East Aiken honors veterans

In 1950, a 21-year-old Army private named William "Buddy" Murray and other soldiers prepared to land on the beach during the Battle of Incheon in the Korean War.

"We all had a lot of fear," said Murray, now 81. "Something told me to write a poem in case something happened. I stuck it my helmet, thinking somebody would read it some day."

Somebody did. At the East Aiken Elementary School of the Arts Veterans Day program Wednesday, Murray's grandson, Ian Murray, read his grandfather's poem as he and other students with the "No Boundaries Boys" choral group performed a patriotic selection.

The poem concludes, "I'm going now to do my part, With God I pray with all my heart, That he may give and I'll abide for him to take me home alive, To take me back to the far off shore to the ones I love and adore."

Murray attended the ceremony and afterward could not hold back the catch in his voice and the tears.

"This means more than even going to Korea," Murray said. "It means more than anything in my life."

A native of Summerville, he was drafted in 1950 and served for two years. Murray has lived most of his life in Aiken, retiring from the milk industry. Ian and two siblings are the children of David and Marie Murray.

Ian "is a wonderful grandson," Buddy Murray said. "It's such a surprise to me that I have a grandson who would find my scrapbook and take it to school today. I never in my life thought that would happen."

Coordinated by physical education teacher Kathy Linton and music teacher Megan Jensen, the Veterans Day observance included a moving pictorial tribute to the students' and the faculty's relatives who have or are serving in the armed forces.

Student actors performed a skit about a veteran that was narrated by readers Courtney Tavin and Zachary Chaney. The actors were Wesley Johnson, Kayla Wolfe, Kniondria Quattlebaum, Jaden Leaphart, Kestin Seawright, Brianna Jenkins and Seth Castorina.

The student hosts for the event were Makayla Sims and Maryeo Blocker. First-grader Andrew Tozier read a poem by Cheryl Dyson called "Veterans Day."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.

The Night Before

The waters is calm, the night is too

Tomorrow we land with a job to do

A job that's hard to face

But it happens to the best of race

With God's help we will pull through

This awful job we have to do

A job we know not much about

Tis soon we'll find out, that's no doubt.

I'm going now to do my part,

With God I pray with all my heart

That he may give and I'll abide

For Him to take me home alive

To take me back to the far off shore

To the ones I love and adore.