The Cookeville-Putnam County NAACP Branch is partnering with Wreaths Across America once again to honor local fallen African-American veterans.
Branch President Tom Savage said this is the third year that the partnership will place wreaths and a flag on the graves of fallen African American veterans throughout the Upper Cumberland.
“When you are in war, you know, the color of skin goes at the door,” Savage said. “But it seems as though after we got back from the war as a veteran, we forgot the patriots that participated in the war as we settle back into just being a civilian.”
A ceremony will be held at Buck Cemetery in Cookeville at 11:30am this Saturday. Savage said he hopes people who attend the ceremony think about why it has taken so long to honor them, and also think about how great local leaders are for ensuring the African American cemeteries are taken care of.
Wreaths and flags will also be displayed at Davis Cemetery and Lee Cemetery in White County, and Free Hill Cemetery in Clay County.
Savage said honoring fallen African American veterans has been long overdue. Savage after the World War II victory, African American soldiers did not have the same treatment as white soldiers.
“There were parades all across America, and that kicked off the baby boomers and everything,” Savage said. “And so African Americans did not participate in that at all. They were not honored for their service. And so to reflect and go back and catch up and come forward is the right thing to do.”
Savage said World War I and World War II African American veterans experienced Jim Crow Laws while serving in the military. Savage said African American veterans were prohibited from serving in specialist roles and were only allowed to serve as cooks, custodians, and infantry. Savage is a Navy veteran, and he said, fortunately, his experience was different.
“All of the other rates and specialties were open to me, but it seems as though that was post Jim Crow itself,” Savage said. “So I didn’t experience it, but we know that we stand on the shoulders of so many black veterans that did.”
There are still some graves that have not been sponsored yet at Buck Cemetery and Free Hill Cemetery. Each sponsor is $17 a piece.