The federal government says the names of 581 black World War I veterans are missing from bronze plaques hanging outside the courthouse in Natchez.
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NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) — The federal government says the names of 581 black World War I veterans are missing from bronze plaques hanging outside the courthouse in Natchez.
The U.S. General Services Administration tells the Natchez Democrat that the names will be added to the plaques.
The GSA says in addition to the 581 black soldiers excluded, more than 100 white veterans were also left off the plaques.
GSA officials are making the list of names available at the Armstrong Library, the federal courthouse, the Natchez Historic Foundation, the Natchez Museum of African American Culture and the Natchez Visitor Reception Center.
By doing so, GSA officials say the public can tell them about any names that the government may have missed.
The GSA became aware of the missing names in 2008 when a California State University graduate student, Shane Peterson, highlighted the issue in his thesis.
The GSA inherited the existing plaques in 2004 when it took over control of the building known as Memorial Hall. Restoration work to turn the building into a federal courthouse lasted until 2007.
The building dates to 1853. The plaques were put up in 1924.
The GSA says New South Associates, a cultural resource management firm based in Stone Mountain, Ga., came up with the names after searching military rosters, the Veterans Affairs Board Records’ List of ex-servicemen at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson and census records.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
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