The reason I turned off the interstate was a sign I have been seeing for several years, on my monthly trips to Chattanooga. Pointing to the east, beckoning me to veer off and go to the Veteran's Cemetery. I did not remember that the VA is responsible for the care and maintenance, operations of National Cemeteries where any person who has been in service to our country can be interred. I was reminded of that when my friend and I went over to Ft. Mitchell, to walk on Memorial Day, enjoying the cool morning air, and hundreds and hundreds of little American flags.
A combination of time on my hands, and the knowledge of a fairly new VA-operated cemetery caused me to get out the map, and exit the interstate. It was pleasant day, pretty drive through the countryside. There are, as we all read about in paper/media, veterans from WWII departing at a fast clip, so I expect the crews at all the National Cemeteries stay busy doing their work.
This cemetery is designed in a big loop, with grave sites in cleared grassy areas along the inner and outer perimeter of the circle. (Actually similar to what we saw on Memorial Day at Ft. Mitchell, AL.)I would guess there are possibly already two thousand markers in place, along with a place for ashes to be interred (columbarium?) in little niches in rows, and a 'scattering garden', with about fifty markers, provided by the VA as memorials. Upon entry, there was a sign indicating where visitors attending the three funerals scheduled for that afternoon should line up their vehicles out there in different lanes. Where in the peaceful woods of north Georgia, on June 6, 2014, seventy years post-Normandy invasion, more were going in the ground.
I got out and walked around a bit, through one of the sections of graves, markers neatly aligned in perfect formation, that appeared to be full, having reached the maximum number of internments planned for that particular site. There were other people I saw, out there amongst the little granite markers, standing in perfect rows. Symmetry in the cemetery. Apparently visiting loved ones on that day of reflection and remembrance.
As I made the third time around the loop, probably about a mile in circumference, I noticed a bronze memorial near the flag, flying at half-mast. Stopped to read it, and discovered the land the veterans occupy there in the north GA hills: over 750 acres - was donated by the developer Scott Hudgens. I did not know much about him, other than wealth due to property in the metro area. But he was a WWII veteran, on the beach at Normandy, in most of the major battles of ETO, before he came back to make his millions investing in developing real estate in Atlanta.
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