MOUNT VERNON — Chaplain Don Wilson was 34 years old when he enlisted into the U.S. Army in 1986 — older than most recruits, a seasoned pastor and fulfilling a long-held calling.
Members of the Knox County Quilt Guild honored two military veterans during Sunday service at the First Church of the Nazarene on Coshocton Avenue.
Guild members presented a Quilt of Valor to Army Chaplain Don Wilson and Lowell Henthorn, USMC. This article profiles Wilson’s service. Click here to read about Henthorn’s service.
Nearly three decades later, he retired as a full colonel, having served everywhere from Hawaii to Germany.
Today, at 71, he’s still ministering to those who served, counseling veterans each week at the Knox County Veterans Service Office.
On Sunday, the Knox County Quilt Guild presented Wilson a Quilt of Valor in recognition of his service, both in the military and ongoing.
Wilson’s military career took him to Fort Bragg, Fort Knox, Hawaii, and Germany. Overseas, he served on military installations; stateside, he served soldiers in garrison.
“I went into Haiti with a combat support hospital during that conflict. Gratefully, it didn’t turn into a war,” he said.
A ‘bubbling up’
Wilson’s path to Army chaplain began as a youth pastor when he encountered a young man kicked out of the service due to bad habits.
When he asked the youth why he didn’t ask a chaplain for help, the youth responded that he did, but the chaplain was not interested.
“I said, ‘God, if you could ever use me in the military, I’m willing to be used because I know I can care for these young men,’” Wilson said. “I just felt a calling, a bubbling up inside.”
When he asked his wife, Paula, what she thought about him becoming a military chaplain, she said no way.
“She said, ‘You’d go to war and die, and I’d be left all alone,’” Wilson said. “And I said, OK. You know of my call to preach, so we will continue with that.”
The couple pastored nearly 10 years before Paula had a heart change.
“She said the Lord just spoke to my heart and said Don can be here in our safe environment in Port Huron, Michigan, and drive down the road and have an accident and die. Or he can be overseas in the midst of combat and be just as safe as a baby in its mother’s arms,” Wilson recalled.
“I’ve never forgotten those words. That opened the door.”
Wilson told his wife, “I don’t think God would put a call on my life that he would not prepare you for.”
“I think with us waiting for the right timing, it was the right thing to do. … And so when we went in, we went in as a team.”
Smoke over the Pentagon
Wilson recalled being in Washington, D.C., on 9/11 and looking across the Potomac and seeing smoke rising from the Pentagon.
“I never dreamed I would ever see anything like that. That was a very moving experience to be a part of that and then ministering to those who were taking care of those who didn’t make it out of the Pentagon,” he said.
Wilson said the joy of being with and ministering to the soldiers was overwhelming.
“I spent a lot of time in the field. I slept on the ground an awful lot of times over the years with the units that I was with, but just being there…
“’Hey, Chaplain, got a minute?’” he said smiling. “Music to my ears.
“’You bet I do,’” he’d answer. “We’d be under a tree or we’d be someplace else. Those early times of being with the troops and being out, that was awesome.”
Peace and commitment
Wilson said his military experience gave him a deep appreciation for soldiers and drew him closer to God.
“When you’re in a difficult situation, you dig deep, and when you dig deep, what are you going to find? Well, if God’s there, he takes you even deeper. He just gives you peace. He gives you comfort,” he said.
“Knowing that we were committed together, I think that drew our family together, too.”
Wilson estimated the family moved nine or 10 times. Paula, an elementary school teacher, found work every place they landed.
Their children eventually settled in Knox County, as did Wilson’s parents. Their son lives in Fredericktown; their daughter teaches at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
When Wilson retired from active duty in 2013, the Church of the Nazarene asked him to serve as its military chaplain endorser — the liaison responsible for vetting and preparing chaplain candidates across all branches of the armed forces. He held the role for eight years.
After retiring again in 2021, the Knox County Veterans Service Office approached him about counseling veterans. He prayed on it — and said yes.
“Guys come in and they have some heavy issues. … You get to know people, and it’s a delight. And because I served, they identify a little more. It’s tiring, but delightful,” he said.
Wilson said he has made good relationships because he, and the veterans, live in the area and stay in contact.
Memorial Day: A somber weight
Wilson’s earliest memories of Memorial Day come from upstate New York, where parades filled the streets. He was sensitive to the turnout because his father was a World War II and Korean War veteran.
“It just seemed like the people poured out,” he said. “It meant something to me as a kid, and I’m hoping it means something to the kids who will watch and be a part of [Mount Vernon’s parade.] I believe it means something to the soldiers who march in it.”
Wilson believes Memorial Day is more somber than Veterans Day.
“It’s somber because these guys remember. They’ve got buddies that died right next to them. The more you lost when you were in battle, the more this is somber,” he said.
But public support matters, he added.
“Whatever baggage they’re carrying, it helps them lighten the load a little bit,” he said. “There’s truly a lot of baggage, but it helps to see people that care about that.”
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