Memorial Day 2012

Chris Billingsley, the soon-to-be-officially-retired Decatur High teacher, sent along these photos of volunteers placing flags and flowers on graves of the known military dead at the Decatur City Cemetery.

He said, "The plan is to pick up the flags and flowers Monday at 7:00 p.m. after the playing of Amazing Grace (or something appropriate) by Mr. Henry Frantz on the bagpipes.  Anyone who would like to volunteer should meet at the Veteran's rock (Church St. Entrance) Monday at 6:00. ...  We hope to have volunteers at all grave sites so that when the music stops, the flags and flowers will be removed and brought back to the Veterans rock. Special thanks to Tony and Dave at Intown Hardware for providing the flags."

Contact Billingsley at cbillingsley@csdecatur.net for more information.

Because many gravestones are old, nobody is exactly sure where all the service men are buried. But Billingsley and Kathy Vogel of the Friends of the Decatur Cemetery have done their best to locate those graves. Here is their list of all military personnel buried in Decatur Cemetery who were killed in action or while in uniform.

1. Allan B. Callaway- Vietnam, Charles Sharman- Vietnam.  Located on the northeast side near Glen Lake Park.   Charles Sharman’s grave ALWAYS has a U.S. and Marine flag present.  Callaway is almost due west of Sharman.

2. Marion Footman- W.W.I.  Past the Veterans rock and the sexton’s house, up the hill on the right.  His grave is a slab next to his parents (three slabs together next to the road).

3. Christopher Daniel Kuzela (Navy, Buried At Sea, 1988), Goodrich Cook White- W.W.II, Benjamin F. Duke- W.W.II.  All three located directly across from the Veteran’s rock.  White’s marble monument is the largest of the three.  Kuzela’s is just east of Whites, a small black stone.  Duke’s is slightly north of White, towards GlenLake Park.

4.  Colton Reynolds Clark Jr.- W.W.II, William Swift Smith- W.W.II, William A Rehm (Rhiems ?)- W.W.II, Joseph G. Woodruff-W.W.II, W. Miller Wallace Jr.-W.W.II, Marion Farrar Jr.-W.W.II,  Guy Bryd Sommerour- W.W.II, _roughton Lee Peacock- Korea,  Henry Grady Roberts (10x24 flat and dark)- W.W.II, “Sgt. Harold W. Mosley, Killed In The Service Of His Country (large white monument with cross on top)- W.W.II, Edward Rutledge Ravenel III- Korea,  Daniel P. Pace (Pace/Ellington,, west of Ravenel, near twin oaks and hollies)- W.W.II, James Lauren Freeman (near Pace, small 8x10 flat stone with bronze plate attached)- W.W.II,  Woolford B. Baker Jr.- W.W.II, Matt Edward Rose- W.W.II.  All are located in a long line in the largest section of the new cemetery.  From the Veteran’s rock, cross the road and walk towards Glen Lake Park.  Cross the loop road and you are in the largest section.  Walk about thirty yards in and slightly east, towards Glendale.  Clark should be the most southern grave, Ravenel the most northern grave (closest to Glen Lake Park), Pace and Freeman the most western, and Rose is on the bisecting road (can’t miss, right on road, beautiful rose-colored marble monument).

Old Cemetery: The CSA soldier I mentioned, Absolom Blevins, is the only one for sure since his stone mentions where and when. Maj. Blevins is buried just on the south side of the Gazebo toward the Commerce Gate.

Forrest Hill - Maj. WWII - 1943 (I believe he is at the base of the Kroger hill, diagonally north from Thomas Holley Chivers and behind the Medlocks on the ring road)--a large more modern stone with some cursive script maybe with Dogwoods?) May not be correct.

David McCalla - Sgt WWII - 1942 (may not be correct) - I think it's in the lot immediately east of Mary Gay.

Andrew Marshall - Prvt. CSA - 1862 (buried, I recall, on the same lot as Capt.. Cox..of the Alston/Cox fame unpleasantness) on the Kroger side of the main road near the first cross road north of the Gazebo.