The Heart of Kernersville

By NJ Clausen

Hello and welcome to the month of sunshine, flowers and Easter joy! This April I have the pleasure of introducing you to a man who loves his family, country, and the path he is now on… Dr. Leroy (Roy) Izzard, III.

The youngest of 3 siblings, Roy was born in Georgia. His sister taught him to read when he was very young, and when heading to 1st grade he remembers reading his first book about Hank ‘Hammering Hank’ Aaron (with some help with the big words). From there he started reading the Bible, following in the steps of his grandfather who was a preacher and always reading the Bible. Roy used to stand next to his grandfather when he was preaching, and believes this time made him comfortable in front of crowds. As Roy grew in understanding of what his grandfather was doing, it made him really want to do it, too!

In high school Roy enjoyed English and History, and was on the football, basketball, and baseball teams. His teammates were kids he had been playing with since they were all 6 years old, and together they won 4 state championships. Roy never missed a day of school; an accomplishment he is proud of and a testament to health. He would eat any vegetable from their extensive garden, with the exception of lima beans!

Having grown up in the military town of Hinesville, Roy joined the Army at 17 after graduating with written permission from his parents. He joined as a private but called it a blessing that his very first unit fell under the Special Operations Command. As he was young and new with clearance, Roy was able to train with elite groups and was a Master Parachutist for 18 years. Normally promotions would happen every 6 months (as long as there were no mess-ups), but in Roy’s case it happened after the first month, followed closely by 4 more in his young career!

Throughout his service, Roy received numerous commendations and medals. When asked which one made his heart swell, Roy responded that it was probably his second Bronze Star while convoying into North Baghdad and the vehicles came under attack. Roy was the platoon leader and devised a plan providing ‘over watch’ from an empty building as each vehicle safely traveled through the city every 8 hours, adding that it was not really heroic–he was just doing his job.

Towards the end of his service, Roy met and married Sonya. They live in Kernersville and have the blessing of 7 children and 5 grandchildren. When asked how long they have been married, the response was “All day, every day!” The last years of his service were spent in Logistics management and as a Chaplain assistant, an additional duty he volunteered for as it was not an official position.

After retiring from his military career, Roy knew it was time to continue his education. His brother advised him to study something that he already knew…and Roy realized that was the Bible. Roy had always stayed connected to the church and led Bible studies while in the service. This led him to enroll in Divinity School, following the advice his grandfather gave him many years before, “When you get done with the Army, you make sure you get a Bible degree.” That was his way of telling Roy to get a doctorate degree. Roy worked in a couple different states following retirement, eventually procuring a position with High Point University Student Life as he continued to work towards his degree.

When Roy retired from the military, he had heard of Veteran Affairs, but thought it was only for Vietnam Veterans. Five years later, his whole left side went numb. It was only then that he learned that it was for all military branches and remarked that now you get registered before discharge. Roy learned that this would also help with education costs. He holds several degrees, including a Doctor of Ministry in Chaplaincy and a Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition. He realized that his goal was to be with soldiers and is now the Chaplain at the Kernersville VA Medical Center after holding various chaplaincy positions in North Carolina. Roy wanted to be well rounded as a Chaplain and has been involved with Prison Ministry for several years.

What started as a Bible Study with his daughter, family, and friends at his home morphed into someone asking, “Why can’t we have our own church?” Although not Roy’s idea, he says it was clearly God’s plan and is Pastor at the Southeast Church of Christ.

Roy considers Kernersville the perfect community offering the ability to partner with your neighbor, know and help your neighbor, and love your neighbor as God commands. This is something that we should aspire to and take advantage of the setting we are blessed to live in.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent or reflect those of the US Department of Veteran Affairs, the US Department of Defense, or the US Government.