A longtime advocate for military veterans is pushing Eastern Shore officials to fund new highway signage directing motorists to the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery near Spanish Fort, after hearing repeated stories of grieving families who got lost on their way to a loved one’s funeral.
Dr. Barry Booth, an Eastern Shore dentist, Vietnam veteran and organizer of veteran-focused honor flight missions out of Mobile, presented his case during a recent meeting of the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization’s policy board. He described the emotional toll on families who arrive late, or miss services entirely, because they cannot find the cemetery.
Booth told board members he has seen so many people miss the final salute of their relatives, and asked them to imagine that happening to their own family, stressing how important it is to be present for that final salute.
Booth came prepared with data to back up his request. He said the Spanish Fort Police Department has fielded more than 100 inquiries from people trying to find the cemetery, while the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office reports receiving more than a dozen similar calls each week. Since opening roughly two years ago, the 22-acre cemetery has hosted more than 600 ceremonies, drawing an estimated 12,000 vehicles and 22,000 visitors. Only two directional signs currently exist, and both are located within Spanish Fort itself, well short of the interstate exits most visitors use.
The cemetery, which sits about five miles north of Spanish Fort, has capacity for tens of thousands of graves and could be expanded further, meaning it is expected to serve the region for decades to come. Booth is asking for signage along the Causeway, Interstate 10, Interstate 65 and Highway 225 to guide visitors from major routes directly to the site.
The total cost of the signage project is estimated at just over $67,000, which Booth said could be pieced together from a mix of funding sources rather than relying on any single agency. Planning organization officials did not commit to funding at the meeting but indicated they would continue evaluating the proposal.
Booth said he intends to keep pressing the issue until signage improvements are approved, arguing that veterans and their families deserve a clear, dignified path to the cemetery without added stress during an already difficult time.