By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–Speaking on a Memorial Day “like none we have seen in our lifetimes,” the Rev. John Dandridge asked the crowd that gathered on the Henry County Courthouse lawn Monday that “May love always replace hate in our country.”
A minister and a veteran, Rev. Dandridge spoke before a good-sized crowd for the annual event and reminded everyone “Every day is Memorial Day” for veterans and their families. “We shouldn’t wait to honor them”, he said.
He also thanked the “First defenders and first responders” for their work during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and asked everyone to “reflect on the 100,000 Americans who have lost their lives to the pandemic.”
At Monday’s event, Emcee was Mark Cates, with patriotic music provided by Terri Pardon, Ervin Dutton and Randy Crowder. The Tennessee State Guard provided the colors. The speakers and local commanders of service organizations were seated a distance from each other this year.
Rev. Dandridge is the minister at Quinn Chapel AME Church in Paris and has had an illustrious military career, serving over 22 years in the U.S. Army. He comes from a military family, with both parents buried in Arlington Cemetery, his son is a wounded warrior and his brother was the sole survivor of the Iran-Contra helicopter crash.
Dr. Dandridge had a wide variety of operational deployments and assignments as a senior communications officer with the following: 82d Airborne Division, 18th Airborne Corps, Special Forces, 5th Allied Tactical Air Force, Joint United States Military Advisory Group, United States Forces Korea, 3rd Fleet Support Group, United States Southern Command, United States Military Training Mission, Defense Nuclear Agency, National Security Agency, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Pentagon.
He earned numerous Service and Joint Service medals, ribbons and awards; the Legion of Merit, several campaign medals, professional tabs and Identification badges, just to name a few.
Photo: Rev. Dandridge speaks at today’s Memorial Day Service in Henry County. (Shannon McFarlin photo).