Franklin's 'Lost Heroes' honored through the eyes of a favorite son

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — A five-year-long "labor of love" culminated in downtown Franklin this morning with the dedication of the "Lost Heroes" memorial.

I joined several hundred people at the Five Points intersection for the unveiling of a special statue honoring the 3,500 Williamson County residents who fought in World War Two. More specifically, the focus is on the 600 who never returned home. The sculpture features a familiar face in the community: the late Jimmy Gentry... sitting on a bench, ready to share his experiences serving overseas. The memorial was intentionally placed along the stone wall by Franklin's historic Presbyterian Church... a wall that tells its own story of Franklin during World War Two.

"The most poignant thing that happened at this wall was in the mid-1940's when young men would sit here waiting for a particular bus to arrive. And when it did, if your name was called, you were headed off to war to serve your country," explained Franklin Alderman-at-Large, Brandy Blanton.

Jimmy Gentry was one of the many men called to serve.

"The summer after dad graduated from high school, he sat on this very wall and waited for the bus to pick him up and go to boot camp, just like so many others. Dad always said the heroes are the ones who didn't return," said son Alan Gentry.

The Franklin native went to fight in World War Two as a young man, survived the Battle of the Bulge, and on this day 79 years ago — was among the soldiers to free the notorious Dachau concentration camp. After serving, Gentry returned home to raise a family and work as a teacher and coach for decades... and later in life, began to open up -- and tell his story -- of what it was like being a young man fighting far from home.

While the sculpture depicts Gentry, it's meant for all who have served.

The memorial includes this plaque: "This statue is in the likeness of Franklin, TN native and World War II U.S. Army Veteran, Jimmy Gentry as he reflects on the rock wall and the memories of waiting there for the bus that would take him and many others off to war to fight for our country. These empty seats are in honor of all the heroes who fought for our nation, many of whom never returned."

Clarksville sculptor Scott Wise created the piece -- and told me the personal connection he had with Gentry's story -- one that inspired his creativity. "It reminds me so much of my own grandfather, who was a World War Two vet," Wise said. "Just the stories that he told my brother and I growing up, so I can, and the impact that he has on this community, is just unreal."

Jimmy Gentry died two years ago at the age of 96. You can read my previous story about his life and legacy here.