By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
OCT. 12, 2021 | The late Scott Hudgens Jr. of Duluth will be inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ga. on November 6. Nominating him for the award was Mike Camp of Johns Creek, a person who never met Mr. Hudgens, but heard of his war record and many lifetime achievements.
Camp told GwinnettForum he nominated Mr.Hudgens for this honor because of his war record and for his exemplary philanthropic works over many years, and especially for his donation of 775 acres near Canton to form the Georgia National Veterans Cemetery.
The Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame is a nonprofit, 501(c) (3) corporation with the dual purpose of honoring Georgia veterans and educating young people. It was established in 2013. Its goal is to annually honor and induct up to 15 Georgia military veterans selected by an independent committee. So far, 131 Georgia veterans have been inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame, and 15 more inductees plus a Medal of Honor winner in this year’s ceremony.
Hudgens
The group also provides scholarships to families of veterans being honored.
The ninth annual Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame ceremony will be Saturday, November 6 at noon at St. Luke Ministry Center, 301 11th Street, in Columbus. The event is open to the public, with tickets priced at $55 per person. Reservations may be made with Ms. Debbie Freeman, via email.
Part of the nominating letter from Camp reads:
“It is my honor and pleasure to nominate a superlative candidate, (Scott Hudgens), a WWII Veteran, a native of Georgia, an outstanding successful businessman and an unsurpassed benefactor to his community and state. During Scott Hudgens’ years, he was a very private person, humble and always kind and considerate of others. Despite his success and generous philanthropy, he was always extremely adamant about maintaining his anonymity.
“During World War II he served in the U.S. Army in the European Theatre. Shortly after D-Day, he landed on Omaha Beach. Thereafter, he fought in the major battles of Normandy, Cherbourg and the Spearhead Breakout. As the allied troops advanced toward Germany he fought at the Siegfried Line, Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as Remagen and Nordhausen. He was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in these campaigns.
“During his post war years he entered the real estate market in the greater Atlanta and Georgia area and made an outstanding success building shopping malls and a large variety of other ventures has been well documented.”
Mr. Camp pointed out that anonymously, (Hudgens) made many charitable donations during his lifetime. “He took great pride in being able to help his fellow man in this way. In many cases the donor was never announced or made public.
“Privately, he took special pride in a few selected projects such as the Peachtree Christian Hospice, the Jacqueline Hudgens Art Center and the establishment of the Gwinnett Technical College. This was in addition to his donation of the land for the Duluth hospital. His benevolence however was far more extensive than these examples.
“His ‘crowning achievement,’ however, was the donation of the North Georgia mountain acreage overlooking Lake Allatoona near Canton, Ga. The pristine tract of 775 acres was donated for the creation of the Georgia National Veterans Cemetery. This cemetery is completed and functioning according to his visualization.”
Mr. Camp also noted that despite his passing in 2000, Mr. Hudgens was thoughtful enough to establish the Scott Hudgens Family Foundation which continues his goal of helping others.
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