Flame of Freedom
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia
Marker Inscription
Flame of Freedom // American Legion Valdosta Post No. 13 // A gift to Valdosta and Lowndes County in memory of the veterans of all wars // Robert H. Haze, commander // Dedicated Veterans Day November 11, 1969
The Story
In the years after World War II, Korea, and amid Vietnam, American Legion posts across the country raised memorials to honor those who had served, and Valdosta's Post No. 13 was no exception. Dedicated on Veterans Day in 1969 as a gift to the city and Lowndes County, the Flame of Freedom stands not for a single battle but for the veterans of every American war. Its eternal-flame motif — popular in mid-century civic memorials — was meant as a perpetual reminder of sacrifice, a fixture of small-town South Georgia's public square.
Why it matters
It reflects the postwar tradition of communities memorializing all their veterans collectively rather than any one conflict, a civic ritual that knit local identity to national service across generations.
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Related people
- · Robert H. Haze
Themes & tags
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