Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama

11/11/2025

11/09/2025

🇺🇸 Honoring Service and Sacrifice 🇺🇸

The Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama had the privilege of providing a Nightingale Tribute to First Lieutenant Merle Parker, RN during the Opelika Freedom Fest Veterans Breakfast.

It was a deeply moving ceremony and a wonderful opportunity to share our mission with veterans and community members.

Following the tribute, our members were honored to walk in the Veterans Parade and meet two Medal of Honor recipients:

🎖️ SFC Melvin Morris, U.S. Army
🎖️ CSM Robert “Bob” Patterson, U.S. Army

It was a truly meaningful and memorable day for all who participated.

💙 No Nurse Forgotten 💙

11/08/2025

🇺🇸 Honoring Our Fallen Nurses 🇺🇸

On Thursday November 6, 2025, members of the Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama were deeply honored to assist in a statewide Nightingale Tribute honoring ten nurses who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War.

Their courage, compassion, and service to others will never be forgotten.

🕊️ We Remember:

2nd Lieutenant Carol Ann Drazba
KIA: February 18, 1966 — Panel 5E, Line 46

2nd Lieutenant Elizabeth Ann Jones
KIA: February 18, 1966 — Panel 5E, Line 47

Captain Eleanor Grace Alexander
KIA: November 30, 1967 — Panel 31E, Line 8

2nd Lieutenant Hedwig Diane Orlowski
KIA: November 30, 1967 — Panel 31E, Line 15

1st Lieutenant Jerome E. Olmsted
KIA: November 30, 1967 — Panel 31E, Line 15

1st Lieutenant Kenneth Shoemaker
KIA: November 30, 1967 — Panel 31E, Line 17

2nd Lieutenant Pamela Dorothy Donovan
KIA: July 8, 1968 — Panel 53W, Line 43

Lieutenant Colonel Annie Ruth Graham
KIA: August 14, 1968 — Panel W48, Line 12

1st Lieutenant Sharon Ann Lane
KIA: June 8, 1969 — Panel 23W, Line 112

Their dedication to caring for others in the midst of war embodies the truest spirit of nursing.

🕯️ May their legacy live on in every nurse who follows in their footsteps.

11/08/2025

On October 30, 2025, The Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama was deeply honored to present a special donation to the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

Our donation included several meaningful items used in our Nightingale Tributes:

🔔A triangle
🪔A Nightingale lamp
🥼A traditional nurse's cap
🩵 A handmade cape created by Ms. Rochelle Talbert of Notasulga — whose mother was a nurse and who was present for the donation of one of her beautiful, hand-stitched capes.

These items will now be part of the museum’s collection, representing the legacy and service of nurses across Alabama.

We were also grateful for the opportunity to tour some of the museum’s newest exhibits and share our mission with staff and visitors who were unfamiliar with our work.

💙 No Nurse Forgotten 💙

11/08/2025

🎉 Congratulations to our Raffle Winners! 🎉

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth at the Loachapoka Syrup Sopping Festival on Saturday, October 25!

🖥️ Smart TV Winner: Angela Sipos
👁️ Full Set of Lashes & Lash Care Kit (by Travel Lashes by Kayla): Raven

Your generosity and support mean so much to the Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama. Every ticket purchased helps us continue our mission:
💙 No Nurse Forgotten 💙

Eyelash service provided by Travel Lashes by Kayla — thank you for your generous donation!

Smart TV donated by one of the Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama 's own members, Dawne Ciampi -- thank you for your generosity!

10/24/2025

🎉 Come See Us at the Loachapoka Syrup Sopping Festival! 🎉

Stop by the Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama booth this Saturday, October 25 for a day of fun, community, and your chance to win great raffle prizes! 🎟✨

We’re holding TWO exciting raffles:
📺 Vizio 50” 4K UHD LED HDR Smart TV
💫 Eyelash Service by Travel Lashes by Kayla (Full set of lashes any style and free lash care kit)

🎟 Tickets are $5 each per raffle — you can enter one, the other, or both for double the chances to win!
🏆 Winners will be announced at the end of the day Saturday!

Your support helps our local 501(c)(3) nonprofit continue honoring nurses with the Nightingale Tribute, ensuring every nurse is recognized for their years of compassion, dedication, and service. 💙

Come by to purchase tickets and find out more about our work towards our mission: No Nurse Forgotten. 🌟

10/17/2025

‼️Thank you to Jeffcoat Trant Funeral Home ‼️

We are deeply grateful to Jeffcoat Trant Funeral Home & Crematory of Opelika for their incredible generosity in covering the entire cost of our new informational pamphlets — approximately 4,000 in total!

These pamphlets will allow the Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama to reach more people who may not yet know about our mission and the tributes we provide to honor our fellow nurses gone before us.

Thanks to Jeffcoat-Trant’s support, we can continue sharing our message of remembrance and respect for those who have devoted their lives to caring for others. With such generous support, we are better able to strive toward our mission: No Nurse Forgotten.

🕯️🤍🕊️

10/17/2025

On Saturday, September 27th, 2025 at 2pm, the Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama had the privilege of honoring the life and legacy of Edith James LPN at Greenwood Missionary Baptist Church in Tuskegee.

As a proud member of the first graduating class of nurses at Southern Vocational College, Edith helped blaze a trail for many who would follow in her footsteps. Her career was not simply measured in years, but in the dedication and compassion she showed every day to her patients, their families, and her colleagues. She served the field of nursing for more than 36 years at the Tuskegee VA Medical Center, as well as at Salem Nursing Home and Magnolia Haven Nursing Home.

A devoted caregiver, steadfast professional, and a woman of strength, Edith’s journey through nearly four decades of nursing service touched countless lives.

Though she retired, her calling would not allow her to stay away from the bedside. Only six months later, she returned to her post, once again answering the needs of others with a servant’s heart. Her commitment was not just to her profession, but to her patients and her community.

Edith’s life reminds us that nursing is more than a career—it is a ministry of compassion, resilience, and selflessness. May her example of a life lived with such devotion continue to inspire.

Edith James, LPN, we officially release you from your nursing duties. Your service is complete. We will proudly continue to carry the torch.

🕊️

Nightingale Tribute Leader: Celeste Gaddis RN
Guard members: Chris Taylor RN, Lori Butler RN, Nelda Bell RN, Pam Knudsen RN

10/15/2025

🌹 The Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama Needs Your Support 🌹

Since our inception in March 2023, we have had the honor of providing 28 Nightingale Tributes to recognize and celebrate the lives and service of those gone before us. Each tribute costs approximately $50—covering the porcelain Nightingale lamp, honorary coin, white roses, and placard presented to the family in the nurse's memory.

We are proud to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations made to us are tax-deductible. Your support directly funds the continuation of our mission and outreach.

As we continue to grow, we are also working to spread awareness of our mission: No Nurse Forgotten.
We have upcoming events where we’ll be representing our local chapter and sharing our cause:
📍 Loachapoka Syrup Sopping Festival – October 25
📍 The Wall That Heals at Athens State University – November 6
This powerful touring replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors those who served and sacrificed. Members of our chapter will join Honor Guards from across the state to provide a Nightingale Tribute for the eight nurses who gave their lives in service to our country.

We are currently seeking donations to help fund our tributes and to print new informational brochures, as our current supply has run out. These materials are vital for sharing who we are and how we serve. We are also willing to accept sponsors who want to advertise their business on our upcoming batch of pamphlets.

If you would like to support us in honoring and remembering the nurses who have dedicated their lives to caring for others, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

🤍 Every contribution—no matter the amount—helps us continue this sacred mission.

Thank you for helping us ensure that no nurse is ever forgotten. 🕊️

https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/JMVYZ3BFTQ224

https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3996497217587050783

https://cash.app/$NHGECA

Mailing address:
Nurses Honor Guard of East Central Alabama
4100 Oak Bowery Rd
Opelika, AL 36801

07/23/2025

If anyone is able to help out in one of our counties without an honor guard chapter, please reach out. Please tell your nurse colleagues in other areas as well!