ONE CITIZEN’S MISSION TO APPRECIATE MILITARY SERVICE

A GRATEFUL NATION.

NSB Kings Bay Security Force also recently bid a heartfelt “Fair Winds and Following Seas” for military working dog Aiko during a memorial service. Born in February of 2013, the all-black German Shepard was assigned to Kings Bay in August of 2015. During his time as a member of the Kings Bay family, he was assigned to seven handlers. Aiko also completed deployments to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during his military service. Aiko’s favorite thing to do outside of work was to run freely and mark up every bush, tree, or fire hydrant that he could find. Even at eight years old, he had the energy and playfulness of a young puppy. He enjoyed tussling around with his handler or playing fetch in a big open field with lots of room to run around. MWD Aiko was loved and respected by everyone he came in contact with and will always hold a special place in our hearts. .

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One Citizen’s Mission Of Sharing Appreciation For Military Service.

by Christina Swanson and Joe Snowberger

Clay County’s Chamber appreciates the military, Veterans and their families. (ClayChamber.Com)

With an elbow-to-elbow packed room of 300 and others hoping for a seat to open, the once again, sold-out Clay County Chamber of Commerce’s Military Appreciation Luncheon is about to begin. Business owners, like Carol Berg with Orange Park Florists, are getting to know the military Servicemembers sitting at her table. Local officials, business leaders and Veteran advocate and attorney David county residents meet and greet with the King with WWII Veteran and retired invited Servicemembers and Veteran guests, Marine Master Sergeant George Smith. all squeezing by each other in the very crowded room to find their valued seat, any seat. The color guard is calculating just how much to dip their flags to pass under the thresholds of the conference room doors.

Amongst the social commotion and people wiggling throughout the crowded room is a calm and collected, yet focused gentleman. His walk is choreographic-like as he escorts World War II Veterans to their special table, steers military commanders and VIPs to the head tables, queues the caterer with a “time to go” hand signal and then points out a last-minute available seat, rescuing the volunteer at the registration table.

Since chairing the original events in 1987 and 1988, Orange Park attorney David A. King has been in the center of planning and executing Clay chamber’s annual salute to military Servicemembers and Veterans. Growing from a meeting room with 75 tickets sold to this year’s event with 300 attendees, 12 - 15 military Servicemembers from bases all across The Liberty Coast will be individually honored.

King is an attorney whose business has been a fixture on Kingsley Avenue since 1986, after relocating here from his hometown of Dayton, Ohio. Realizing what a huge military presence there is in Clay County, King brainstormed ways to honor those actively serving and Veterans living in the county, explaining, “They contribute so much to our quality of life in Clay County.”

During his remarks at the 2022 event, King proposed that the services and sacrifices by Servicemembers and the families supporting their Servicemembers were the reason the crowd could attend the event. Reflecting on his father’s service during WWII and those deployed today, King said, “That deployed warrior knows that back home they are loved, they are missed and their return is anxiously awaited,” King said.

Well known and often recognized for his decades of servant service, David A. King is a doer and at age 73, has no plan to stop serving others. This includes providing free legal services to area Veteran-serving organizations, like Operation Barnabas, handling bankruptcies pro bono for Veterans and those in need as well as representing charities and others. When asked why he spends the majority of his “free” time volunteering, he only says, “Why not?” “Money can’t buy the warm fuzzies that you get from helping people trying to overcome hardship.” One can only fathom the number of people King has rescued and helped to turn their lives around. Scan the QRC learn a lot more about King’s community service and Be A Barnabas the incredible journey of a Veteran, who with King’s help, is changing lives in Clay County in “Be A Barnabas.”