A PLACE OF HONOR
Fort Oglethorpe park formally dedicated
The crowd could not have asked for a more perfect day for the dedication of “Honor Park: A Tribute to Those Who Serve” in Fort Oglethorpe. And there was a crowd. People were parking up to half a mile from the park and taking shuttle golf carts to the Nov. 9 dedication.
The sky was sunny and a light breeze rustled turning leaves as the temperature hovered around 60 degrees. As befitting such an occasion, the park was speckled throughout with men and women in uniform.
But Honor Park, says its founder, Fort Oglethorpe council member Paula Stinnett, is a place to honor everyone — those who serve and have served in the military, as well as first responders and
others. “The park honors every branch of the military and first responders,” says Stinnett. “But it also honors people like teachers and others who work to make their community better.”
The day of the dedication, the park, located on Cleburn Street, just off Shelby Street, looked a far cry from the swamp it started out as. The grounds are now lush with grass. Gardens created and maintained by the Gold Star Wives and other groups and citizens border the walkway and wrap around the single building on the property.
Flag-adorned decorative lampposts donated by North Georgia Electric Membership Corporation line the walkway opposite a creek and pocket gardens. Close to the middle of the park is a Missing Man Monument donated by Rolling Thunder TN II.
Commemorative pavers dot the edges of grassy areas. Young trees that belong to the weeping class are planted throughout the park and 30 crepe myrtles line the far edges of the park.
Dedication day began with a Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce ribboncutting, followed by a solemn march from one end of the park to the other by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 203
and the Alhambra Scottish Highlander Bagpipes. Four members of VVA 203 christened the park’s 30-foot flag pole, donated by IBEW, by raising an American flag to the top for the first time.
The next and equally solemn ceremony was the Killed in Action Table by Rolling Thunder TN II.
Father Richard Wise from St. Gerard’s Catholic Church offered a blessing of the park.
Navy and Army veteran Jerry Haymons, who is also chairman of the Fort Oglethorpe Veteran & Citizen Committee that planned and oversees the park, talked about the meaning of the park and recognized Stinnett for her vision and hard work.
The keynote speaker for the dedication was Ret. Rear Admiral Noah Long, vice president of design and construction on the board of trustees for the Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga. Long told the audience that around 40 million Americans have served in the armed services since the American Revolution. Of those, 1.7 million sacrificed their lives in service and another 10 million were wounded, he said. He spoke about the importance of teaching children to love their country and about how the park would help do that.
Stinnett took time to acknowledge the contributions of numerous other people. She recognized the members of the Fort Oglethorpe Veteran & Citizen Committee: Jerry Haymons, Garry Barley, Frank Donato, and Emily Marr-davis. She recognized the Gilbert-davis family who originally donated the park land to the city. Stinnnett recognized Marvin Garner of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, who worked with her five years ago to write the proclamation that made Fort Oglethorpe a Purple Heart City.
Stinnett also acknowledged Nancy Lovingood, state of Georgia arborist, who worked with her for over a year to earn the designation of Tree City U.S.A. for Fort Oglethorpe.
The dedication wrapped up with a special guest, singer James Rogers, who debuted a new song he wrote about Fort Oglethorpe. The song was appropriately called “My Hometown” by the man who grew up in the city and comes back to visit often. Stinnett says she plans to make a motion at the next City Council meeting to make Rogers’ song the theme song of the city.
Tamara Wolk is a reporter for The Catoosa County News in Ringgold, Ga., and Walker County Messenger in Lafayette, Ga.