In 1942, as the world plunged into war, the U.S. military sought to expand its infrastructure. Savannah became a strategic base. The Dotson land was requisitioned, with the consent of their descendants. More than 100 graves were moved to the famous Bonaventure Cemetery , but the remains of Richard and Catherine remained.
Why? Because the family wanted to honor their last wish: to rest on their land. So, rather than uproot them, the authorities made a surprising decision.
Tombstones… on the tarmac
Today, the names of Richard and Catherine Dotson are engraved on Runway 10, the one that sees thousands of planes pass by each year. Two flat slabs barely mark their location. And yet, they are indeed there, embedded in the asphalt , frozen between sky and asphalt. These are the few graves in the world integrated into an active runway.
It’s hard to imagine this when you board a flight… As if history were whispering beneath the wheels of the planes.
