Spring Cemetery Tour recalls area history

By Dina McKainApril 12, 2019

Spring Cemetery Tour recalls area history
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Fort Stewart Cemetery and Historical Communities Council hosted the installation's spring cemetery tour, April 4.

Nearly fifty participants visited five of the installation's sixty cemeteries, with stops at Cypress Slash, Trinity, Parker-Sapp, Todds, Bragg, and Dreggars cemeteries.

Some of the attendees lived on the land before the government turned it into a military installation. The land on Fort Stewart was purchased by Congress in 1940 to build an anti-aircraft training facility in preparation for World War II.

The Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield garrison commander, Col. Jason Wolter and the garrison senior enlisted leader, Command Sgt. Maj. Rebecca Myers, greeted participants and thanked the former residents and their descendants for their continued support of Soldiers and their Families.

Pat Young, a public affairs representative and history enthusiast, noted while narrating the tour - while the mission has changed on Fort Stewart, the area has always been home to heroes. He pointed out individuals have been living in the areas since the creation of Fort Argyle in 1736 - built to help protect the fledgling town of Savannah.

Cultural historian and archaeologist, Brian Greer, from the Fort Stewart Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division provided detail information regarding each of the stops and background for many of the families who lived in the area.

Larry Carlisle, Fort Stewart Fish and Wildlife, was also on-hand to briefs community members regarding the land/wildlife management on the installation. He said several threatened species benefited from the installation programs such as the red cockaded woodpecker, gopher tortoise and the eastern indigo snake.

Fort Stewart holds two cemetery tours a year on behalf of the Cemetery and Historical Communities Council in April and November. Follow the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Facebook page for information on the next event at https://www.facebook.com/FortStewartHunterArmyAirfield/

Contributing author Pat Young, Fort Stewart Public Affairs.