David Franklin Shepard
THOMPSON VALLEY, Va. — David Franklin Shepard, 59, of Thompson Valley, died Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006 at the VAMC in Salem, Va. Born June 15, 1947 in Tazewell, Va., he was a son of the late Frank and Lena Gillespie Shepard. He was of the Church of God faith and was a former Pastor of the Northside Church of God in Brunswick, Ga. and the Westside Church of God in Alma, Ga.
Mr. Shepard was a United States Army veteran, serving in the Airborne Rangers; his service to his country included three tours in Vietnam, where he bravely endured being a Prisoner of War. Mr. Shepard was the recipient of the Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Stars; Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device; Parachutist Badge; Army Commendation Medal; Combat Infantry Badge; Air Medal; Bronze Star Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster and a Presidential Unit Citation among other notable awards and recognitions such as being the Soldier of the Year for the United States Army in 1974; he ended his military service with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was a lifetime member of the Golden Isles Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans in Brunswick, Ga. and had served as President of Hendrix – Shepard, Inc. of Brunswick, Ga.
David was one of 15 children. He was preceded in death by two sisters and two brothers.
Survivors include, his wife, two sons, three daughters, eleven grandchildren, one brother and nine sisters.
David was my uncle. He was a great man. He lived his life by the code of the Rangers, and even died by the code of the rangers. Rev. Barry conducted a sevice that would have made my uncle proud. It was not directed toward him but toward the sinners in my family, as his last wish, it was for someone to come forth and be saved, so that, they too could walk hand in hand with him, when their time was to call.
My uncle never claimed to be going heaven, but in his final hours before his surgery, he exclaimed, "I don't know if I am going to heaven or hell but I know I will be in the hands of a just God".
I will never forget him. He was a hero to this nation and to his family, in both life and now death.
