-David Crowder, WRGA News-
On Friday, the visitors from Kumamoto took time to honor the man who started it all by visiting a plaque at Bridgepoint Plaza dedicated to George Pullen.
Just over 30-years ago, Pullen, while serving as chairman of the Rome City Commission, initiated the relationship with Ueki Town, which was merged into the expanded city of Kumamoto in 2010.
Among those who are a part of this year’s visit was Chiyuki Murakami, who also helped establish the relationship, and worked with then Rome City Commissioner Jamie Doss in 1996 to see it come to fruition.
Ann Pullen, George Pullen’s widow, was also on hand, along with Coosa River Basin Initiative Director Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman, who spoke of the importance of Rome’s three rivers
Also, on Friday, the delegation visited Myrtle Hill Cemetery, where they visited the graves of Ellen Axson Wilson, the wife of President Woodrow Wilson, and Rome’s Known Soldier Charles Graves.
Myrtle Hill tour guide Tony Pope shared some interesting facts about the historic cemetery.
Following a view of Downtown Rome from atop Myrtle Hill, the delegation made its way to the Civil War section of the cemetery to lay a wreath.
One of the kinship Rome has with Kumamoto is that they had their own civil war in 1877.
A grave at the center of the section belonging to a soldier whose name was unknown was chosen to represent all of those who died in America’s most costly war.
