In November 2012, Colonel (Ret) Paul Longgrear and his wife were returning from a Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame ceremony in Arkansas when Mrs. Longgrear noticed her husband was deep in thought. When she asked what was on his mind, he wondered aloud if Georgia had its own Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame. After a brief pause, she replied, “If they don’t, I have a feeling they will.” Over the next two months, Longgrear sought guidance and, with support from the Arkansas Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame, began planning for Georgia’s own.

In February 2013, six veterans living in Georgia each donated $1,000 to launch the Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame (GMVHOF), and its charter Board of Directors was established. In November 2013, the GMVHOF inducted its first class of 18 heroes. The following year, 16 more veterans were inducted, and the GMVHOF was invited by the Georgia Department of Veterans Service to establish its home in the Floyd Veterans Memorial Building on the State Capitol grounds.

On May 11, 2016, over 60 people gathered, including nine GMVHOF Inductees, to officially open the Hall of Fame with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Since then, photos and citations of inductees are revealed each year after the GMVHOF Induction Ceremony & Banquet, with the Governor presiding.

As of November 2023, 173 Georgia veterans have been inducted into this prestigious Hall of Fame. The GMVHOF continues to honor Georgia’s finest military veterans, with Colonel (Ret) Longgrear serving as Founder and Director of the GMVHOF ROTC Scholarship Program, and Colonel (Ret) Rick White serving as Director and Chairman of the Board. With over 770,000 veterans in Georgia, the GMVHOF remains dedicated to recognizing those who have contributed significantly to the nation’s defense and well-being.