Young and old remember veterans at Macon's Linwood Cemetery

Naomi Austin relied on her cane as she walked with her sister a couple blocks to Linwood Cemetery Wednesday morning.

The 83-year-old widow made the trek through the Pleasant Hill neighborhood to honor two special men in her life.

"It's important because my husband was a veteran and my son is a veteran," Austin said. "I thank the Lord they brought 'em back safely."

Kim Landers' number didn't come up during the Vietnam War draft.

"I was lucky, but if I had been born a few days earlier ...," said Landers, who pays annual tribute to those who served.

"I'm here every year because this is where Rodney Davis is buried," Landers said, speaking of Macon's only Medal of Honor winner.

The sacrifice of Sgt. Rodney Davis, who threw himself on a grenade to save others in Vietnam, also drew Greg Davis from Warner Robins.

"Even now I'm getting filled with emotion," he said, talking about his first trip to the monument. "That's the ultimate sacrifice, the Medal of Honor."

The Macon Cemetery Preservation Corporation organized the Veterans Day tribute off Walnut Street and hosts the annual cleanup this weekend.

Davis' legacy also includes a memorial scholarship funded through the efforts of the Marine brothers from across the country whom the Macon native protected from the deadly blast.

Friday afternoon, representatives will be in Macon to present nearly $12,680 to the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. They raised the money in a sporting clay shoot and auction in Pennsylvania in late September.

Nicholas Warr, treasurer of the 1/5 Veterans Association in Flat Rock, North Carolina, said Middle Georgians can help with the effort by attending the Rock N' Soul Sgt. Davis benefit on the First Friday in February at the Tubman African American Museum at the corner of Cherry and Fifth streets.

Even sooner, people can invest some sweat equity in Davis' honor by helping clean up the historic cemetery Saturday.

The 1/5 Veterans group is gathering at 8 a.m. sharp to begin work.

"For all of you who do show up (it's hard work, but a lot of fun and we guarantee you will get dirty!), lunch is on us," Warr wrote in a letter promoting the cleanup.

In Wednesday's warm sunshine, retired Army Master Sgt. Donald Collier Sr. encouraged everyone to honor veterans all year long and pay attention to their emotional and physical scars.

The Macon native was happy to see some young faces in the crowd.

"I find it just marvelous that you bring your kids with you so that they can see what service and sacrifice means, so they can hear what it means to serve," Collier told the audience of about four dozen people.

He encouraged parents to teach children about the sacrifices of history.

On the edge of the crowd, 8-year-old Kyle Hicks stood with a basket of mints.

Each candy was tied with a "thank you" card.

The Vineville Academy third-grader took time out from class to honor veterans as a community service project.

"I decided to come here and give thanks to all the veterans that served in the Army or the military," Kyle said in between passing out mints. "That they sacrificed their lives to keep us safe."

At another event Wednesday, state Sen. David Lucas, D-Macon, urged veterans to take action as they face potential cuts in benefits.

Veterans of all ages need to make sure politicians understand the power they hold, he said during a Veterans Day Lunch hosted by the Macon-Bibb branch of the NAACP.

"Your voice has to be heard, and one way it can be heard is by you exercising your right to vote," Lucas said.

This is the third year that the NAACP has hosted the luncheon, which was held at the Buck Melton Community Center.

"We wanted to show our appreciation for the dedication and commitment the veterans have given to our country," said Gwen Westbrooks, president of the local chapter.

Telegraph writer Stanley Dunlap contributed to this report. To contact Liz Fabian, call 744-4303 and follow her on Twitter@liz_lines.

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Young and old remember veterans at Macon's Linwood Cemetery ."