MACON, Ga. — As we approach 20 years since the events of 9/11, we are sharing stories of heart and heroism.
One Maconite, Maj. Cole Hogan, made the ultimate sacrifice on that day when a plane crashed into the Pentagon. A few years later, his friends and family put up a rock a memorial plaque in his memorial.
Now, folks that never met Maj. Hogan plan to care of a green space from here on out.
On an early day in September, the Macon-Bibb Parks and Recreation Department and Macon North Rotary Club teamed up to add a bench, flag pole, a couple dozen plants to the park.
Rotary Club president Sean De Zoort put in a good bit of sweat equity.
"We will do maintenance of the lawn, upkeep the landscaping, plant plants, and constantly keep it clean,” pledged De Zoort.
He admits the group wouldn’t have known much about Maj. Hogan if it wasn’t for his best friend, Andy Greenway.
13WMAZ met Greenway in 2019. He puts flags at markers in the city dedicated to Maj. Hogan on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
This year, Greenway says he’s still emotional and couldn’t go on camera, but he’s grateful to his fellow Rotarians like Tiffany Harvey.
"Even when we came out to the park, Andy shared some stories and I could feel the love coming from that so it was contagious," said Harvey.
She says the project at Overlook Circle and Overlook Drive means a lot to everyone involved, and now it’s not just Greenway telling Hogan’s stories.
"I think this park will keep him alive because it will cause people to ask questions and wonder who he is and do the research," Harvey said.
They’ll find out Maj. Hogan served in the Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was 41 when he died, taking a phone call that put him in a fateful spot when the building was hit.
None of us will forget 9/11.
Maj. Hogan is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, but in his hometown, there is now another hallowed spot where we can all honor a man who made the ultimate sacrifice.
"His wife may come to town and she has a place to go to remember him," said Harvey.
"I think it's just perfect," said De Zoort.
The Rotary Club says they would like to put up something in the future that gives more information about Hogan's life.
RELATED COVERAGE