By Dorothy Brush / dcb1@frontier.net
Next week we will remember and honor those who served our country during wars. It began as Armistice Day as a remembrance of WWI, but as wars continued, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor those from all wars our country fought.
In 1862, the highest recognition of service during war time was established when the Medal of Honor was introduced. During our Civil War, 105 received the medal for heroic actions “on the ground” in Tennessee. Three of those honored were Tennesseans. In WWI, six Tennesseans were recipients of the award. Two were from our Plateau, Alvin York and Crossville’s Milo Lemert, given posthumously. Lemert died heroically on September 29, 1918. Alvin York’s action took place October 8, 1918 and he returned to Pall Mall. York’s heroism has never been forgotten but Lemert was remembered when the Medal of Honor was presented to his wife of one year at the court house in October 1919. The funeral was held several days later and Milo Lemert was forgotten.
Although Milo Lemert’s heroism was forgotten in Crossville, it lived on in Maryland, TN, where an American Legion Post was named for him. In Savannah, TN, a long overdue bridge over the Tennessee River was dedicated on September 13, 1930 as the Milo Lemert Memorial Bridge. This was the second longest (1,005 feet with two traffic lanes), largest (three span) and costliest bridge outside Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga and was dubbed “The Million Dollar Bridge of No. 15.”
The three-hour dedication ceremony was attended by about 3,000 and many dignitaries including Gov. Henry H. Horton. It served the area well until August 21, 1980. The promise had been that its replacement would be built within five years. The Milo Lemert Memorial Bridge was taken down by explosives on August 21, 1980. The new bridge was dedicated in 1981 and named the Harrison-McGarity Bridge for two WWII Hardin County Medal of Honor recipients. In Savannah, the Milo Lemert Memorial Bridge served them for 50 years and the class rings of graduates during the 1930s and 40s pictured the bridge. In December 1994, a Hardin County afghan was offered. It featured important historic events in the county and the Milo Lemert Bridge was pictured there.
In Crossville, Milo Lemert's name was just another name on a gravestone at the City Cemetery until a relatively new resident in town began a search. Mike Moser, editor of the Crossville Chronicle, was at a performance of “Tennessee USA!” at the Playhouse in 1986. In one scene, an actor marched across the stage holding a placard with the words “Milo Lemert, Congressional Medal of Honor.” Mike’s search led to Lemert’s grave and he was shocked there was no mention of the honor he had received. After more months of locating relatives in the west and talking with Congressman Jim Cooper, a special Medal of Honor grave marker was dedicated on Memorial Day 1987.
After 68 years forgotten, Milo Lemert’s story bothered other citizens who spoke up, and at the Veterans Day program November 13, 1991, he received another honor. It was announced that the old post office was now the Milo Lemert Memorial Building and they unveiled a large plaque which gave an account of his heroic actions.
There was still one more honor to come. The Crossville City commission voted in 1991 to recommend to the Tennessee Department of Transportation that the new bypass being constructed around the city be designated by signs reading “Sergeant Milo Lemert Memorial Parkway.” In 1999, the Tennessee General Assembly approved the bill naming the section of highway after Lemert. A new century arrived before the road was completed and was officially christened the Milo Lemert Parkway. Now our forgotten hero is remembered because of the curiosity of newsman Mike Moser, another quiet hero.
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Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday. She may be reached at dcb1@frontiernet.net.
