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Group honors veterans in Pine Log Cemetery

The Jonesboro Sun - 10/14/2017

BROOKLAND - After the death of her friend Larry Davidson, Christine Moore decided to build a memorial pavilion for him at the Pine Log Cemetery, a place where he volunteered often and was eventually buried.

"My friend Larry wanted to do a little project for the Pine Log Cemetery because it survives on contributions only, and it has to have the money come in to be maintained," Moore said. "On Aug. 27, 2013, he passed away. I waited as long as I could before I contacted Suzette [Davidson, his wife]. I told her Larry and I had been planning on doing something for Pine Log Cemetery, and I asked how she felt about doing a memorial for him by bringing in about $500 for the cemetery as a one-time thing. The fundraiser was very successful, so we decided we wanted to make a pavilion."

Since the pavilion's completion in 2016, Moore and the rest of the Larry Davidson Memorial Group has decided to take on more projects, including the soon-to-be-finished Veteran's Garden program.

Moore is driven by connections, she said. Along with her friend and fellow Larry Davidson Memorial Group member Ted Mabry, Moore has had several family members and friends go to war.

"My dad went to war at 17 during World War II," Mabry said. "When you think of what the veterans gave up on foreign soils, it might have been against their conscious. My dad didn't like killing. He came out of the service with alcoholism. I remember the day when he quit drinking, too. War took a toll on him, like it does for all soldiers, and I think anyone who risks that for our freedom and our country should be honored."

The Veterans Garden, while currently a slab of concrete, will eventually hold three large flag poles hoisting the American flag, the Arkansas flag and a flag displaying all the branches of the military. Two six-foot tall granite obelisks will stand in the middle of the slab, transcribed with the names of veterans.

"It doesn't matter where they're from or when they fought," Moore said. "It can go all the way back to the Indian Wars or further. If they are a veteran who fought for our freedom, from our country, we want to give the chance to honor them. They can be there in peacetime. If they ever served our country in the military, we want to honor them."

The granite monument honors living veterans as well as those who have passed away, Moore said, which is why they named it a Veteran's Garden rather than a veteran's memorial.

In order to add names to the obelisk, people should call Moore at 870-926-7191 or Suzette Davidson at 870-930-4619. The etching costs $50.

Suzette Davidson and her family play a large role in the Larry Davidson Memorial Group, and she said she loves the opportunity to honor the soldiers just as she honored her husband.

"The pavilion sits in the perfect spot at the top of the hill," Suzette Davidson said. "There is always a breeze, and it overlooks a clearing where you can see deer in the afternoon. [To have Larry Davidson honored with the pavilion] was magnificent. .... My husband and his brothers and father and my uncle were veterans. It means so much when you know someone to see them honored in such a way."

The group continues to do fundraisers to pay for their projects, and they will host a supper and drawing after the unveiling to fund the Veteran's Garden. The chili and stew supper will cost $8 for adults and $4 for children for an all-you-can eat ticket.

The group will also draw a name for one of Suzette Davidson's American themed quilts or a Golden Boy rifle. A $1 donation equates to one entry, and a $20 entry equates to 25 entries. In order to enter the drawing, contact Moore or Suzette Davidson.

There will also be a hayride and other family-oriented events.

After the completion of the Veteran's Garden, the group hopes to purchase grave markers for currently unmarked graves, Moore said. The group has been collecting information about who is buried where and hopes to properly memorialize their resting place.

The unveiling of the garden will take place on Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. It is erected beside the Pine Log Church at the top of the hill of the cemetery.