FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
The Fort Eustis community came together to celebrate hope, prayer and fellowship during the National Day of Prayer celebration May 3 at the Regimental Memorial Chapel.
Soldiers, retirees, civilian employees and others gathered in the chapel to join the post's chaplains in prayers and songs, celebrating more than just faith. U.S. Army Chaplains Lt. Col. Darryl Hollowell and Capt. Anselmo Hernandez led the group in prayer to honor the service and sacrifices made by U.S. military members and their families.
"What we do here today as we join in prayer with millions of our fellow citizens around the nation is important. It enables us to recall and to teach the way which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions," said U.S. Army Chap. (Col.) Kenneth Bush, 633rd Air Base Wing deputy chaplain. "It's a time for us a community to pray for our nation and our leaders which were encouraged in the scriptures to do, but also a time to gather together as a congregation and pray for the specific needs of our community at Fort Eustis and the surrounding area."
Bush said he hopes the event inspired those in attendance to remember the significance of prayer and the power of fellowship.
"This is a reminder for us not to do this once a year, but to gather together and encourage each other to do it throughout the year," he said.
This year marks the 61st annual observance of the National Day of Prayer, which occurs every year on the first Thursday in May. In April 1952, then-President Harry S. Truman signed a bill proclaiming the president must declare a National Day of Prayer annually. In 1988, the law was amended to standardize the observance annually on the first Thursday of May.