The Habersham Education and Research organization sets out to find and preserve the history of Habersham County, whether those pieces of history are photos, documents, newspaper articles or life stories. The organization has several projects, like a collection of Habersham homecoming queen photos dating back to the 1940s, and a podcast sharing the stories of well-known community members. Right now, the organization is working on a new project to preserve history: a virtual wall of honor.
“I went down to the [Habersham] Wall of Honor and I was in awe of just how many people served our country in Habersham county,” Habersham Education and Research President Peter Madruga tells Now Habersham. “And as I was looking at the wall, I wondered, I wish these people’s stories could be told. And then it hit me, they can.”
The volunteer-run organization is in the process of compiling the names and branches of all those on the Wall of Honor in Cornelia for their Virtual Veterans Wall of Honor. The database has a space for the photo and biography of each veteran.
“When people stop talking about history, it’s forgotten,” Madruga says. “But these people will feel remembered. Other people who would want to know about the veterans can read about them and really appreciate what they’ve done for us to serve our country.”
With more than 6,000 names dating back as far as the American Revolution on the wall, finding the name of a loved one, or your own, can be a daunting task. Habersham Research and Education has not only made the database searchable, but includes the location on the wall for each name. With the virtual wall, those who want to find the name of a veteran on the Habersham Veterans Wall of Honor can do so with ease.
The organization plans to have the entirety of the wall digitized by the end of the week, but they can’t record the stories of the veterans without the help of their community. “Their story is waiting to be told,” Madruga says. “And we can’t wait to read it.”
To submit a photo and/or bio for a veteran, email Habersham Education and Research at [email protected].
