Local Veteran Given Official Headstone After 92 Years - Gainesville, TX - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

The story is written in such a way that it's fairly obvious that this was a television story, but the accompanying video is nowhere to be found. Should this link go dead, a copy of the story is available from me upon request. It reads:

By Dara Downs
Posted: Sun 12:27 AM, Jun 13, 2010

GAINESVILLE, TX -- Lt. Edward B. Sullivan was the first Cooke County soldier to die in WWI, but for decades, his grave remained unmarked. Now after 92 years, he's finally being honored and remembered with an official headstone. Dara Downs reports.

An official gun salute and the playing of taps filled the Fairview Cemetery Saturday morning to remember a fallen soldier who died in a fiery plane crash almost a century ago.

"It was a tragic activity that occurred in Ardmore. The Ardmore home guard had participated in the funeral in Gainesville, and the city of Gainesville had literally shut down to honor this man who died in the crash," said local historian Tom Carson.

Lt. Sullivan received a heroes burial on July 8, 1918, but because of improper records, his grave has gone unmarked. Carson discovered Lt. Sullivan's story while researching something else and made it his mission to honor the veteran with a proper headstone.

"This man now after ninety-two years, someone can walk by and know that they lived, had accomplishments, and a family that loved them. Now people will know that they were doing something for their country that was important at the time and still is today," said Carson.

The VFW Post 122, fellow veterans and members of the community attended the memorial ceremony.

Cooke County Judge John Roane says he has a special appreciation for all of those who have served their country, but as an aviator himself, he fells a close tie to Lt. Sullivan.

"To actually acknowledge the fact and to have a headstone in his honor here, where his father is also buried, I'm sure must mean a lot to him," said Roane.

Lt. Sullivan's headstone stands next to two other veterans, although cemetery records do not say where in Fairview the Lieutenant is actually buried.

Now his headstone will serve as a reminder for generations to come of the ultimate sacrifice the soldier gave for his country.

Carson says while researching Lt. Sullivan's story, he came across four other Cooke County veterans who do not have headstones. Carson says he plans to honor them with proper memorials as well.

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QDV notes:

Historian, teacher, and author Ron Melugin remembered Lieutenant Sullivan, and he has a listing for him in his book, "Heroes, Scoundrels, and Angels". The book is an excellent guide to this cemetery, and on page 87, it provides some background as to what happened. Lieutenant Sullivan and a mechanic, Edward C. Doyle, encountered a stiff wind during takeoff from Electric Park in Ardmore, OK, and their plane nose-dived from about a hundred feet, bursting into flames upon impact and killing both men.

"The Gainesville Register" eulogized him: "He did some of the most daring flying ever seen here...He was utterly fearless and his only wish no doubt would have been that he might have gone to his death fighting the Huns." On the day of the funeral, the mayor of Gainesville requested that businesses and banks close between 9 AM and 10:30 AM to pay respect to Sullivan, a local boy. Sergeant Doyle was buried in Fort Meigs Cemetery, Perrysburg, OH.

Type of publication: Television When was the article reported?: 06/13/2010 Publication: KXII - Channel 12 - Sherman, TX Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: local News Category: Society/People

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