FORT KNOX, Ky. – It was a Memorial Day the last time the Wise boys visited Pitts Point Cemetery with their father where many of their family members are laid to rest.
This visit came more than five decades later.
“We were back here 51 years ago with our dad,” said Vietnam veteran Lon Wise. He was 22 years old at the time, and youngest brother Michael was just 13. They grew up in Lebanon Junction, a few miles down the road from the cemetery.
John Wise traveled from New Mexico for the experience. He said he also came last year in hopes of visiting the site on the 50-year anniversary of when he and he brothers were last there with their father, however COVID-19 stood in the way.
After discovering the back entrance to the cemeteries were closed last year due to the pandemic, John said he was determined to make this year’s brotherly reunion happen.
“I’m old enough now to appreciate it,” said John. “It’s pretty amazing to say, ‘There’s my grandfather right there.’”
The many Wises buried at Pitts Point represent only a fraction of the brothers’ extended family laid to rest on the installation.
“We have 17 relatives back here,” said John. “Our grandfather’s name is John Alonzo Wise, and our great-grandfather is Thomas Greenberry Wise. His wife Mary’s grandfather James is buried over in Fort Knox cemetery #36, in Hargan Cemetery.
“[James] was a Revolutionary War Soldier. He emigrated from Ireland as a 16-year-old [after] his parents died. He had two younger sisters and they got on a ship, came to this country and he joined the colonial militia.”
The brothers’ niece Cecilia, who also joined them at the cemetery, referred to her uncles as “the five Wise-men.” Only four were able to attend the Memorial Day gathering due to the eldest needing knee surgery. John explained that even though his one brother and five sisters weren’t able to be there, he felt the strong presence of family all around him.
“It feels eerie. My ancestors were out here earning a living two centuries ago,” said John.
While he, Lon and Michael had all walked the grounds together in the 1970s, it was the first time brother Pat had ever stepped foot in Pitts Point. All four shared the same sentiment about this year’s extraordinary experience.
“It’s a dream come true,” said John. “I’ve been wanting to do this for so many years now.”
The Wises took their time studying each grave site, noting the individual family members. As the men quietly took in the reverence of being surrounded by their heritage, John pointed out their great-grandmother’s headstone.
With the family all gathered around her grave, Cecilia’s voice echoed through the trees: “Thank you, Mammaw.”
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