Discovering History in Huntsville: New App Helps You Find Veterans’ Graves
Huntsville, Alabama is making waves with an innovative new tool designed to pay homage to those who served in the military. Maple Hill Cemetery, the city’s historic resting place for veterans, has launched a user-friendly app that helps visitors locate the graves of veterans, some dating back to the Revolutionary War. This exciting development comes from the hard-working folks at the City’s GIS Department, and it’s sure to enhance the experience for visitors and community organizations honoring these brave individuals.
How Does the App Work?
The new app streamlines the process of finding veterans’ graves, making it easy for anyone looking to pay their respects. In total, it identifies about 2,220 veterans among the approximately 80,000 to 100,000 total individuals laid to rest in the cemetery. Tara Sloan, the City Director of Cemeteries, expressed enthusiasm about the tool. “We appreciate the hard work of the City’s GIS Department in creating this app to honor our veterans,” Sloan stated. “It will certainly help groups place flags and wreaths on veterans’ graves during holidays.”
A Step into the Past
The journey to create this app started in the summer of 2024, with a University of Alabama in Huntsville intern named Will Ford taking the lead. He partnered up with the GIS team to gather crucial data for the app. This involved walking every acre of the cemetery while armed with a GPS device. Ford meticulously logged details like names, birth and death dates, military branches, and the wars in which these individuals fought. Amy Kenum, City GIS Manager, noted the value of this project: “We really enjoyed capturing this information for the history of Huntsville and to honor the City’s veterans.”
More to Come
This app isn’t just a one-off project either! It’s actually part of a larger pilot initiative aimed at developing a comprehensive digital database for all the city’s cemeteries. The goal is clear: expand this tool to include more cemeteries across Huntsville in the future. So, it seems like this digital trend is here to stay!
Community Involvement Encouraged
Families of veterans are encouraged to help with this knowledge gathering process. If you have a loved one whose grave isn’t included in the app, the City welcomes your input. You can simply send an email to MapleHill@HuntsvilleAL.gov to share the information, ensuring that every veteran’s resting place is known and honored.
Accessing the App
This cutting-edge app can be accessed easily, allowing users to filter grave results by military branch or conflict. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone looking to recognize the sacrifices made by our veterans, especially during major holidays like Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Wrapping It Up
In summary, Huntsville is taking a significant step towards honoring its military history with this State-of-the-Art app that enhances the experience of visiting Maple Hill Cemetery. By combining technology with a reverence for history, the City has created a way for future generations to connect with the sacrifices made by those who served. So, if you’re in town or planning to visit, don’t forget to explore this new tool and pay your respects to our veterans!
