Veteran’s Day is Nov. 11.
Not many people have had even one front-row seat to watch history unfolding before their eyes. Retired Col. Jerry Whiteside, U.S. Army, 87, has had two notable ones.
The first was in Germany during the height of the Cold War, and the second was in Vietnam during the battle of the Ia Drang Valley, which was the focus of the book “We Were Soldiers Once and Young,” later turned into a film starring Mel Gibson. Through it all, this veteran’s faith helped sustain his journey through war, conflict, and crisis.
Born in 1937, Whiteside was raised on a 40-acre farm in Rockmart, Georgia. His parents worked in textile mills and as he grew older much of the farming fell on his shoulders. A 4-H scholarship, part-time job at an Athens A&P grocery store, some help from his family, and later an ROTC scholarship allowed him to attend the University of Georgia.
During the 1950s, he explained, “All able-bodied young men were required to do two years of ROTC at the University.” The summer before his senior year he was selected to be cadet commander of the UGA Army ROTC. He and his new bride and high school sweetheart Sylvia Lee were on their honeymoon when he received a phone call informing him of his selection. He was also asked to shorten their honeymoon and return to the campus as soon as possible to prepare for the school year.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Charles Jones and originally published by The Christian Index, news journal of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
