By Ethan Smith, Contributing writer
With Veterans Day Wednesday, Nov. 11 it is important to remember our veterans and everything they have done for our country. The village of Goldonna was able do that Sunday when they had their own ceremony. Larry McGee is the man with the initiative to put the whole thing together.
McGee came in possession of a plaque that was in the hallways of the old Goldonna High School long ago. Since the school was demolished in 1979, the whereabouts of this plaque was unknown for nearly 35 years, until it was found at the town dump around 2014-15.
It came into McGee’s hands when he saw it at Charles Cloud’s collection auction last year. On this plaque were the names of the Goldonna Area Veterans who served in WW2.
Magee and his nephew, WW2 enthusiast Lonnie Scarborough, believed this plaque was made in the mid to late 1940s, giving it an age of roughly 70 years old. Magee felt the need to put the plaque back where it belonged in the Village of Goldonna. It will hang in the Town Hall, the same location of the ceremony.
The program consisted of Goldonna Mayor Jennifer Smith presenting opening remarks and Pastor Timmy Harris opening in prayer. McGee told the story of the history of the plaque, then Scarborough told a little history of the town’s military relevance in his life. He also brought many types of WW2 memorabilia.
The plaque was unveiled by Scarborough and McGee’s daughter, Leanne, who also read the names on the plaque. The ceremony had many Goldonnians in attendance, but most impactful, there were four Goldonna WW2 veterans attending, and they all happened to sit at the same table.
An unbelievable amount of Goldonna history was so impactful to see. Some of the veterans said they noticed names and relatives on the plaque, which shows just how big a deal this item means to the Village of Goldonna.
