawks and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served from October 2002 to January 2005. He was a Corporal in both branches. Unfortunately, during a flight physical it was discovered he had a kidney disease – cutting his service short, and he received a medical discharge.
Unable to serve his country as a soldier, he took the oath to serve and protect as a police officer and was with the Bessemer Police Department from 2006 to 2010 (pictured here at his Police Academy graduation, accompanied by his cousin, Josh Underwood, who is also a U.S. Marine). My grandfather, Kenneth Powers, served in the U.S. Coast Guard, and my brother, Arthur Hires, served in the National Guard, later becoming a corrections officer. My (step) daughter Aleecea Lamp’s mother, Beverly Lamp, served as a U.S. Marine, and my son, Tyler Green, is looking forward to serving his country as a U.S. Marine upon graduation from high school in three years. Our immediate and extended family is inundated with service members, and we are proud, grateful and forever indebted to the men and women who dedicate their lives to serving in our armed forces. – Wanda Lamp, Paralegal