The Emma Kelly Theater once again opened its doors this Memorial Day to honor fallen heroes, but this year, it came with a powerful, deeply personal message from retired Marine Corps officer Larry Shatteen.
Introduced by American Legion Dexter Allen Post 90 Commander Bobby Godwin, Shatteen took the stage and reminded the crowd why this day really matters.
Prior to Shatteen's speech, attendees were treated to coffee and doughnuts courtesy of the DAR, while Isaac Sherrod provided pre-ceremony entertainment, setting a reflective tone with his musical talents, including playing the piano for the event.
The ceremony's music was led by Lisa Muldrew, and the National Anthem was performed beautifully by a quartet consisting of Dan Hagan, Jim Payne, Jan Persson, and Lisa Muldrew.
The Bulloch County Sheriff's Honor Guard members Deputy Aneshia Best and Captain Kenny Thompson presented the colors with precision and respect, setting the stage for Post 90 Commander Bobby Godwin's introduction of the day's speaker, Larry Shatteen.
Shatteen, who grew up in Statesboro during segregation, shared how far the community and the country has come. As a young African-American male, he once had to sit in the balcony at the Georgia Theater.
Now, he stood before a united audience in that same town, speaking as a veteran. “The Veterans we are honoring today, they paved the way for me,” he said, holding back emotion. “They paved the way for all of us.”
But this wasn’t just a trip down memory lane. Shatteen’s message hit hard: Memorial Day has been hijacked by sales, beach trips, and barbecues. “Forty-five million people on the road, just going somewhere,” he said, “but are they remembering why they’re off work?”
He urged the crowd not to let the meaning of the day get lost under red-tag discounts and pool floats.
Sharing his own journey from college math whiz to Marine Corps officer, Shatteen recounted how he first joined with dreams of flying jets. Though the path was unexpected and difficult, it ultimately led him to some of the most meaningful moments of his life, especially serving as a funeral detail officer, honoring fallen service members with folded flags and final salutes.
He remembered a time when traditions were held sacred and compared it to today, where taped music and small details sometimes replace deeper honors. “It’s not America’s fault they don’t know,” he said. “It’s mine. Because only a veteran can teach what a veteran knows.”
In a call to action, Shatteen challenged veterans to step into schools, nursing homes, and public spaces to keep traditions alive. “Memorial Day isn’t just for the dead,” he said. “It’s for the living. For those still carrying the weight of war, for families still grieving, for veterans still fighting silent battles.”
He brought up Hacksaw Ridge and Private Desmond Doss, a real-life combat medic who refused to carry a weapon but saved 75 lives. “He taught us to care for each other, no matter what,” Shatteen said. “That’s what this day is about. Not just remembering the fallen, but loving and lifting the ones still here.”
As his speech closed, Shatteen reminded everyone: “All gave all. Not just some.” With a voice full of pride, pain, and purpose, he left the stage not just as an honored veteran, but as a brother, a mentor, and a keeper of tradition.
Watch the entire ceremony below
Intonement of Fallen Veterans of Bulloch County
During the Memorial Day service the names of soldiers killed in action were intoned.
Below is a list of all soldiers from Bulloch County or who were attached to and deployed from units in Bulloch County.
WORLD WAR 1
- Dexter Allen
- William Baker
- Brooks Beasley
- Lawson Bell
- Willie Brannen
- George Guy Burgess
- Ernest Cannon
- Carswell Deal
- Edwin DeLoach
- George Falagan
- Cephas Feelings
- Herbert Folsom
- Paul R. Groover
- Neal H. Hagan
- Jesse Lewis
- Clarence Lyons
- Blitch Parrish
- Solomon Raymond
- Thomas Raymond
- Walter Sanders
- John M. Sheffield
- Louis O. Stanford
- James Stewart
- Claude B Terry
- Homer Van Buren Warnock
- James W Wiliams
BULLOCH VETERANS KILLED IN ACTION
WORLD WAR 2
- Albert Allen*
- James V. Anderson
- John D. Arnett
- Alfred C. Barnes *
- Inman Beasley
- John T. Box
- Dan C Branson, Jr.
- William H. Bryant
- John C. Bure, Jr. *
- Barney L. Chester *
- James O. Cooper
- Leroy Cowart Jr. *
- John F. Darley, Jr. *
- Pierce Darwin DeLoach*
- Kelley Bruce Dickerson*
- Clyde Thomas Dixon *
- Erastus Don Ellis
- Olice R. Evans
- James A. Futch, Jr.
- Bill M Gerald *
- Carl L. Gordy*
- Thomas Hendley
- James M. Hendrix
- F. Glen Hodges*
- Herman Lavonne Hodges
- William G. Holloway
- Arthur J. Howell *
- Charles Hunnicutt
- James Alvin Lanier
- Jemison B. Lynn
- Archie Redell Martin*
- Charles T. Martin*
- Leonard E. Mincey
- Carrol Minick*
- Cecil Morris
- Richard Newton
- George B. Newton
- George W. Olgesby
- Austin K Pennington
- Jackie (Jake) Pennington
- Ernest L. Poindexter, Jr.*
- Berton H. Ramsey, Jr.
- Troy R. Reddick
- Rupert D. Riggs, Jr. *
- Barney W. Shelnutt
- J. I. Shurling
- Erastus D. Sills
- Rufus A. Small
- Rufus B. Stephens
- Jack L. Suddath*
- Clifton Summerlin
- James Walter Swint
- Chares T. Thornton
- Cecil Turner
- Charles D. Wall
- Albert A Ward*
- William D. Ward
- Roland D. Warnock
- Floyd B. Waters
- Ellis F. Williams
- Jack B. White
- Hardy Talmadge Womack
- John Gilbert Woodward
- Frank R. Zetterower, Jr.
* Denotes Killed in Pacific
BULLOCH VETERANS KILLED IN ACTION KOREA
- Larry B. Akins SSGT Air Force…. 31 Jan, 1954 Died while missing
- David Chance PVT. Army…. 25 Aug, 1950 Killed in Action
- James A. Hunnicutt SGT Army…. 12 Dec, 1950 Died while captured
- Charles H. Lord, Jr. PVT Army…..02 Nov, 1950 Died while captured
- George D. Tillman PFC Army……15 April, 953 Killed in Action
- Thomas Crosby Army Killed in Action
BULLOCH VETERANS KILLED IN ACTION VIETNAM
- James R. Brannen
- Hubert F. Brinson
- Lenard Coleman
- Jessie W. Conner
- David L. DeLoach
- Luther M. Jones
- Michael T Rowe
BULLOCH VETERANS KILLED IN ACTION IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN
- SPC Matthew Gibbs
- SPC Charles H. Warren
- SSGT Dennis P. Merk
- SPC Jerry L. Ganey
- SGT Brock H. Chavers
- SFC Isaac L. Johnson
- Capt. Thomas Lee Moore
- SSGT Chester McBride, III
NOTES: Some of these men were stationed at or deployed from the local guard base, so we include them on our list.
After the ceremony, guests were invited to a hamburger and hot dog lunch at Post 90 on Rucker Lane. Special thanks to Joiner Anderson Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, the Averitt Center for the Arts, Chick-Fil-A, and Texas Roadhouse for their support of this year's service.