Civil War Veteran Sandy Wills Receives Long-Overdue Military Burial

After a 15-year search led by his descendant, Sandy Wills' unmarked grave was discovered and he was honored with a proper burial.

Cheryl Wills, a journalist and great-great-great-granddaughter of Sandy Wills, spearheaded the search for his grave after learning of his unrecognized service.
Sandy Wills, an escaped slave, served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War but was buried in an unmarked grave in Tennessee.
Cheryl's investigation, aided by genealogists and archeologists, confirmed Sandy's burial site on a former plantation now owned by the Moore family.
The Moore family preserved the burial ground, allowing Cheryl and her team to exhume Sandy's remains and honor him with a full military ceremony.
This Veterans Day marks the first time a flag will be placed on Sandy Wills' headstone at the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery.