At a cemetery in Georgia, an unknown soldier is buried. Since we don’t know who he is, his headstone remains blank except for three words: unknown U.S. soldier.
If he’s ever identified, his name will be added. But for now, he remains anonymous.
While going about his business at this cemetery, the maintenance supervisor, James Taylor, had a rare opportunity to see something that tugged at his heartstrings. Although this could’ve involved any one of the gravesites, it was the one belonging to the unknown soldier.
There, all curled up at the base of this soldier’s headstone was a tiny fawn.
With the American flag nearby, it created a sense of patriotism. Taylor was so touched that he shared the photo he took with the Andersonville National Historic Site.
The way the fawn laid by the unknown soldier’s headstone…it was as if she knew he needed to be comforted.
Although we’ll never know what drew her there, she was content to stay. So, Taylor left her alone.
Time to say goodbye.
Taylor explained that later in the day when he headed back to that part of the cemetery, he saw the fawn’s mother come to retrieve her baby. Slowly, they walked away together.
Although no one knows why this fawn chose to rest beside the headstone of the unknown soldier, everyone seems to agree that she was there to show special respect. In her way, she was honoring a man who fought but lost.
After all, animals have a keen sense that humans don’t possess.
The Andersonville National Historic Site has roots that go back to the Civil War.
At one time, it was the location of Camp Sumter, one of the largest military prisons for the Confederacy. For roughly 14 months, that prison held over 45,000 captured Union soldiers. During that time, some 13,000 died.
While the Andersonville National Cemetery was established in 1865, it’s still operational. Today, it handles about 150 burials annually.
As for the fawn, wildlife experts claim that when still young, does allow their babies to wander off a bit to learn to forage for food.
They added it was especially common at the time of year when the photo was taken.
While these professionals are probably right, some people feel there’s more to the story. Foraging for food is one thing but curling up to the headstone of an unknown soldier is something completely different…at least in their minds.
While it’s impossible to know if there’s more going on or not, one thing is for certain: the photo is a beautiful symbol of respect and honor. Also, as a reminder, if you ever come across a wild animal like this fawn, you should never approach it. Instead, enjoy its grace and beauty from a distance.
If you’d like to learn more about Andersonville, check out the video below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Source: Fox 5 Atlanta, Facebook
