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Read The Names: Memorial Walls Honor Veterans In Walnut Hill, Century
November 11, 2008
Two memorial walls in North Escambia stand as tributes to veterans from across the area. One is in Walnut Hill, the other in Century.
For photographs that include the names on both the Century and Walnut Hill memorial walls, click here.
Century
About thirty of those that served from the Century area are now honored on the Century Veteran’s Wall of Honor that was unveiled in the Fourth of July ceremony at Century’s Roadside Park on Highway 29.
A few new names were added just this week, according to Century Mayor Freddie McCall. For more information about adding a name to the wall, call the Town Hall at (850) 256-3208
Walnut Hill
The largest such memorial in the North Escambia area, the Veteran’s Honor Wall has stood in front of the Walnut Hill Community Center since its dedication in 2003. There are currently 274 names on the wall, including 13 names of soldiers killed in action. The wall honors those from the Walnut Hill area that have served in the nation’s military.
The Walnut Hill Ruritan Club began planning the wall in late 2001, and they decided that it would be a community project at no cost to the veterans listed.
“If you a veteran, you deserve to be there,” Walnut Hill Ruritan Club President Billy R. Ward said. “You’ve already paid you debt; we wanted this wall to honor the veterans.”
The idea originated with Leroy Wiggins back in late 2001, Ward said, after he saw a picture of a similar Ruritan wall in Virginia in a national magazine.
The club formed two committees, headed up by Billy G. Ward and Wiggins to research construction of the wall and the list of name to be included.
Billy R. Ward began to engrave the names with an antique machine the club purchased off the internet, and there were 220 names on the wall when it was dedicated in 2003. He spent a lot of time on the project, even visiting the Wall South Memorial in Pensacola to get an idea what size the letters on the plaques should be.
On the Walnut Hill Veteran’s Honor Wall, everyone is equal. It was decided that no service rank would be include on the name plaques, just the branch and years of service.
The Walnut Hill Veteran’s Wall is located in front of the community center at 7850 Highway 97.
If you know a veteran from the Walnut Hill area (including Bratt, Davisville, Oak Grove and Enon) that should be included on the honor wall, call Billy R. Ward at (850) 256-2907. Or mail the veteran’s name, address, city, state, phone, branch of service, dates of service and your name and phone number to: Walnut Hill Ruritan Club, P.O. Box 35, Walnut Hill, FL 32568.
Comments
3 Responses to “Read The Names: Memorial Walls Honor Veterans In Walnut Hill, Century”
Thank you so much for publishing information about the veterans wall, and thanks to the men who went to so much trouble to honor those same veterans, and most of all, thank you to all the veterans who have served. Freedom is not free. My dad was R. J. Lucas, Jr. I just entered the information about his service in World War II. He was born and reared in Bay Springs. I went with him to one of his Walnut Hill High School reunions. I was a teenager. Thank you all again. Letty Jean Lucas Parrish, Summerville, SC
There is another “Wall of Honor” at the Barrineau Park Community Center. It features anyone who served in any branch of the military who are from the surrounding area. There are over 80 photos currently on the wall with more coming in each day. There are photos of folks who served in WW1. A special place is reserved for those who were killed in action.
Thanks Mr Ward and Mr. Wiggins for your efforts in establishing the tribute to area veterans. Although my name is not on the wall I have a greater feeling of pride in our community when I look at the list of people who fought so that we can enjoy our way of life safely.