Military Veterans Hall of Fame finds home in Atlanta

In its third year of operation, the Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame has found a location in Atlanta to call home.

The board of directors for the Hall of Fame, the Georgia Department of Veterans Service and the Georgia Building Authority agreed in June to establish the initial location for the nonprofit organization in the Floyd Veterans Memorial Building on the state capitol grounds.

“This is a dream come true,” said retired Army Col. Paul Longgrear, founder and director of the Hall of Fame. “We are actually going to be located on the grounds where all the war memorials are located at the state capitol.”

The organization was formed in February 2013 to recognize some of the more than 770,000 Georgia military veterans who have contributed greatly to the United States while serving on active duty or in a reserve component.

Located on the second floor of the building, the Hall of Fame will be set up similar to the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, where photos of Rangers are placed on the wall with information on the soldier’s contributions. The Atlanta location has enough room to recognize veterans for about 15 years.

Longgrear of Pine Mountain, Ga., said the Atlanta location will always be there but there are no restrictions on having other locations to recognize Georgia veterans.

“It’s not the final location but it will be there from now on,” he said.

The organization is hoping to have locations in other parts of the state.

“We are hoping to have them all over the state because this is honoring the veterans,” Longgrear said. “Some people don’t come to Atlanta.”

Thirty-four veterans have been recognized during the organization’s first two years of operation. About 15 veterans are expected to be inducted during a 6 p.m. Nov. 7 banquet in Columbus at the St. Luke Ministry Center, 301 11th St.

Nominations for the 2015 class are accepted until Aug. 28. A veteran may be recognized for valor, achievement and service. Requirements for nominees include honorably discharged from military service, born or entered the military from the state of Georgia or has lived in the state for 10 continuous years.

Tickets for the banquet are $55 per person and may be purchased through the www.gmvhof.org website by using PayPal.

Donations also are accepted for the recognition. They may be mailed to Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame, P.O. Box 475, Pine Mountain, GA 31822.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 8:25 PM with the headline "Military Veterans Hall of Fame finds home in Atlanta."