Troop 270 helps decorate graves at Andersonville
Published 8:18 am Tuesday, May 28, 2024
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By Britt Brinson
Cordele Boy Scout Troop 270 joined a couple of hundred other Scouts, and just regular people, to help place flags on the graves of over 20,000 veterans of America’s armed forces during the annual Memorial Day Flag Placement ceremony at Andersonville National Cemetery on Saturday, May 25, 2024.
Every grave is decorated with an American flag, except for the six ringleaders of a group of Union soldiers from the Civil War, called the Raiders, that preyed on their fellow prisoners. Confederate Captain Henry Wirz armed a group of prisoners known as the Regulators with clubs and allowed them to round up the Raiders and try them. The six ringleaders were hanged and buried separately from the rest of the prisoners.
The Troop has made the trek to the Cemetery in Macon County every year, except for 2020, since at least 2009. Starting at 9:00 in the morning, the group was finished in about an hour. Afterwards, everyone was treated to a meal of grilled hotdogs, chips, beans, cookies, and drinks by the Dixie Crows.
Troop 270 Scouts who participated in the event were Simon Baker, Jacob Frost, and Jensen Wade. They were joined by Scoutmaster John Frost, Assistant Scoutmaster Britt Brinson, Charter Organization Representative David Wade, and Troop Committee Members Gene and Nicole Baker. Their daughter, Doni Rae also helped.
Cordele Boy Scout Troop 270 is chartered by the Cordele Kiwanis Club and meets each Monday evening, 6:30-8:00 at the Historic Cordele Boy Scout Hut, located at 1101 South 3rd Street in Cordele. If you know of a young man, ages 11-17 who might like to “Live Scouting’s Adventure” or might benefit from the leadership and service opportunities offered by the Scout program, please bring him to the Historic Cordele Boy Scout Hut on Monday evening.
Due to inclement weather, Troop 270’s annual Memorial Day Flag Retirement Ceremony could not be held on May 27. It has been postponed until Monday, June 3. The public is cordially invited to attend. The ceremony will begin at 6:30 pm at the Historic Cordele Boy Scout Hut.