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On Tuesday on 1st Street, local writer Randall K. Honey shows off his latest work, “The Light of God.” Honey, a Jamestown resident and Randolph native, said he has enjoyed writing and writing stories all his life. Photo by PJ Christopher Blakeslee

For Randall K. Honey, storytelling and writing are more than just a passion in life—it’s a calling.

The Jamestown resident, American Legion chaplain and now published author has written a full-length novel called “The Light of God.”

“I’ve loved writing since I was a child,” Honey said. “I first noticed that I liked writing when I was eight years old. My father left my brother and me at 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 stuttered and stuttered, but the next day I wrote what I saw on TV and my teacher couldn’t believe it. So, writing has been a part of my life since I was a child.”

Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth, orbiting it three times in 1962. Following his retirement from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Glenn served as a U.S. Senator from Ohio from 1974 to 1999; in 1998 he flew into space again at the age of 77.

The action takes place during the Vietnam War. As soldier Dwight David Sinclair struggles with his horrific past and must evade capture by the Viet Cong, his fleeting faith in God is central to the story. The 188-page novel follows the journey of a combat soldier during war who has lost his faith but is engulfed by a mysterious light that leads him deep into enemy-controlled territory.

According to the book cover, “The Holy Spirit envelops the soul of Dwight David Sinclair, and he longs to become a minister. But he witnesses horror that erases his faith in God.”

Honey was a freelance writer who published two stories in The Post-Journal. The first story published in 1995 was entitled “The Spirit of Hope of Spanish War Veterans Marches On.” The story retells the historic reunion of Teddy Roosevelt’s Roughriders in Jamestown in 1927. His second work, “The Tree That Told the Story,” was published on January 8, 2000, and is a mixture of fact and fiction about the magnificent oak tree that once stood near the flagpole at Lincoln Elementary School.

“I enjoy writing both fiction and non-fiction,” he said. “I just like to write and tell good stories.”

However, in his latest post, Honey tapped into something very near and dear to his heart—fellow veterans.

“When I became chaplain of American Legion Post 181, I conducted many services for World War II veterans,” he said. “Now it seems like all I do is Vietnam vets. So far I have conducted about 400 funerals. These men and women, these veterans, are national treasures. All veterans are dear to my heart.”

Honey is himself a US Navy veteran, having served from 1972-1975, but by his own admission he never served or was in Vietnam.

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

Honey said he interviewed many Vietnam combat veterans in detail as part of the research for his book. He also said that he studied intensively the American and French involvement in Vietnam to complete his art of storytelling and complete his book.

Honey credits his wife and several others for pushing him to publish the book.

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

The Light of God was officially published this year and will soon be available in local bookstores or on amazon.com. For more information, email [email protected].