A fitting tribute adorns walls of Main St. church

The congregation not only prays for troops but maintains a visual tribute.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
COLUMBIANA -- "These aren't statistics, these are people," said the Rev. David Conrad of the soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. "These are husbands, wives, sons, daughters and siblings."
The pastor of Jerusalem Lutheran Church, 415 S. Main St., added, "There shouldn't be a day that goes by that we don't think of the sacrifices these men and women and their families are making."
The church and its congregation don't just pray for soldiers. They have a visual tribute to them.
The monument
As a remembrance, the church honors each soldier killed in Iraq with a star on the walls of the sanctuary. A military altar is reserved for the photos of Ohio soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan and family and friends of the congregation who are serving in the military.
"We wanted to do something that would visually make people understand the significance of the numbers," the Rev. Mr. Conrad said, noting that often rattling off a big number means little because it's just an abstract figure.
"We also wanted to remember them as people ... with families and likes and dislikes," he said. The families enduring the loss of a loved one can't be forgotten, he added.
Mr. Conrad, who was not in the military, said his father served during World War II.
"I was raised on those stories of that war and the sacrifices that were made.
"As a pastor, I wanted to keep in touch with what is going on," Mr. Conrad said. "In a sense, I feel like a chaplain praying for the soldiers and wanting them to know we care."
Nelda Hawkins, church secretary, said she checks the Internet to keep updated on the number of soldiers killed. When a soldier from Ohio dies, she said she researches that person on the Internet and also tries to find a photo to post on the military altar.
Hawkins admitted the task sometimes has been daunting. "I put 24 stars on a piece of 8-by-11 [inch] paper. So far, we have 931/2 feet that goes around the church and has started over," she explained. "The stars are red ... to remember the blood [shed]."
"Each star represents a person along with a family mourning for them," she said, noting that a death isn't isolated but affects many people.
As of June 13, Hawkins said 2,491 stars are on the church walls. She checks the Web site, militarycity.com, for information.
Mr. Conrad said prayers are offered each weekend for the troops around the world. Worship services are scheduled for 8:30 and 10:45 a.m Sundays; youth Sundays are observed at 9:30 a.m. the third Sunday of the month in June, July and August. Anyone with a family member serving in the military is invited to submit his or her photo for the military altar display. Call the church office, (330) 482-2136, to make arrangements.
Glen and Joan Roth of New Waterford, who have been church members about 12 years, assist with the military altar.
How it started
"It all started with a member, Leslie Spooner, who has a daughter in the military ... a first lieutenant. She did a bulletin board and then the small altar," Glen Roth said. He noted that Spooner has since moved West to be near her daughter; the Roths thought it was vital to continue the legacy.
"I feel it's important to honor and show appreciation to the current service people," Glen Roth said.
Last year for Memorial Day, he explained the congregation was asked to submit photos and stories about family and friends who served and were serving in the military.
"We would up with 53 photos ... ranging from the Civil War to the present," he explained. "Every picture had a story ... one was a prisoner of war and there were Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. It was pretty fantastic," he said of the display.
The tribute to the military will continue as long as the conflict does.