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Mississippi World War II Veterans Memorial Highway Dedication Ceremony held Wednesday, September 24 at Calvary Baptist Church in Braxton.
Highway 49 in Simpson County has been designated the “Mississippi World War II Veterans Memorial Highway” by House Bill 1208, which was passed in the 2018 Session of the Mississippi Legislature.
The bill was proposed by Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson while he was serving as state representative for District 77.
Speaking at the dedication ceremony on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, Gipson told the crowd, “This was the last bill I passed as a legislator.”
The dedication ceremony featured remarks by Southern Transportation Commissioner Tom King, Mayor John Henry Berry, Commissioner Gipson, Major General Jason D. Durr and Mr. George Mitchell, who served in the 8th Air Force during World War II.
Mayor Berry spoke the crowd, reminding them of D’Lo’s distinction as the town that sent the most citizens to the war per capita of any town or city in the United States, a fact that was featured in Life magazine in July of 1942. 150 of the town’s men fought in the war, which was 38% of the population.
That legacy of sacrifice and patriotism inspired Gipson to pursue the bill, which honors not just the veterans of D’Lo but all of the men and women from Mississippi who served during the war.
One of those men, George Mitchell, spoke to the crowd, sharing memories of his time as part of the Air Force, both during training and while stationed in England. He was one of dozens of veterans in attendance at the ceremony.
Mitchell told the crowd that, at first, he volunteered but was told he had to wait to be drafted, which he was. After various rounds of training, he was sent to England where he began flying missions into Germany, including a memorable mission to the city of Berlin.
In addition to Mitchell, Major General Jason D. Durr, the Adjutant General of Mississippi, spoke, reminding attendees of the fact that many National Guard are currently serving overseas. He emphasized that fact that for every individual deployed, a community of family and friends is affected.
The patriotic atmosphere of the event, which was held at Calvary Baptist Church in Braxton, was only amplified by the addition of students who led in the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem.
Mrs. Easterling’s 5th Grade Class from Simpson Academy led the Pledge of Allegiance, while students from the Mendenhall High School band, led by Mark Hudson, played the National Anthem and “Taps.”
The event closed with a benediction by Albert White, District 7 Engineer for the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and was followed by a lunch for those in attendance.
New markers for the Mississippi World War II Veterans Memorial Highway can be seen along Highway 49 in Simpson County.
