06/03/2026
A Rebuttal to Facebook posts by a Wreaths Across America representative:
COL Patrick Downing, USA (Ret), President and Chairman of the Board, Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort, Foundation, Inc.
NOT TRUE THAT VETERANS AT THE ALABAMA STATE VETERANS MEMORIAL CEMETERY AT SPANISH FORT HAVE NOT BEEN HONORED.
The purpose of this post is to correct false statements that have been made by the local Wreaths Across America representative. A written piece, which was sent to me, which I believe was posted on Facebook, about a lack of honor and respect for our veterans, contains totally incorrect statements and exhibits a complete disregard for Dr. Barry Booth’s contributions to the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort.
Additionally, the statement displays a profound ignorance of all the contributions made by Dr. Booth and Ms. Margaret Coley since the cemetery dedication twelve years ago. Every year since 2013, organized by Margaret Coley and sponsored by the Cemetery Foundation, our veterans interred at the Spanish Fort State Veterans Cemetery have been honored on Memorial Day with a grand commemoration, where the Baldwin County Commission provides a large tent, a stage, chairs, and a sound system. On the Saturday before Memorial Day, Scouts place American flags at every headstone. We also have an honor guard, scouts folding the American flag, Military Order of the Purple Heart placing a wreath, a distinguished guest speaker, and a dove release. Every year before Christmas, a Family Wreath Day is held, again to honor all veterans at our cemetery. For Family Wreath Day, local scouts have placed American flags with small Christmas wreaths attached to them at every headstone. For the last four years, floral Christmas wreaths have been placed at every section of the cemetery along with flags at every headstone. On Family Wreath Day, a ceremony was held in front of the Cemetery Administration Building, which included a clergyman, a distinguished guest speaker, and scouts folding the American flag, with numerous Patriot Guard Riders in attendance. Also, every Veterans Day since the cemetery’s existence, students from St. Paul’s Episcopal School have honored our veterans by placing American flags at every headstone.
In light of the events that I just described that truly honors our veterans at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort, it is “shameful” to assert that our heroes at the cemetery have not been honored at Christmas and also equally “shameful” to contend that a mission to honor our veterans at our veteran’s cemetery “has never been fulfilled”, when, in fact, it has been fulfilled in large measure, thanks to Dr. Barry Booth, Ms. Margaret Coley and the members of the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort Spanish Foundation, Inc.
Patrick H. Downing
Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired)
President and Chairman of the Board,
Alabama State Veterans Memorial
Cemetery at Spanish Fort Foundation, Inc.
