Today Pearl and I wrote a note
to her grand-niece Lori Slonaker Lincoln (Pearls sister
Lorestines granddaughter) and her husband Don. Both of them
wanted to serve their country and took commissions in the
Army upon their graduation from college. I wanted to tell you
about them and I got some info from their parents. When last we
saw Lori and Don six months ago they both looked as though they
should still be in High school, about in the sophomore year.
Captain Lori E. Lincoln, US
Army, is the daughter of Ronald and Jeanie Knapp Slonaker of
Kearneysville and Buffalo Ridge Farm, Renick. She graduated from
the University of Delaware in 2004 with a Honors Bachelor of
Arts in International Relations and minors in Economics and
Spanish. In 2007 Lori graduated from WVU College of Law and
passed the WV State Bar to practice law. She was commissioned as
a Captain In The US Army Judge Advocate General's Corp after
completing her military law training and Officers' Basic
Training in 2008. She attended Airborne school and received her
wings in August, 2008. From August, 2008 until February 2011,
she was assigned to the 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team in
Vicenza, Italy. In 20ll she was assigned as the brigade trial
counsel in Bamberg, Germany. Currently she is deployed with the
--------- and is stationed at -------- in Afghanistan as the
trial counsel/operational law attorney. ( Lori has some ribbons,
etc., but I don't know what they are,)
Captain Donald W Lincoln, US Army, is the son-in-law of Ronald
and Jeanie Knapp Slonaker. In 2002 he graduated from Valley
Forge Military College with an Associate of Arts in Criminal
Justice and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US
Army. In 2004 he received his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal
Justice from the University of Delaware. He was stationed at Ft.
Knox, KY in 2004-05 in the 89th Cavalry Regiment. From 2006 to
2007 he was in Baghdad, Iraq focusing on scout and
communications operations. From 2007 to 2008 he was a battle
captain and operations officer for the Special Troops Battalion
of the 2nd Brigade 10th MTN Div, Ft. Drum, NY and deployed to
Afghanistan. In September 2008 Don was assigned as the signal
officer for the 2-xxx Infantry Battalion, xxx1234, Vicenza,
Italy. As of February 2011 he became the Company commander for
the ,------------ Bamberg, Germany. Presently he is deployed
with the ----------stationed at ---------in Afghanistan as a
company commander. (This is Don's third war deployment in six
years.) Don has received several medals, one being the bronze
star. (I don't know the rest.) He has attended airborne school
and jumpmaster school.
When as now, a lot of young men and women are choosing to evade
the service, we were terribly impressed by the wedding party at
their marriage a few years ago. Young, handsome men and women in
their early twenties, in Dress Mess and gowns, nearly all of
whom had chosen to serve this country in a foreign land, some of
them unlikely to return. I ask the question others have asked,
where do these young people come from. I question if we really
deserve them, will they return to a better or a worse place than
that from which they departed. We pray it will be better, My
God, we owe it to them! May God Bless Them.
