Windsor Connecticut – Grace Church World War II Roll of Honor

History and Location

No one can confirm for sure, but The World War II Honor Roll for Grace Episcopal Church is thought to be a blank template document that the Episcopal Diocese sent to the local parishes as a way to bolster patriotic and spiritual pride during the war effort.  There is no date attached but it is estimated the document was started about 1942. It contains many symbolic Christian images along with the names of the Grace Episcopal Church parishioners who were serving during World War II. The names are not alphabetical. They were added as men or women entered service.

The Honor Roll is located in the Great Hall of Grace Episcopal Church at 311 Broad Street, Windsor, Connecticut.

 

Our Roll of Honor

 

Transcriptions

Across the Top

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE GONE

TO SERVE OUR FLAG & COUNTRY BY LAND AND SEA AND AIR

The ribbon folds show the Anglican cross which  refers to the Church of England where the roots of the Episcopal Church come from. The laurel wreath is center, which  is a symbol of victory and honor. The oak leaves adorning the ribbon are talked more about below.

NAMES

Second Column

SYMBOLS

The Helmet of Salvation and the Breastplate of Righteousness

The Helmet of Salvation and The Breastplate of Righteousness describes the Armor of God from the Bible:

 Isaiah 59:17

He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself and The Helmet of Salvation in a cloak of zeal.

God, resolving to appear as a man of war, puts on his armor. He calls righteousness his breast-plate to show the justness of his cause and also his faithfulness in making good His promises.

The helmet is to defend the head which is the fountain of knowledge and wisdom. By this piece of armor, God would have us to know that He, without fail, will carry out what needs to be done.

The Shield of Faith

Shield of Faith describes the overall protection of being a Christian.

Ephesians 6:16 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The Sword of the Spirit

Sword of the Spirit symbolizes the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 

The Sword of the Spirit is said to be the one offensive weapon Christians have. It is the Holy Spirit, or God, that defines us all.

Belt of Truth and Gospel of Peace

Ephesians 6:14

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.

This is to say that the truth is like a belt. It keeps everything together and steady. The sandled feet with wings represent spreading the gospel of peace.

Oak Leaves

There are oak leaves as a border and intertwined throughout the symbols in the document. Oak trees are strong and solid and mature slowly. Using them symbolizes that great power and strength can be achieved through patience and faith. In the Bible, different variety of oaks were associated with strength and long life. They also symbolize, humble beginnings, faith, power and endurance.

 

*Author note: Interpretations of the symbols were researched using The Book of Common Prayer, BibleHub.com and articles regarding Christian images. The conclusions above are my own. 

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I am participating in the Honor Roll Project of Heather Wilkinson Rojo – the purpose is to photograph and transcribe Veteran names for family research. Heather’s Blog can be found at Honor Roll Project.