Local business owners, Post 123 are there for those who served
Enlisting in the military is a transformative commitment — yielding discipline, camaraderie and a profound sense of duty. Those who have served are often connected by a desire to serve their communities.
“It's a family place. You know, we're all here to have a good time and enjoy each other's company,” Jennifer Berry said, co-owner of Soldier of the Sea Distillery.
Veteran owners of two area businesses, Soldier of the Sea Distillery in Comer and A&B Emporium in Crawford, both highlighted the value of community and helping one's neighbor as a driving force of their establishments — driven by lessons learned during their military service.
“We want to support the community as much as veterans. We like to see veterans do better than what they’re doing currently,” said Bret Williamson, who co-owns A&B Emporium. “In this community, it’s a small community, and we like to just help out as much as we can.”
Soldier of the Sea Distillery
Settled just outside the Oglethorpe County line in Comer is whiskey distillery Soldier of the Sea Distillery, run by a Marine veteran, pollinator enthusiast, and a distillery cat named Eclipse.
Mark Davis and Jennifer Berry, a research professional at University of Georgia’s Honey Bee Lab, opened the distillery in December 2022.
With Berry’s background, being pollinator-friendly business and spreading that mission is half of the core of SOS Distillery.
The other half of their mission is to honor veterans.
Davis said he was 17 when he enlisted.
“I had the opportunity to serve on sea duty with the U.S. Marines,” Davis said. “And that, over decades later, started the Sea Duty label that I have to honor.”
Davis traveled in the Mediterranean and North Africa with a Marine detachment and served in artillery and as an aerial observer during Desert Storm while in the reserves.
“Half the mission is for honoring us veterans,” Davis said. “And I have a product that honors those who served at sea and those that served on land, and those in the air. And there is not one for each branch of the service, but for the job that you did. I didn't want to have 15 different kinds of whiskey.”
The products of the couple’s Military Line honor those who have served at sea with Sea Duty whiskey, on land with Sword & Saber bourbon and in the air through all their products, as each military branch has an air division.
Within 4,000 square feet, Davis and Berry produce their own recipes with local and regional ingredients. Everything they can’t make comes from manufacturers inside the U.S.
With help from Eclipse, they keep a critter-free distillery that is open to everyone.
“We age it here, we bottle it here, we do everything here,” Davis said.
Serving the community is at the heart of what Davis and Berry do.
“It's all about helping your neighbor and the community,” Davis said.
A&B Emporium
The owners of A&B Emporium, a veteran-owned business in downtown Crawford, share the same sentiments as Davis and Berry.
Bret and Alice Williamson’s business began from their love of yard sales. They would go out on a Saturday afternoon with $100 to spend on whatever they could find.
“And before we knew it, we had so much stuff,” Alice said. “We were both retired; we had enough stuff to start a store. So, that’s what we did.”
Alice is a Vietnam veteran who served for six years, and her husband, Bret, served for four years as a storekeeper supplying equipment aboard the ships.
“We do help people. We work closely with the first responders, we help them out,” Alice said. “They come in here, we give them clothes or whatever they need to get going.”
Alice, along with co-owning A&B, is trained as an emergency medical responder for the county and runs the Oglethorpe County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
“Nowadays, people are paying more attention (to veterans),” Bret said. “And, it just feels right to help.”
Sharing their stories
Although not a traditional business, the American Legion, which was founded in 1918, is the largest veteran organization in the U.S.. Oglethorpe County’s James T. Rayle American Legion Post 123 is at 106 Comer Road in Lexington.
Home to any Legion member and veteran, Post 123 has fostered a home within the community and has been a place to build lasting relationships through shared stories.
“Being able to share your experiences with other veterans, and feel comfortable, is a great thing,” said Debbie Furbish, Post 123’s 1st Jr. Vice Commander.
The American Legion is not only an institution that brings together veterans, but an organization that hosts events to bring veteran families together with the community.
“I am so thankful for everyone I’ve met through the Legion and in my service,” Furbish said. “I’ve had some really great and fun times.”