Visions 2015 Rockdale News Special Section | Página 6

visionary

The Vision Behind

the Memorial
Written by Bud Sosebee when he was nearing the end of his 12-year
run as a Rockdale County Commissioner in 2000. Sosebee passed
away at the age of 90 on March 29, 2015. He lived to see his dream of
the Walk of Heroes Veterans Memorial started but not completed.
The educational center at the memorial and other phases remain.

M

ore than 50 years have passed since I
served in the 69th Infantry Division of
the First Army during World War II,
but the images of combat remain vivid to me today. Most men and women who have served our
country in a time of war will forever recall the
horrific details of their own personal experiences in battle. The close calls, the lost friends, the
struggle to succeed and survive a mission under
the most adverse conditions imaginable have left
scars that will remain with me for a lifetime.
But serving in wartime left me with much more than these
painful memories. It gave rise to a renewed appreciation for
the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. Not once since
returning to our nation’s soil have I taken for granted the privileges of our democracy. Not only do I cherish the freedom to
speak my mind, to worship at my church and to participate in
the election process, but I have also learned to appreciate the
‘little things’ that make the American lifestyle what it is today.
I have grown to value the ability to partake in even the most
ordinary activities of daily life in our society, such as driving a
car, earning a paycheck, vacationing with my family and even
turning on the television.
It is this appreciation for all that contributes to our quality
of life that I want to impart upon the youth of today through
the development of a memorial that honors human courage
and sacrifice without glorifying war.
The objective of the project is not only to provide a peaceful
place for healing and paying homage to our veterans, but also
to provide an educational tool through which we can teach
our young people about the human costs that were involved in
making this country great. I believe it is critical to our future
for our youth to understand that the lifestyle they enjoy was
bought through the sacrifices of those who came before them.
6 ROCKDALENEWS.COM l Visions 2015

Unless they comprehend this, they will never fully appreciate
and value the freedoms that they have.
I would wish upon no one my own wartime experiences. I
do wish, however, that all future generations would learn to
cherish, as I have, all that it means to be a citizen of the United
States of America. When we learn to cherish our freedoms,
we learn to treat them with respect—to nurture and protect
them. And, I can’t think of a better way to pay homage to our
veterans. RN

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