By Brian Livingston
The conference room at the Mississippi State University Extension Experimental Station on Hwy. 80 between Hickory and Newton Tuesday morning filled up quickly.
Prominent in the swelling mass of people were veterans from past conflicts representing their Veterans of Foreign Wars or American Legion posts. These are men who are living pieces of America who have fought to protect her freedoms. Men, like WW II Army veteran Vernon Gibbs and Vietnam veteran Sam Thornton, who are ardent supporters of the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery but for different reasons.
"I'm probably going to be buried here," said Thornton, 62, who is the vice-commander of VFW Post 89 in Newton County. "This is something I believe veterans deserve."
Gibbs, of Newton, who is about to receive the Legion of Merit from France for his service with the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division in Italy and France said he has his grave arrangements already made but added this memorial cemetery is a wonderful thing for other veterans who wish to take advantage of it.
"I know a lot of vets who have been talking about this and are changing their plans," said Gibbs. "I can see where they would want to change their minds."
Frank Salvas, who is the director of the Veteran's Affairs Grant Service from Washington, D.C., was on hand to present the $6.9 million check to Mississippi Veteran's Memorial Cemetery Director Randy Reeves and retired Mississippi Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Jo Leslie, who is the chairperson for the State Veteran's Affairs Board. Salvas has been extremely impressed with just how much Mississippians care about their veterans and showing them the kind of honor and respect they deserve.
"You have worked very hard to secure a place where veterans can be laid to rest in hallowed ground, a place of honor and respect," Salvas told the crowd. "This will be a shrine to those who have served our country and I'm proud to be a part of it."
The cemetery will be located on 75 acres on the site just off I-20 and will be visible from the Interstate. The cemetery will serve all eligible U.S. veterans and is currently projected to begin construction later this fall. It is slated to open for internments in the spring of 2011. There will be 5,000 internment plots in Phase I. The cost of the first phase will involve, in addition to other facets of the cemetery, the preparation of the land and the construction of the administrative, ceremonial and maintenance buildings.
Reeves said this was a momentous moment for the cemetery and the veterans and their families.
"This is indeed another milestone we have reached and very soon the real work will begin," Reeves said.
A long list of state and federal legislators have been in support of the cemetery and Dist. 78 State Rep. Billy Nicholson is one of them. After the ceremony of presenting the check marking the beginning of yet another chapter of the cemetery, Nicholson said there is really no way to fully thank veterans for all they've given us throughout the history of our country.
"I am honored just to be a part of this," Nicholson said. "It is a great day for the vets and I'm very proud for them."
Leslie recalled for the crowd when conversations for the "Arlington Cemetery of the South" were first discussed in the conference room of the State Veterans Affairs Board. She related how she'd look longingly at this piece of ground wishing it would become theirs.
"When people wondered why I would want 75 acres of land, they would look at me like I was out of my mind," she said. "Now it all makes sense."
The official ground breaking for the cemetery is expected in October. Construction for Phase I should be completed in approximately 18 months. Mid-State Contractors from Jackson won the bid for construction.
