DEPARTMENT CHAPTER CHARTER HISTORY

M.W. Hank Adcock                      L.A. Adkins Sr.                        Billy H. Allison                               Allen D. Baldwin 

Olyn F. Burleson                          John W.Bowens Jr.                Edward W. Chastain                    Luther V. Clemons 

Christian F. Dusta                       Jack Furman                           Albert F. Fuqua                             George P. Gardiner 

Glen Haller                                  Lewis B. Jones                        John M. King Jr.                              James R. Lide Jr. 

Raco J. Proto                                James L. Reed                        John H. Scharnitzky                      Bobby N. Scott, 

Walter P. Spivey                         Clinton E. Sikes

DEPARTMENT CHARTER MEMBERS

DEPARTMENT HISTORY

MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART

DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA

Number        Location              Name                                                         Chartered 

425                    Augusta                    James A. Dyess                                                       APR. 06, 1977 

465                    Atlanta                     GEN. Wm. Cunningham                                        AUG. 29, 1982 

492                    Columbus               Donald R. Johnston                                                OCT. 26, 1983 

520*                  Waycross                Shelton W. Monroe                                                OCT. 18, 1985 

525                    Rome                       Rome                                                                        JUL. 23, 1986 

531                    Athens                     N. E. Georgia                                                           JAN. 06, 1987 

576                   Alpharetta               CPT. Hillard A. Willbanks                                       MAY 29, 1991 

596                   Savannah                 MAJ. Henry Talmage Elrod                                   DEC. 16, 1991 

694*                 Tifton                        D.E. Dickons & H.E. Key Jr.                                   AUG. 09, 1997 

826                   Ellijay                        North Georgia                                                       NOV. 19, 2015 

834                   Macon                      Rodney Maxwell Davis                                         FEB. 24, 2018 

1000                 Fitzgerald                 South Georgia                                                       OCT. 10, 2013 

8888*               St. Mary                   Steven “Old Sarge” Mare                                      MAY 31, 2008 

*Chapter Closed

Out of the dust comes the jewel. With the induction of its first officers on June 22, 1985, the Department of Georgia came into being on the heels of a number of ironies. As early as 1978, there were four (4) Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) Chapters in the state of Georgia; namely in Augusta (#425), Atlanta (#465), Columbus (#492) and Waycross (#520). Each of these Chapters were organized by formidable Patriots with a desire to generate interest in and to create a MOPH Department of Georgia. The organizers recognized at start-up were Edward Chastain (#425), Milton C. Johnson (#465), Allen D. Baldwin (#492) and John M. King (#520), the latter being the most prolific and the former the most dynamic. Both Patriots King and Chastain would achieve their destiny and wish to become higher level Commanders. Through his resume' of helping veterans as a service-officer, local community service, institutional voluntarism, organizing Chapter starts throughout the State, Patriot King was elected as the first Department Commander at the first Department Convention in 1985. At the MOPH National Convention, during the same year (1985) Edward Chastain was elected as the 54th National Commander. While health issues affected the terms of both, their legacy is cherished and lives on in the accomplishments of elected officers emanating from the Department