"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
- G.K. Chesterton (1911)
G.K. #Chesterton penned this famous quote 111 years ago this month in the Illustrated London News. Although he wrote these words while in his homeland of #England, approximately 3,600 miles from #Chautauqua Lake, we know this same love - but for our country and our community - compelled men and women from Fluvanna and throughout the area to fight for our freedom.
In honor of their sacrifice, the Fluvanna Historical Society (#FCHS), in conjunction with the Fluvanna Cemetery Association (#FCA), is chronicling the lives and military service of #veterans buried in the Fluvanna #graveyard or connected with the community.
Research Focus:
There are nine wars and armed conflicts currently the focus of research for this project:
War of 1812 (1812-1815)
Civil War (1861-1865)
Spanish-American War (1898)
Mexican Border War (1910-1919)
World War I (1914-1918)
World War II (1941-1945)
Korean War (1950-1953)
Vietnam War (1965-1975)
Gulf War (1990-1991)
Over the course of the coming months, FCHS and FCA researchers will document and gather evidence to locate the graves in the Fluvanna Cemetery of the men and women who served in any of the armed conflicts listed above. They will also note the burial sites for veterans purportedly laid to rest in Fluvanna or otherwise from Fluvanna, but actually buried at other locations. Finally, this project will chronicle the life and service of each #veteran to give a fuller picture of their place and dedication to our community.
How You Can Help:
We need your help and that of the entire community to complete this project:
Send us info. on any person you know buried in the Fluvanna Cemetery who served in the armed forces. This includes pictures, stories, documents and any other records or details you may have about these veterans;
Post in the comments below or send us stories, pictures, etc. about the military veterans in your life or connected with Fluvanna (whether or not they are alive or buried in our #cemetery). We would love to hear more about their stories;
Share this post so we can reach as many people and uncover as much information as possible about military veterans connected with our community. It's easy ... just click on the Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn icons below. In the same row, you can also click the "link" icon (🔗), copy and share the address to this post with others via email, Instagram or even in a letter.
All information is welcome.
Additionally, FCHS and FCA know of five Civil War veterans buried in the Fluvanna Cemetery, but much more information is needed regarding these men in order to better understand their stories. If anyone has any information regarding the following soldiers, please contact us: William M. Callahan, Arthur Leary, Clark C. Turner, Rinus Dickinson Turner and Niles T. Warner.
How to Contact Us:
You can send us information two ways:
Post information, questions, comments below in the 'Comment' section so everyone can read and discuss what you have to share with us. You can even post pictures and videos! Just sign-in using your Facebook or Google log-in information (or sign-in using your email address);
Send us an email by clicking the button below or emailing Research@FluvannaHistory.com
The more information we receive the better we'll be able to understand the unique stories of each veteran, their families and this place they loved so much and called home.
Good article and explanation! This would be a great way for high school students to do community service for their school credits. Be sure to “re-post” this article on ALL of your social media apps! And once again, Thank You for your support! (if you do not know how to post this on your social media drop us a note and we will try to explain it for you and to you…