Chattanooga Is Home

I decided that in honor of today’s holiday, Memorial Day, I would spend some time honoring our veterans at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. I have driven past it several times, but had never been inside the gates.

One of the sights I really wanted to see was the sea of American flags planted at every single grave site in the cemetery. 1800 local boy scout and girl scout troops spent Saturday morning placing the 40,000 flags around the 120.9 acres, in honor of those who fought for our country and freedom. As I expected, the sight was overwhelming with the number of flags and the beauty of the landscape they were placed on.

The cemetery was established in 1867 and designed by Chaplain Thomas B. Van Horne to “harmonize with the landscape.” A Self-Guided Historical Tour Through Chattanooga National Cemetery is a booklet that you can pick up from the cemetery office. It was published by Conner Byers as his Eagle Project. Byers notes on page 2 that Chaplain Van Horne wrote, “Where nature suggested avenues, they have been made, and their curves define the section.” There are 57 sections laid out on the grounds, where cars can drive the perimeter and up the the Memorial Circle of Honor flag pole. A lake with fountains are the back drop to the Memorial Arch and Armed Forces Pavilion.

The natural beauty of the cemetery lends itself to contemplation and memory. I was there today and overwhelmed by the thousands of graves before me. Graves of men and women who died serving our country. I contemplated their sacrifice and what it meant to me. And all around me were memories of loved ones who have gone before us.

I spent time at the grave of Corporal Everett Coyle, the father of my Uncle Steve. Others at the cemetery were there to remember their own loved ones. While I was there, a crowd was gathering to prepare for the funeral of Pfc. Travis Haslip, a solider who grew up in Ooletwah, Tennessee and died May 19th in Baghdad.

If you go to the cemetery to visit the grave of someone you know, you can use the kiosk at the main office to search for the grave location. Or if you want to go straight to the section of the cemetery where the grave is located, you can go to this online grave locator for the section and plot number. It was very easy to do. You just click on “grave locator” on the main screen. Then you type in the full or partial last name of the veteran. And then you choose a name from the list that appears and it takes you to a screen with the name, military information, and location in the cemetery. Click the “print map” button and the map will print below the kiosk. It gives a complete map of the park and has the veteran’s name and grave location beneath it.

There are historical reasons to visit the cemetery as well. From the limestone caves to the Andrew Raiders Monument, from the 5,059 unknown Civil War Union soldiers to the 108 WWII international POWs interned at the National Cemetery, there is something around every curve in the road to remind you of the history of the cemetery and our country.

I spent the day remembering and contemplating. My father will be returning from Afghanistan sometime this week. I am so excited to have him back in our country soon. But I know that not every family will have that kind of reunion. And I am glad the Chattanooga has a National Cemetery to memorialize our loved ones and countrymen in this way.

[tags]Chattanooga, Chattanooga National Cemetery, Memorial Day, Chattanooga Memorial Day[/tags]