ATLANTA – State Representative Jimmy Pruett (R-Eastman) served as Governor Sonny Perdue’s official representative at the Memorial Day ceremony held at the Marietta National Cemetery on Monday, May 31, 2010. During the event, hosted by the National Memorial Day Association of Georgia and The Avenue of Flags, Representative Pruett gave the Governor’s proclamation, as Governor Perdue was unable to attend.
“I was honored to give the Governor’s proclamation at one of our state’s largest Memorial Day ceremonies,” said Representative Pruett. “The annual ceremony held at the Marietta National Cemetery honors the thousands of military veterans who give their lives for our country’s freedom and are now buried in the cemetery. The event was a solemn time of reflection and an opportunity to pay tribute to those solders who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. It was humbling to see thousands gathered to honor those brave men and women.”
For more than a half century a ceremony has occurred every Memorial Day at Marietta National Cemetery to honor those who served and gave their life for our country’s freedom. On the Saturday before Memorial Day, the Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts of America and Brownies placed flags beside every grave in the cemetery. The Memorial Day ceremony featured patriotic music, posting of the colors, prayers, a gun salute and guest speaker Army Lt. General Russel Honore.
Marietta National Cemetery was established in 1866 to provide a suitable resting place for American soldiers. It is considered to be the most ornate and elaborate national cemetery of its era. Standing at a little over 23 acres, the cemetery is the final resting place for more than 10,000 veterans from 23 states. Among those laid to rest in this historic site are Medal of Honor recipients Corporal Lee Hugh Phillips and Private Dennis Buckley.
Marietta National Cemetery also contains one of five monumental masonry archways that originally served as the formal entrance to national cemeteries found in the South. The other memorial arches are found at Arlington National Cemetery, Vicksburg National Cemetery, Chattanooga National Cemetery, and Nashville National Cemetery. Marietta National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1998.
Editor’s Note: A picture of Representative Pruett at the Marietta National Cemetery has been attached for your convenience.
# # #
Representative Jimmy Pruett represents the citizens of District 144, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, and Wilcox Counties and portions of Ben Hill and Pulaski Counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2006, and serves as one of Governor Perdue’s Floor Leaders. He currently serves on the Appropriations, Children & Youth, Economic Development & Tourism, and Industrial Relations Committees. He can be reached at Jimmy.Pruett@house.ga.gov or 404-651-7737.