Memorial Day Ceremony
Park Hill Cemetery
Chapel of the Pines Mausoleum
4161 Macon Road, Columbus, GA 31907
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning all U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. This holiday has local roots; the National Cemetery Administration (a division of the Department of Veterans Affairs) credits Mary Ann Williams of the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia with originating the idea of an annual date to decorate the graves of Civil War veterans with flowers.
The Coweta Falls Chapter, NSSAR, Memorial Day Ceremony will be held in the Chapel of the Pines Mausoleum at Park Hill Cemetery. This will be our 21st year hosting this event, which is held in conjunction with Park Hill Cemetery. Speakers this year will be MG(R) Patrick Donahoe and Mayor Skip Henderson. Local groups will place wreaths to honor those who died in war. Special music will be provided. Please come and join us on this day, set aside by our nation, to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
MG(R) Donahoe retired from the U.S. Army in 2022; he was serving as commanding general of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning. His 30-plus-year career included assignments in the continental U.S., Germany, Bosnia, Kuwait, and the Republic of Korea. He served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He holds a bachelor’s in history and English from Villanova, a Master of Military Science degree from the American Military University, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. He served as a National Security Fellow at Harvard University‘s Kennedy School.
Mayor B. H. “Skip” Henderson, III, was born in Columbus, Georgia, graduated from Columbus High School, and attended University of Georgia and Columbus College. He is the son of a U.S. Army veteran. He has been active in the government of Columbus for many years, first as a City Councilman, then as mayor. Other community service includes serving as chair of vital organizations such as the Better Business Bureau, March of Dimes, the Kiwanis Club, and other boards and authorities. Mayor Henderson is completing his second term as mayor.
Please attend and honor those who gave their all.