Georgia National Cemetery

Georgia National Cemetery is the second national cemetery in Georgia and the 123rd in the national cemetery system. A private citizen donated the 775-acre site to the National Cemetery Administration in 2001. At maximum capacity, 330 acres of the site will be developed for burials; the remainder of the site is too steep to be used for interments. Historically, the site was used for logging purposes and as a hunting ground for local residents.

Georgia National Cemetery is located near the site of the Etowah burial mounds, created by American Indians of the Mississippian culture between AD 1000–1550. This site is one of the largest American Indian burial mounds in North America. Archaeological investigations have been conducted on Etowah mounds for over one hundred years.

Georgia National Cemetery opened for burials in 2006, and was formally dedicated on June 4 of that year.

1LT Francis Lee Bailey (Korea). Bailey was born in Waltham, Massachusetts, and graduated high school in 1950. After a few years of college, he joined the United States Navy, later transferring to the Marines. He was commissioned as an officer and, following flight training, received his Naval Aviator wings in 1954. He served as a fighter pilot, and then began to serve as a squadron legal officer at Cherry Point, North Carolina. After leaving the military, Bailey graduated from Boston University School of Law with a Bachelor of Laws in 1960 and was ranked first in his class. The following year, he took over as defense attorney for Dr. Sam Sheppard, who was convicted of killing his wife. Bailey's efforts enabled Sheppard to be released from prison in 1966, and Sheppard's case was the inspiration for the TV series and film The Fugitive. In 1971, Bailey successfully defended Captain Ernest Medina for his role in the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam conflict. He also represented Patty Hearst during her trial for armed robbery and kidnapping. In 1994, Bailey became part of what was referred to as "The Dream Team" of attorneys who successfully defended O.J. Simpson in 1995. Bailey faced professional troubles late in his career, including disbarment. He was living with his son in Georgia when he passed away. The inscription on his plain granite headstone reads, "The Defense Never Rests." (Section 16, Site 1788)

Joseph "Max" Cleland (1942–2021) was born in Atlanta, Georgia on August 24, 1942. He was an outstanding student athlete who was drawn to public service. He earned a B.A. from Stetson university and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army through its ROTC program. He earned an M.A. in history from Emory University. Cleland volunteered for service during the height of the Vietnam War in 1967. He lost both legs and his right arm when a grenade detonated beside him during a mission near Khe Sanh in April 1968. Cleland overcame his physical and mental wounds. He was elected as the youngest member of the Georgia senate in 1970 at age 34. President Jimmy Carter appointed him to head the Veterans Administration in 1977. Addressing Veteran's mental health was a key focus of his tenure. Cleland became Georgia's Secretary of State in 1982 and held that office for 12 years. He was elected to the U.S. Senate (Ga.-D) in 1996 and served one term. He was appointed to the 9-11 Commission in 2002. In 2009 President Barack Obama appointed him Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission. He was appointed Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Arlington National Cemetery in 2010. Cleland's career was devoted to Veterans issues and honoring their memory. He was instrumental in bringing Georgia National Cemetery to the state after Marietta closed to burials in the 1970s. He died November 9 and is interred in Section 6, Site 132, beside his father (a WWII Navy veteran) and mother.

PFC Hood E. Cole (World War II). Cole (1925–1945) was from Atlanta, GA, and served with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 276th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division during World War II. On January 14, 1945, Cole's unit was attacked by German forces near Baerenthal, France. At some point during the fighting, Cole was killed, and due to the fighting, his body was unable to be immediately recovered. He was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency on February 22, 2023 and now rests in Section 9, Site 792.

Isabelle Daniels Holston (Olympic Athlete). Isabelle (1937–2017) was a sprinter, Olympian, educator, and coach. She grew up in Georgia and was a natural athlete, becoming a local track star before graduating from high school. Daniels distinguished herself at Tennessee State University and competed in the 1955 Pan American Games, winning a silver medal. She participated in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, where she won the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 meters relay. She later became a P.E. teacher and coach, where she received numerous accolades, including National Coach of the Year in 1990. She was also inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame of the Bob Hayes Invitational Track Meet in Jacksonville, Florida. She was married to Army veteran Rev. Sidney R. Holston, with whom she had four children. She passed away at the age of 80 and now rests in Section 11, Site 1285.

Lonnie C. King, Jr. (1936–2019) was born in Georgia and spent his childhood with his grandfather, who was a sharecropper, circuit preacher, and member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. King then went to Atlanta and lived among the city's black institutions, such as Ebenezer Baptist, where Martin Luther King Sr. was the pastor, and the Butler Street YMCA. He served in the U.S. Navy, 1954–1957, and afterward returned to Atlanta and graduated from Morehouse College. By 1960 he was leading peaceful demonstrations and organizing sit-ins in local restaurants to end segregation in the city. He was a force behind the March 9, 1960, "Appeal for Human Rights," and remained a civil rights advocate throughout his life. King died March 5 and is buried in Georgia National Cemetery, Section 2, Site 1755.

CPL Anthony Konze (Korean War.) Konze (1930–1950) was from Brooklyn, NY, and served with Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War. He was reported missing in action on September 1 in the vicinity of Changyong in the Republic of Korea and a finding of death was issued for him on May 7, 1954. He was accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency on December 18, 2024 and his remains are interred in Section 9, Site 512.

LCPL Squire K. Wells (Persian Gulf). "Skip" Wells (1994–2015), the son of a Marine, was from Marietta, GA, and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2014. According to family and friends, he had a love of flag football and U.S. history and dreamed of becoming a drill sergeant someday. Wells was assigned to M Battery, 5th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve in Chattanooga, TN, and was one of five servicemembers killed during an act of domestic terrorism on July 16, 2015. He rests in Section 2, Site 2541.