Wall of Honor dedicated to veterans

What began five years ago as a distant dream for Joanne Mulvaney became a touching reality on Tuesday afternoon.

The official dedication of the Veterans Wall of Honor at Heritage Park in McDonough was the culmination of a vision Mulvaney first shared with her dying father, a World War II veteran.

It was Joseph Consalvo who pushed his daughter into expanding the honor to all veterans, not just those from the World War II-era. Consalvo died in 2004.

His daughter’s dream, made reality by $250,000 in donations, grants and fund raisers, brought about 1,000 people — including many veterans — to the pristine park to hear a number of state, local and national leaders praise the veterans for their service and sense of duty.

“We’re all truly in the presence of heroes today,” said U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland.

Other elected officials included Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, several state senators and the Henry County Board of Commissioners.

“It’s a completely overwhelming moment,” said Mulvaney, a Navy veteran herself.

The 45-minute ceremony included a Black Hawk helicopter flyover and the singing of several patriotic songs.

Nestled on 2.5 acres that state Sen John Douglas labeled as “sacred ground,” the Veterans Wall of Honor is a grand wall with laser-etched battle scenes from each of America’s wars, with quotes elaborating on the price of freedom.

Vietnam veteran Tommy Clack said he hoped the Wall of Honor would help educate the public better about the deeper significance of Veterans Day.

“Most people know what veterans are,” he said. “Most people don’t know what Nov. 11 is.”