Memorial Day in Canton, Georgia

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About a year and a half ago, I rode through Canton, Georgia with a friend and neighbor on our way to Old Car City. As we passed the Georgia National Cemetery he asked if I minded taking a brief detour. Knowing he was a Vietnam Veteran and wanting to see this relatively new memorial, I gladly complied. The entrance road winds through about a mile of natural forest before you come to the second, and real, entrance to the cemetery.

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We stopped at the welcome center and he went inside for a few minutes. When he came back out, we rode around and stopped at several of the massive fields full of markers. After a while, I realized he was looking for something specific. It was then that he showed me the piece of paper where he had written down the names of his fallen comrades from his time in the service.

We spent about an hour driving and walking through the beautiful grounds paying respects to fallen soldiers from World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and the War on Terror. It was sobering to see just how many stones there were and how much room they had left for future growth. The 775-acre national cemetery will serve veterans for the next 50 years. 

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At capacity, the cemetery will have 33,000 full-casket gravesites, 3,000 in-ground sites for cremation remains and 3,000  columbaria niches for cremation remains.

We continued on our way and had a nice time photographing old cars in White, Georgia, then later that day returned home. 

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Last week, I was in the area again on a different task and stopped by the cemetery again, this time with my wife. I have been to and photographed several veterans cemeteries around the country, but this was her first. As my friend did in 2019, I stopped by the visitor's center and inquired about a certain grave. 

With my little paper in hand, we proceeded to drive around looking for the right place. She was in speechless awe at the sight of all of those grave markers. 

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Finally, I found the grave of the friend I had visited there with just 18 months ago. He had succumbed to a long battle with Leukemia and was interned there just a few weeks prior. Goodbye old friend and thank you for your service.

The Georgia National Cemetery is located on Hwy 20 just a few miles west of Canton, Georgia and is open for visitation every day from sunrise to sunset. Office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, excepting federal holidays. 

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"May we never forget our fallen comrades. Freedom isn't free." ~Sgt. Major Bill Paxton

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." ~John F. Kennedy

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