In November of 2012, Colonel (Ret) and Mrs. Paul Longgrear were returning to Georgia from a Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame ceremony in Arkansas. Mrs. Longgrear noted that her husband was being quiet and seemed contemplative. She asked him what he was thinking about. He responded that he was just wondering if Georgia has a Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame.
After a moment of thought, she said “If they don’t, I have a feeling they will”. For approximately two months Longgrear prayed and sought the Lord’s direction as to what to do and how to do it. He then contacted the Secretary of the Arkansas Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame and studied their lessons learned and asked for help.
In February of 2013, six military veterans living in Georgia donated $1,000 each to the cause and the Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame (GMVHOF) was up and running with its charter Board of Directors. Through the assistance of veterans organizations and numerous individuals, 18 great Georgia military heroes were inducted into and became the first class of the GMVHOF in November of 2013.
A second class of 16 was inducted in 2014 and shortly thereafter, the Board of Directors was contacted by the Georgia Department of Veterans Service and invited to establish the initial home for the GMVHOF on the State Capitol grounds in the Floyd Veterans Memorial Building.
On May 11, 2016 more than 60 people, including nine Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame Inductees, gathered to officially open the GMVHOF in the Floyd Veterans Memorial Building. Those cutting the ribbon were Senator Ed Harbison, Representative John Yates and Colonel (Ret) Paul Longgrear, Founder & Director of the GMVHOF. Now each year, as soon as possible after the GMVHOF Induction Ceremony & Banquet in November, the framed photos and citations of the latest GMVHOF Class of Inductees are officially revealed during a ceremony in the State Capitol Building with the Governor presiding.
With the induction of the 2022 GMVHOF Class in November 2022, a total of 162 Georgia Veterans have been inducted into this rare and noble hall of fame for the great state of Georgia. Currently, the GMVHOF Board of Directors consists of ten members. Colonel (Ret) Longgrear continues to serve as the Founder and also as the Director of the GMVHOF ROTC Scholarship Program while Colonel (Ret) Rick White serves as the GMVHOF Director & Chairman of the Board.
There are over 770,000 military veterans from the great state of Georgia. Many of them contributed greatly to the well-being of the United States of America while serving on active duty, in the Reserve Forces or the Georgia National Guard. Only a few of those, like the 30 Medal of Honor recipients from Georgia , have ever been honored for their VALOR, ACHIEVEMENT or SERVICE. The Georgia Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame is dedicated to reviewing and evaluating the Georgia Veterans that are nominated by family, friends or other veterans and selecting them for induction. They are our state’s finest.
DO YOU HAVE A HERO THAT YOU KNOW THAT DESERVES TO BE IN THE GEORGIA MILITARY VETERANS HALL OF FAME? Nominate him or her today by CLICKING ON NOMINATION PACKET, DOWNLOADING AND PRINTING.