Thursday, Nov 16, 2006
Over 300 volunteers worked all day on Saturday, November 11th, to prepare 13,000 luminaries to display for visitors on the evening of the national holiday remembering the sacrifices of all veterans. The volunteers came from metro Atlanta and middle and south Georgia to assist park staff with the tribute.
A luminary was prepared for each of the union prisoners and confederate guards who died at Camp Sumter, also known as Andersonville. The luminaries were placed inside the 26 1/2 acre prison site and the hospital site. Outside the prison site, 236 luminaries were placed to represent the confederate guards that also died at the infamous prison. By approximately 5 p.m., all the luminaries were lit. A thunderstorm put all the candles out, but that did not dampen the resolve of the volunteers. Over 100 people quickly went out and lit all the candles again. Visitors drove through the park after dark to see the candles representing those who died.
The park’s first ever luminary was devised and planned by the Friends of Andersonville president, Mark Stibitz. The Friends also paid for all the supplies needed for the project along with meals for the volunteers. Funding was provided by the Andersonville Trust, an endowment fund established by the Friends to support park projects.
Earlier in the day, a procession of 250+ motorcycles came to the park for a Veterans Day observance. Several speakers made presentations about wartime experiences. The program culminated with taps being played by seven different buglers from the northern end of the park to the national cemetery, where the program was being held. This was a part of Bugles Across America’s “Echo Taps” program. Bugles Across America is an organization that plays taps for veterans funerals. This group is supporting a program to play taps in every national cemetery in the nation and those overseas administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Although this was done for Veterans Day, it is planned on a much larger scale for Armed Forces Day on May 19, 2007.
Also, on Veterans Day, former POW Colonel Ben Purcell was at the National POW Museum to sign his book, In Love and Duty.
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