Local Author Randall K. Honey showcases his latest work, The Light of God, on Tuesday on 1st Avenue. Honey, a Jamestown resident and Randolf native, said she has enjoyed writing and crafting stories throughout her life. PJ photo: Christopher Blakeslee

For Randall K. Honey, storytelling and writing are more than just a passion in life; This is a call.

The Jamestown resident, American Legion chaplain, and currently published author has penned a full-length novel titled ‘The Light of God.’

“I have loved writing since I was a kid,” Honey said. “I first realized that I really enjoyed writing when I was eight years old. My dad kept my brother and me home to watch John Glenn go into space. The next day my teacher asked me to remember what I was watching. I couldn’t… I just stammered and stammered, but the next day I wrote down what I watched on TV and my teacher couldn’t believe it. So writing has been a part of my life since my childhood.”

Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth, traveling around the Earth three times in 1962. After retiring from the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), Glenn served as a U.S. Senator for Ohio from 1974 to 1999; He flew into space again in 1998, when he was 77 years old.

Set during the Vietnam War, soldier Dwight David Sinclair struggles with his horrific past and is forced to evade capture by the Viet Cong; At the center of this story is a temporary belief in God. The 188-page novel follows the wartime journey of a soldier who loses his faith but is stunned by a mysterious light that takes him deep into enemy-controlled territory.

According to the book cover, “The Holy Spirit surrounds Dwight David Sinclair’s soul and he desires to become a minister. However, he witnesses a horror that wipes out his faith in God.”

Honey is a freelance writer who has had two short stories published in The Post-Journal. The first story published was in 1995 under the title ‘Spanish War Veterans March in the Spirit of Hope’. The story retells the historic meeting of Teddy Roosevelt’s Roughriders that occurred in Jamestown in 1927. His second work, titled ‘A Tree That Tells a Story’, was published on 8 January 2000 and was a mixture of fact and fiction about the magnificent oak tree that once stood next to the flagpole of Lincoln Primary School.

“I love writing both fiction and nonfiction,” he said. “I enjoy writing and telling a good story.”

But for his latest release, Honey drew on something near and dear to his heart: his fellow veterans.

“When I became chaplain of American Legion Post 181, I was conducting many ministries for World War II veterans,” he said. “Now it seems like all I do is Vietnam War veterans. I must have held around 400 funerals so far. These men and women, these veterans, are a national treasure. All veterans are near and dear to my heart.”

Honey himself served in the United States Marine Corps, serving from 1972-1975, but admittedly never served in or went to Vietnam.

“I have the utmost respect for all veterans,” he said. “But for my book, I really focused on the Vietnam War.”

Honey said he conducted extensive interviews with many Vietnam war veterans as part of his research for his book. He also said that he intensively studied American and French involvement in Vietnam to complete the art of story-making to complete his book.

Honey thanks his wife and several people who pushed him to publish his book.

“I have been married for 39 years and have two children and three grandchildren,” he said. “My wife and family really pushed me to write this book.”

The book The Light of God was officially published this year and will soon be available at local bookstores or online at amazon.com. Email [email protected] for more information.