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
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