There was a formal dedication ceremony on Thursday, July 8 for the new bell tower at the Tallahassee National Cemetery. The tower, as tall as a 4-story building, was funded totally by donations.
The $100,000 edifice plays "taps" every evening at sunset.
It can also be programmed to play the anthem for every branch of America's armed forces.
Master of ceremonies at the dedication was local AMVETS Post 1776 Commander Gordon Lightfoot who worked tirelessly for years to bring the project to fruition.
"The skies parted, we had a great crowd, great figures were well represented: Major Haynes is an icon here," he exclained after the ceremony.
That was a reference to keynote speaker Major John Haynes, chair emeritus of the Florida Veterans Foundation, who fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The Tallahassee National Cemetery, first opened in 2014, will ultimately be the final resting place for tens-of-thousands of military veterans.
