Nelson Receives VFW Community Service Award
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VFW Post 4100 Quartermaster Mickell Dunn reported a year-long project to place bronze foot markers at veterans’ graves is almost complete.
WATER VALLEY – Members of the VFW Post 4100 presented a community service award to Virgil Nelson, owner of Southern Stone Group. The recognition comes after Nelson donated marble pieces that are used as a base for bronze foot markers placed at veterans’ graves. Post 4100 Quartermaster Mickell reported that the donated marble has expedited the installation of a dozen markers at graves in cemeteries in Yalobusha County and surrounding areas.
“We got a call about a year ago from Seven Oaks about the bronze foot markers that the military provides for veterans,” Dunn said.
The grave markers are provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for eligible military veterans who had a military funeral. Dunn explained that often times families members of the deceased veterans install the markers and the VFW project was launched to place the remaining markers. Prior to the Nelson’s donation, Dunn had constructed a concrete form and poured concrete to use as the base for each foot marker.
“We had been working on the getting the markers installed, but it took a lot of time and effort to build the concrete bases,” Dunn explained. “We went to other cemeteries and saw that they were placing the foot markers on a marble base.”
That prompted the VFW to reach out to Nelson, who was happy to donate marble for the project.
Dunn reported that markers have been placed at Oak Hill Cemetery for Vernon Chambers, Jimmy Overby, Buford Adams and Claude Hales, Jr. A marker for Harry Caldwell was placed at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Markers for Johnny Lowe and Roy Hughes were placed at Camp Ground Cemetery. Others include a marker for Willie Wilder at Pine Crest Cemetery, one for Raymond Dickey at Bethel Cemetery, one for Tommy Baker at First United Pentecostal Cemetery, one for Kenneth Fernandez at College Hill Cemetery, one for Dewey Ramsey at Pine Flat Cemetery and one for Sylvester Holland at Pine Grove Cemetery.
Dunn reported he has a few more markers to place including one for Joseph Martin at a cemetery in Itta Bena, one for Bernard Goodnight at Hopewell Cemetery, another for Oscar Hair at Bethlehem Cemetery and a marker for Hilliard Griffin Jones at Elam Cemetery.
“We are still looking for a few of these grave sites. Sometimes is can take several hours to search a cemetery to find the grave,” Dunn explained.
