When Shades Cahaba High School was built, honoring veterans was a high priority.
Shades Cahaba was dedicated on Labor Day, Monday, September 6, 1920. That afternoon, after the formal addresses and a picnic dinner on the grounds, Mrs. Floribel Brown Ohme unveiled the “bronze tablets to the soldier boys of Shades-Cahaba.” These are two large bronze plaques mounted on both sides of the auditorium doors, visible as soon as you walk into the new High School.
To this day, those bronze plaques remind everyone of the sacrifices made for our freedom. Even with their size, it’s easy to walk past them as they blend into the surrounding decor. On this Veterans Day, I want to remind you what is on those plaques.
Both plaques say, “In honor of the boys and girls of this school district who served in the army or navy of the United States of America in the World War 1917-1919.”
The plaques’ bottoms read, “This tablet is dedicated by the residents of Shades Cahaba High School District 1-A 1919.”
The names of the individuals are split between the two plaques, and those who lost their lives have a star by their names.
Arthur Acton
Bernie Acton
Lieutenant Fred Acton
Robert Acton
John Sidney Aldridge
Newton M. Aldridge
O’Neil Alred
Dan Armstrong
John Bailey
Roland Bailey
George Baker
William Baker
Joe Bast
Foy Batson
Alfred Bearden
Curtis Bearden
Fred Bearden
John Bearden*
Robert Bearden
Walter Bearden*
Newton Bohannon
Fritz Bolle
Arthur Brashier
Floyd Brashier
Capt. Francis Brown
Billy Browning
Sam B. Browning
Emmitt Byers
Lummie Caldwell
Captain J. T. Callaway
Joseph Campbell
Jack Carter
Woodson Cates
Willis Clark
Ben Cooper
Robert Cooper
Arthur E. Curl
Walter Curl
Lieut. M. G. Dabney
Andy Dardy
Willie Dawson*
David Denton
Peyton Deshazo
George Despison
Will Dison
David Donahoo
Arthur Duke
Lieut. Edwin Duke
J. Parks Ellenburg
W. H. Ellenberg
Ross W. Ellenberg
James M. Elliott
Clarence Erickson
Lieut. Horvin H. Eubank
Barney Evans
George Evans
Walter Everett
Ernest Fleming
Percy Gambrell
Clarence Good
Paul Goode
Clark R. Goodwin
James Goodwin
John Goodwin
Frank Graham
John Graham
Leonard or a sing
Charlie Griffin
Leslie Griffin
Tom Griffin*
Lonnie Grissom
L. E. Gulledge
Lieut. Allie Hale
Evan Hale
Jack Hanks
Jessie Wisen Harper
John Harper
G. Wyant Hayes
Willie Helm
Lieut. Charles Hewitt
Robert Hewitt
Roy Higgis
Ollie Hitt
Arthur Hodges
Joseph Hodges
Will Hodges
Miss Marion E. Houlihan
Miss Virginia Houlihan
W. Newton Hubbard Jr.
Will Hullette
Emmitt Hunnicutt
Ralph Hunnicutt
Byron Jackson
Lieut. Carl Jackson
Guy Jackson
Coze Jones
Frank Jones
George Jones
Sam Oscar Jones
Hanson Keller
Wesley Kent
Lieut. H. Cecil Kilpatrick
J. Bunion Kilpatrick
J. Devotie Kilpatrick
Paul M. Kilpatrick
Norman Kleindienst
Lieut. Hugh Lester
Frank Limbaugh
Oscar Limbaugh
Grady Lodge
Lester Loggins
Coleman Maske
James Ernest Massey
Jay Melton
Capt. Arthur Merkel
“Pat” Floyd E. McBride
Neil McCloud
Pete McCloud
Manon McSweeney
Henry R Millar
Will T. Millar
James R. Milstead
Barney Moran
Edwin Morris
Otis Murphree
Austin O’Barr
Fred O’Barr
Luther Pardue
Jim Parrish
Tom Partain
Dumas F. Philips
Eldridge Plowman
Will Rasco
Charles Reed
“Dick” Stanton Reese
Hugh M. Reese
George Reynolds
Joe Rigney
Robert Riley
James Pugh Rittenberry
E.J. Salter
George Schmidt
Peter Scott
Raymond Scott
Will Scott
Will Sellers
Pete Shumacher
Howard Simms
H. Conville Sizemore
Anthony Smith
Benjamin Smith
Edgar Smith
J.W. Edward Smith
Lee Smith
Wescott Smith
Burt Tilerson
James Tollett
Harry Tritt
Will Tritt
Cecil Tyler
Clifford Tyler
Hugh Tyler
Luther H. Tyler
Ernest Walker
Walter Walker
Glenn Washington
Nat Washington
Arthur A. Watkins
Tom Watson
Thurber West
J. B. Whaley *
Leon white
Emmitt Wilder
David Williams*
Fred Williams
Truman Williams
Henry Wise
“Jack” D.P. Wilson
Basil Wood
Lieut. Leighton Wood
Capt. Sterling A. Wood, Jr.
G. Thomas Wooten*
James E. Wright
Grady Wyatt
*Died in combat
After World War II, another plaque was dedicated on Homecoming Day, October 24th, to the boys who lost their lives in World War II. the ceremony included a gun salute, a prayer by an army chaplain and the presentation of the plaque.
Those who gave their lives are:
R. P. Morris
Luther Clay
William Moore McCrary
George Williams
Willy Gautney
Raymond Earl Bolle
John McCullough
Grover C. Bryant Jr.
W. Clem Mulkey
Clayton Taylor
James Graham
Ralph Goodwin
Jo Earl Hurtt
Robert L. McNutt
Harold E. Wehby
Menta Edward Witten
Thomas Hope
Ralph Wyatt
Arthur Cundy
Emory Poe
James Sexton
J. C. Bailey
Huey McSweeney
On this Veterans day, we would like to thank all the Shades Cahaba grads who have served in the armed forces and to all of you who have served our country.
