Remembering the Fallen Heroes

May 31, Memorial Day.  A day to remember and honor those in uniform who gave their lives in service to our country. It was a special day for me. My son and his wife were here, so with my daughter and her husband and my mother we set off to Magnolia Cemetery in downtown Mobile, where both the National Cemetery and Confederate Rest contain the war dead from the War of 1812 through Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Magnolia Cemetery is a very interesting place. It was established by a municipal ordinance in 1836. At that time it was outside the city limits. Originally built on 36 acres, it's now in the heart of downtown Mobile, but has grown to cover 120 acres, and is the site of over 80,000 graves.

Originally called the New Burial Ground, the name was officially changed to Magnolia Cemetery in 1867.  It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

In addition to the 6,000 veterans who are buried here, Magnolia Cemetery also contains the graves of Mobile's two Jewish congregations.

This section is known as Confederate Rest, and contains the graves of those who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.