'Greatest I have ever known': NAACP, Friends of Maple Grove honor veterans in ceremony

Nov. 13—The Richmond-Madison County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Friends of Maple Grove Cemetery commemorated and celebrated military service personnel on Veterans Day at the Maple Grove Cemetery on East Main Street in Richmond.

This year's program included a wreath-laying ceremony at the gravesite of a Buffalo soldier and a Tuskegee airman. Additionally, military service flags were dedicated.

The wind blew leaves from the trees and flapped through the flags as they were raised by both a military veteran and a Madison Central ROTC member. All five service flags were raised and dedicated to the melody of their branch's song.

Participants of the flag dedication included SSG Marilyn Martin, Henry Turpin, CPT John Shearer Jr., SFC Roger Hinton, Gary Noland, SFC Aaron Milton and John Stone.

Remarks were also given before the wreath-laying ceremonies on behalf of family and loved ones of several of the fallen who received a wreath.

The grandson of Frank D. Walker, a Tuskegee Airman buried in the cemetery, spoke about his grandfather's service. In addition, Walker is the namesake of the street near Maple Grove, and has his picture painted as a mural on the Richmond Branch of the Madison County Library.

"He was a man of few words," Steve Ballew said of his grandfather. "And what he said, he meant. He was one of the greatest men I have ever known."

Walker, who passed away in 2013 at age 93, grew up in Richmond and was a graduate of Richmond High School.

After his graduation in 1938, Walker attended the West Virginia Institution for Technology for two years until the war began.

According to a previous Register article, as a part of his service during WWII as a Tuskegee airmen, Walker flew many missions in Europe until he was sent back home after suffering burns to his body when a P-47 he piloted caught fire.

Upon his return to the commonwealth and the city of Richmond, he continued to serve by becoming Richmond's first African American mail carrier — and did so for 32 years.

In addition, Walker conducted masonry on the side, was an avid chess player, fly fisherman and mathematician.

He thanked the two organizations for their efforts to host the event, and recognize veterans such as his grandfather.

"I can't tell you all how much this means to my family," he said.

Wreath-laying ceremony participants included SFC Martin Bryant, Felicia Shearer, Jamilla Stevenson, Peron Harris, Ben Price, Arthur Morgan, Charles Walker, and Tim Vinegar.

In addition to Walker, Buffalo soldier Private Robert Ballard was honored with a wreath.

It was not until recently the Friends of Maple Grove non-profit, who maintains the cemetery, was made aware of his historic remains. According to Judy Greene-Baker, the president of the organization, the Madison County Historical Society helped the group with his history.

Ballard was born in Kentucky in 1855 to Lewis and Mary Jane Ballard. He enlisted in the military in September 1872 at the age of 17. Active from 1866 to 1951, Buffalo soldiers were Black soldiers who served mainly on the western frontier following the Civil War. They fought in skirmishes with indigenous tribes, protected settlers, and guarded national parks.

Private Ballard left the military after five years in June 1877 in Texas. He served in the 10th US Calvary which was one of two all Black cavalries regimens authorized by Congress in 1866 at Fort Levenworth, Kansas. The 10th Calvary is one of the original Buffalo Soldier regiments in post Civil War Army.

The ceremony ended with the playing of TAPS by CMSgt Mike Boyd of the Madison County Veterans Honor Guard.

___

(c)2021 the Richmond Register (Richmond, Ky.)

Visit the Richmond Register (Richmond, Ky.) at richmondregister.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.