Local veteran gets call from Trump
The president pays tribute to the Exchange Club replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
He picked up the phone and a voice on the other end asked him to “please hold for the president.”
Rome educator and Air Force veteran Bill King said he was so stunned that he actually stood up from his chair — not quite at attention — while waiting to be connected to President Donald Trump.
Somehow, the president got wind of the half-size Tomb of the Unknown Soldier replica that was constructed for the Americanism Committee of the Rome Exchange Club.
“I don’t know if it came through Congressman Tom Graves’ office or from the Society of the Honor Guard,” King said. “The Tomb Guards are working with us on our presentations.”
Trump told King he appreciated the patriotism King and the Exchange Club of Rome are doing through this project.
“It was short and sweet, but I thought it was nice that he went out of his way to do that,” King said.
“I found out from his staff people that he likes to try to call a citizen every day who has been pointed out as being affiliated with something good in this country.”
The replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will be on display at the Visitors Center of the Arlington National Cemetery in mid-May.
King said an effort is now underway to actually take the replica to the White House during its time in Washington. He said he has no idea whether or not Trump would be in the nation’s capital at that time.
“We’ve requested May 15, 16 and 17, which is two years from the date that we laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in honor of us starting the tomb project,” King said.
The replica tomb was first displayed at the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds Memorial Day weekend in 2016.
It now travels the country for special events. King and three or four others travel with it to aid in the set up and take down.
The sponsoring organizations pay solely for the Rome group’s travel expenses.
“We don’t get paid to do it,” King said. “So far none of us have had to pay a penny out of pocket to do this.”
The local group is hopeful that at some point during their trip to Arlington, the replica tomb can be set up next to the real Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for a photo-op to help promote the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which happens in 2021.
King said he is hopeful that retired Tomb Guards can stand guard at the replica while current guard are at the real tomb for the photo-op.
The replica cost the Exchange Club, including the trailer to haul it, about $12,000, most of which came from private donations.