Hillbilly Proud visits the National Cemetary
Story and Photos by Keith McCoy

My third and last trip to the West Virginia and Grafton National Cemeteries in Pruntytown and Grafton, WV went as well as the first two. Sometimes making videos I am apt to get lost in the process. What would be a good shot here? Transition to what? How do I frame the electric lines behind the tree in the shot? All are common thoughts as I am out in the field.

My last trip to West Virginia National Cemetery gave me a few extra thoughts to ponder. Everything was running smoothly that morning from the Go-Mart coffee stop to the set up of my equipment.

While shooting the names of different wars our men and women had fought in off their grave stones, I came to Iraq--the most current and fresh war in all of our minds. Scrolling down the grave marker from "Iraq" was the name of the respective soldier. I never knew Brandon Robert Sapp, PFC, US Army. All I know is what I read off a stone as reverent as the next but just as cold, too. From what I gather Brandon died in action on foreign soil fighting under the flag of our country and earned the purple heart and bronze star in the process. The bottom of the stone reads "Son, Brother, and Hero". I never met the man but I'm pretty sure the Hero title is very well deserved. Before you try to politicize any of this I want to make it clear that Hillbilly Proud and myself make no declaration of politics about any of it. Simply put, we believe you support the soldiers fighting under the flag of the United States of America. Debating the war is a whole other subject matter.

Near the completion of my current shot I noticed a plastic card on the grave beside Mr. Sapp's. The football player on the front of the laminated card had a face ready for action. When I turned it over I read about the accomplishments of Frank Gatski. Turns out Frank Gatski from Farmington, WV not only took some time off from college to serve in the infantry during World War 2, but that he went on to dominate in the pros for twelve years. While playing center mostly with the Cleveland Browns during their dominating years of the '40s and '50s, Frank played in the championship game eleven of his twelve years, winning eight.

Later, Frank went on to win the honors of being the first player to have his number retired at Marshall University, having a bridge in Marshall's hometown of Huntington named after him, and being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. The Hall of Fame football card I held in my hand at his grave site spelled it all out for me. Frank died in 2005 at the age of 86. A long age for a hardcore veteran who never missed a practice or a game in high school, college, or the pros.
Overwhelmed I guess is what you would call the feeling that hit at that moment on a hillside of hero's graves in the beautiful hills of Taylor County. It all just seemed a little more personal all of a sudden. A recent death from a war for a man less than ten years younger than me and the face and story on the card all transformed the rows of cold white stones into people with storied lives.

Keith McCoy

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