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Whispering Hills Natural Green Cemetery and Memorial Nature Preserve will honor three local veterans with a special U.S. Army medallion ceremony during its second annual Veterans Day ceremony on Monday, November 11 at 2pm eastern (arrive by 1:45pm) at 3550 Mooty Bridge Road, LaGrange, Georgia. 

Open to the public, the special Veterans Day event will feature the Troup County High School Air Force Junior ROTC Color Guard, patriotic songs, heartfelt remarks from family and friends, a bugler playing taps, and the memorable placement of three military service medallions on three veterans’ gravestones at the 140-acre nature preserve.

Laura Adams will honor her late husband Mac McGowan on Veterans Day by placing a special U.S. Army service medal on the tribute stone marking his final resting place at Whispering Hills. Oliver Wendell McGowan, an Army Engineer Captain and Georgia Tech engineering graduate from LaGrange, was known by everyone as Mac.

“Mac was very proud to be a veteran. He was very patriotic and always considered it a privilege to have served,” Adams noted. “He would be thrilled to know this special service medallion will be placed on his tribute stone that we picked out when we chose our resting place under the trees in April at Whispering Hills.”

Teresa Czarnonycz will be there to honor her late husband George, who served four years as an Army medic before becoming an IT professional. “George really found his niche with technology and truly enjoyed helping friends and neighbors, including Mac, keep their computers running smoothly,” Czarnonycz recalled with a smile. 

Originally from Michigan, George joined the Army straight out of high school and was stationed at Fort Benning, near Columbus, Georgia, where he ultimately met Teresa while she was a student at Auburn University. “George liked to credit the Army with bringing us together since it was a good friend of mine, who had served with George, who introduced us,” Teresa laughed.

While George never saw battle in the Army, he waged a war on multiple sclerosis for 33 years, Teresa shared. “He was just 63 when he passed away in January 2023, and he knew he wanted to be returned to the Earth here in this beautiful place surrounded by nature, next to our son Kyle, who we lost just a year-and-a-half earlier.”

Michael Israel of Anniston, Alabama served 29 years in the Army, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant as a Chemical Operations Specialist. “Michael would love the towering trees here at Whispering Hills and the beautiful meadow where he’s been at rest since July of this year,” noted his wife Basya. “Michael was a quiet man, whose actions spoke louder than words. That medallion will speak to his love of country when it’s placed on the stone marking his resting place.” 

Of the more than 150 families that have chosen Whispering Hills to date, either for a loved one’s final resting place or as part of their own future end-of-life preplanning, seventeen veterans have secured natural burial rights and six veterans are currently buried in the natural cemetery.

“It’s incredible to know such a beautiful natural cemetery is right here in LaGrange, Georgia. Whispering Hills offers such a peaceful and affordable option for veterans across the state and the Southeast and beyond,” said Tania Griffin, Vice Commander for the State of Georgia American Legion, who will speak at the Veterans Day event at Whispering Hills. “Veterans Day at Whispering Hills will be a very special moment for area veterans, their families, and the whole community.”

“More and more veterans and their families are opting for natural cemeteries and our special Veterans support programs, where we help them apply for U.S. Government-issued military service medallions and government reimbursements that can cover most burial costs,” explained Ralph Howard, founder and managing partner of Whispering Hills. “It’s been gratifying to see so many families from across the South and beyond cherish Whispering Hills as much as my family and I do, including veterans who are increasingly making their own end-of-life preplanning choices now so their loved ones won’t have to later. It’s a gift of peace of mind.”

For more information about Whispering Hills, call 706-884-7435 or visit www.whisperinghillspreserve.com.