PHOTO: Bill Wilson/The Anniston Star

Lt. Col. Leonard P. Lynch is interred in the military cemetery at Fort McClellan, Alabama along with 393 people in 355 graves (as of April 6, 2000). The future of this cemetery may be in jeopardy. (See Cemetery proposal for fort concerns veterans by Russ Henderson and Fort authority plotting more space for cemetery by Richard Raeke both articles published in the Anniston Star. In fact the Joint Powers Authority wants to rename Fort McClellan by changing its name to just McClellan. I believe this would dishonor all who are buried upon this hallowed ground and who did service at Fort McCellan. I urge everyone who is concerned about this matter to write their representatives Sen. Richard Shelby, Sen. Jeff Sessions and Governor Don Siegleman to maintain the name of Fort McClellan ; that this property should be incorporated as a separate and new city; that this property should be administered by elected representatives; that this property should not be over-developed by private contractors and profiteers; that the military cemetery at Fort McClellan should be expanded into a military park area of 50-100 acres; that all undeveloped property and/or appropriate land on Fort McClellan should be considered for designation as wild life sanctuary and/or preserve area and that the Joint Powers Authority should be replaced by an elected body to represent Fort McClellan as a city. TAL 6 April 2000

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This is copy of letter sent to Alabama senators and persons concerned with the issue of what to do about the cemetery at Ft. McClellan. This letter may be sited by anyone who wants to expand and preserve this cemetery to honor our soldier forefathers.

This letter urges that the area where Lt. Col. Leonard P. Lynch is interred be established as a historic site and renamed Fort McClellan Military Cemetery.

This letter urges that the name Fort McClellan be retained. The name of the area on the Joint Powers Authority Home Page has already been changed to just "McClellan." Is this an attempt to rewrite history so that a hundred years from now people will not even remember that the U.S. Army ever had a fort in the area? You be the judge.

Please read this letter and reply if you would like to establish a historical site and marker at the Fort McClellan Military Cemetery to honor our soldier fathers interred in that hallow ground and the trememdous historical significance of Fort McClellan.

The America Patriots Association has been established to promote patriotism in the United States of America. One of the first goals of APA will be to insure that our soldier fathers and their loved ones interred at Fort McClellan Military Cemetery are not soon forgotten. Visit APA.

Fort McClellan Home Page This site has an very good review of Fort McClellan's history

Anniston Star Archives Search the Anniston Star for articles. This is a great way to keep track of what is happening with the reuse of Fort McClellan. Suggested keywords are: McClellan, JPA, defense, army, commission, pentagon, justice, mp, training, center, school, reuse, development, etc.

Joint Powers Authority Home Page This is the transition board to which the Department of Defense has given authority with respect to reuse of Fort McClellan properties. Basically the JPA board is a small group people who represent the City of Anniston, Calhoun County and the State of Alabama. It seems to enjoy meeting behind closed doors and doesn't even give all its commissioners the right to vote! I find that quite odd. What is the big secret? What, if anything, are they trying to hide? Should not commissioners who represent the people always meet in public?

The JPA also employs a small staff with salaries ranging for $25,000/yr. for the secretary to $57,000/yr. for the executive director. Their budget runs something like $988,994.00 in tax payer dollars for a 15 month period. And Gene Stedham, their chairman, says his primary goal is to bring more jobs and tax dollars to the Fort McClellan area. Hummm.... sounds to me like that means future budgets will be going up, up, up with a similar increase in salaries. Since all this money comes out of the tax payers pockets via state and federal grants, I figure the JPA is working for me and you and everyone else who pays their salary. Therefore it would be reasonable to urge them through letters and phone calls to preserve the area while still working to boost the economy. You may contact the JPA at P.O. Box 5327, Fort McClellan AL 36205. Phone: (256) 236-2011 Fax: (256) 236-2020 or via e-mail at informationservices@mcclellan-jpa.com.

Jobs are important but so are things like parks, wildlife preserves, botanical gardens and preserving the military history of the area. When the JPA changes the name of the area by taking off the word "Fort," it is like saying they want to forget the Army and all the soldiers who ever were stationed in the area. Of course that may not be entirely true. After all there are military staffers in their employee. So why would they do such a crazy thing as rename the area?

I don't pretend to read anyone's mind. However I do make this recommendation to the JPA, who are, after all, working in part for me: keep the name Fort McClellan and work to incorporate the area into a separate and new city; invite retired military people to come live and work in the area; focus on high technology type businesses and industry when planning for reuse; and for God's sake preserve the beautiful landscape and keep the Fort McClellan Military Cemetery a hallowed ground for soldiers and their immediate families only. If the JPA does all these things I'm sure they will receive a high commendation from both me and the public. Then no one will worry so much, myself included, about the bigger hole in our pockets from all those taxes following into the area.

Fort McClellan via Yahoo Links to over 4600 "Fort McClellan home pages. True, not all of these sites relate to Fort McClellan proper, but they do revea some interesting sites.

Army Posts Link to Army Posts far and wide!

Military discussion forum This is a great place to network with respect to military issues. Jump to this site and express yourself regarding the reuse of Fort McClellan and other Army posts.

Other Army sites An alphabetical list of military bases with web sites. If you can't find it here try Other Army sites or Hot list of Army web sites.

Major Base Closure Summary This is a listing of the bases recommended and approved for closure as a result of decisions by the various Base Realignment and Closure Commissions. Take a look at this and you'll wonder if Uncle Sam has a screw loose?

Finding People and Records This is a good starting point when seeking available infomation from the D_Ds (Dum_Dums) in Washington.

Military Record Requests Keep this in mind when looking for old buddies. It is also a starting point for immediate family members (parents, spouse or children) seeking service records. An individual's complete service record is available to the former service member or, if deceased, to his/her next of kin (parents, spouse, or children). Limited information (such as dates of service, awards, and training) is available to anyone. Not available to the general public is information which would invade an individual's privacy; for example, medical records, Social Security number, or present address. You may also want to get a copy of Standard Form 180 to use when submitting a request for records to speed things along.