By Kaitlin Hoskins, News Editor
American Legion Post 71 is asking Etowah County families to help ensure the sacrifices of the county’s fallen service members are remembered for generations to come.
The post is accepting submissions for its Veterans Honor Wall, a permanent tribute dedicated to Etowah County service members who were killed in action. Veterans from any conflict are eligible to be included, provided they were from Etowah County.
There is no cost for families to have their loved one’s name added to the Honor Wall. The project is being funded by American Legion Post 71, although donations to help support the effort are welcomed.
To submit a veteran for inclusion, families are asked to provide the service member’s name, branch of military service, birth date and date of death. There is no deadline for submissions, and the post plans to continue accepting names indefinitely as new information becomes available.
Once completed, families will be invited to visit the post and view the plaques honoring their loved ones.
In addition to the Honor Wall, Post 71 Historian Ken Davis has assembled an extensive historical archive documenting every Etowah County service member known to have been killed in the line of duty. Davis has spent countless hours researching and organizing the information into a series of binders, each dedicated to a specific war or military conflict.
Within each binder, veterans are arranged alphabetically, with every page preserved in protective document sleeves. The files contain detailed information about each service member, including where they were killed in action, where they are buried, military service history, medals and honors received, and other available historical information. Davis continues to research and add new names and records as additional information is discovered, making the collection an ongoing labor of remembrance and historical preservation.
“I want generations to come to be able to learn about these veterans and know the sacrifice they made,” Davis said. “Younger generations don’t know a lot, if anything, about these wars and why these people died.”
Davis has created the wooden plaques for the project by hand. The plaques are made of high-quality, cabinet-grade plywood. The Vietnam veteran and carpenter has created items like this for the post before. He previously made plaques to display former Post 71 leaders.
The Honor Wall and accompanying historical records reflect the post’s commitment to ensuring the stories of Etowah County’s fallen service members are not forgotten and remain accessible to future generations.
Hunter Phillips, the post’s sergeant-at-arms, said Post 71 is also looking to welcome new members. Any local military veteran is eligible to join the American Legion and participate in the organization’s efforts to support veterans, preserve military history and serve the community.
American Legion Post 71 meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at the Etowah County Fairgrounds. Veterans interested in joining, families wishing to submit a fallen service member for the Honor Wall, or those interested in supporting the project through donations are encouraged to attend a meeting and learn more.
