Bill Terry Jr
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Bill Terry, Jr (born c. 1949 - died July 3, 1969 in Vietnam) was an American soldier in the Vietnam War and the first African American to be buried at Elmwood Cemetery.
Terry had requested burial at Elmwood in order to be close to his family in Titusville. When the cemetery's owners refused to allow it, the family filed a lawsuit in federal court. On January 3, 1970 his casket was moved from Shadow Lawn Cemetery to Elmwood.
On Memorial Day weekend in 2009 Birmingham City Council member [{Carol Duncan]] organized a ceremony honoring Terry's memory.
References
- Stock, Erin (May 24, 2009) "Soldier whose death led to Elmwood Cemetery integration is honored." Birmingham News