DAR to sponsor visiting Tomb of the Unknown Soldier replica
Published 6:00 pm Friday, March 5, 2021
- The Exchange Club of Rome, Ga., maintains a half-scale replica of the Tomb of the Unknowns. The traveling replica will be on display in Moultrie 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 29.
MOULTRIE, Ga. — John Benning Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution has arranged to have a traveling replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier visit Moultrie on Monday, March 29. This event is co-sponsored by the City of Moultrie and the Colquitt County Board of Commissioners.
The replica will be at the Colquitt County Courthouse from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The exhibit is presented in honor of Vietnam veterans on Vietnam Veterans Day as part of the national observance of the 50th Commemoration of the Vietnam War, the local DAR chapter said in a press release. It is also a commemorative event for the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
“Most Americans will never have the opportunity to visit the monument in Arlington,” said Nancy Coleman, commemorative events chair for the John Benning chapter. “This traveling exhibit will allow local residents to get a feel for the monument of America’s most sacred ground.”
The Tomb in Arlington, Va., includes the remains of unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Remains of the Vietnam soldier originally interred in 1984 were identified using DNA in 1998 and were returned to his family to be interred elsewhere.
Etched in the monument are the words, “Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God.”
This half-scale traveling replica is maintained by the Exchange Club of Rome, Ga., who has partnered with the Society of the Honor Guard of The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to help educate citizens about the Tomb and each of the Unknown Soldiers buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
Exchange Club members will be available all day to explain the various components of the Tomb.
“This is a great opportunity for the local residents, especially the youth, to get a feel for the sacrifices that many have made for our freedom and the life Americans enjoy,” said John Benning Regent Jean Gay.
In keeping with the traditions of The Tomb, an opening ceremony will include civic organizations laying wreaths at the replica. Groups interested in participating should contact NancyColemanDAR@windstream.net.
More details about the replica and the opening ceremony will be announced in the weeks ahead. Following Covid protocols, masks and social distancing will be required.
