Established in 1886, the cemetery currently holds more than 5,000 graves of veterans, along with some of their families.
The initial view of the cemetery is somewhat overwhelming, as the similar gravestones stretch out over several acres.
The statue, which used to be at the crux of the Maltese Cross design, is fascinating as it refers to the Civil War as the "rebellion." It's rare to see this anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line.
Major wars are represented including the Spanish-American War.
Many tombstones are without dates, many with out of state origins, and others with just a name, which begs questions about their life stories.
World War I, II, Korea, and Vietnam.
We were surprised by tombstones representing the Dragoons and the Cold War.
And yes, the born again...
Women are sometimes grouped together and other times scattered throughout, but many appear without any information.
There's a Medal of Honor winner buried here, Franklin Wilcox, honored for his part in the 1865 assault on Fort Fisher, North Carolina during the Civil War.
We found a Purple Heart recipient.
Only relevant for "It's a Wonderful Life" fans, we found Harry Bailey's grave -
and also Bertha Bailey who died in 1944.
And apparently reservations can be made.
We hope that someone, somewhere knows who these people were, how they lived, how they died, and what their lives meant to others. RIP.
No comments:
Post a Comment