THE HONOR SQUAD: Giving Honor When Honor is Due. A Covenant of Honor for the Soldiers, Saints, and Servants of God Who Are Buried Near The Old Pecan Tree in New Trinity Cemetery.

THE HONOR SQUAD: Giving Honor When Honor is Due. A Covenant of Honor for the Soldiers, Saints, and Servants of God Who Are Buried Near The Old Pecan Tree in New Trinity Cemetery. 

HALTOM CITY, TX – October 11, 2025 – The morning rose golden and tender over Historic New Trinity Cemetery, where time and memory meet beneath the spreading arms of an ancient pecan tree.

Its branches, wide as prayer, stretched across sacred soil holding the stories of soldiers, saints, and servants of God — men and women whose faith, courage, and fortitude helped shape the soul of Fort Worth.

Children’s laughter danced through the air — joyful voices among the headstones — learning that this was not merely a place of rest, but a living classroom of courage, freedom, and faith.

It was a day of covenant and remembrance — a gathering where the past met the promise of tomorrow. Beneath the old pecan tree, veterans, deputies, Buffalo Soldiers, clergy, labor detail brothers, and youth stood shoulder to shoulder, united in one sacred purpose:

to honor the men and women buried here, restore dignity to their resting places, and give honor when honor is due.

The Pecan Tree: Purpose, Promise, and Symbolism

The pecan tree, Texas’ state tree, has stood sentinel over New Trinity Church and Cemetery for generations. Its roots reach deep into the red clay of Fort Worth — soil once tilled by enslaved hands and watered by freedmen’s hope.

It has witnessed the birth of neighborhoods, the rise of churches, and the faithful tending of generations who refused to let memory fade.

Under its shade rest more than 500 African American veterans who served this nation — from the Civil War to the War on Terror.

Among them lie pioneer doctors, teachers, and preachers:

• Dr. R.A. Ransom, one of Fort Worth’s first Black physicians, who healed both body and soul.

• Reverend Greene Fretwell, a shepherd of hope guiding weary hearts through the storms of Reconstruction.

• Technician Fifth Grade Florence Marie Cole Rawls, proud member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black, all-female unit to serve overseas during World War II — now immortalized with the Congressional Gold Medal for valor and excellence.

Long before them, there were the Pioneer Infantry Regiments of World War I — men of color who built roads, dug trenches, and buried the dead in the muddy fields of France. They were called “pioneers,” but they were builders of victory, warriors of labor, and spiritual forefathers of today’s freedom fighters.

Their sacrifice laid the cornerstone of a new Black American identity — proud, resilient, and rooted in service to both God and country.

The Historic Roots of New Trinity Cemetery:

When Reverend Greene Fretwell, a former slave, died in 1886, there was no Black cemetery in this part of Tarrant County. With donations collected by his widow, Frances, the trustees of Trinity Chapel Methodist Church purchased two acres in 1889 for a church and burial ground. Worship services were held under a brush arbor until a frame church was built. By the 1920s, burials began on adjacent land, known as New Trinity Cemetery, and in 1931 additional property was designated as People’s Burial Park. Today, the three sites are collectively known as New Trinity Cemetery, preserving a sacred legacy for generations.

Symbolism of the Pecan Tree:

The pecan tree embodies strength, resilience, abundance, and prosperity — qualities mirrored in the lives of the soldiers and the work of the Honor Squad:

• Strength and endurance: Long life and resilience in challenging environments.

• Abundance and prosperity: The nuts represent sustenance, provision, and wealth.

• Connection to nature: A symbol of harmony between humanity and the natural world.

• Sustainability and long-term growth: Deep roots and slow growth mirror patience, legacy, and enduring stewardship.

• Wisdom: A reminder to trust the process of development and honor the past.

Cultural and historical significance:

• Texas’ state tree — a symbol of the state’s endurance and bounty.

• Native American heritage — “pecan” originates from a Native word, a vital source of sustenance.

• Historical use — food, oil, dye, and trade, marking the tree as a pillar of community and survival.

The Formation of the Honor Squad

In sacred memory of those who served beneath heaven’s pecan canopy, a new generation has risen —

The Honor Squad, a coalition of faith, service, and unity,

giving honor when honor is due to the soldiers, saints, and servants of God who rest beneath the tree.

Led by Commander Chad Page of American Legion Post 655 and Pastor Kyev Tatum of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church,

the Honor Squad brings together:

• The Buffalo Soldiers of Bravo Zulu Homefront

• American Legion Post 655

• The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Labor Detail

• Skills City USA Resilience Responders

• Youth and clergy from across Tarrant County

Together, they form a living army of remembrance — a modern-day regiment of restoration — working hand in hand to preserve New Trinity Cemetery and ensure every veteran’s story is remembered with dignity and every resting place kept with care.

“We’re here to honor those who rest beneath this tree,” said Commander Page. “These aren’t just graves — they are our history, our inheritance, our heroes.”

Pastor Tatum lifted his voice with conviction:

“This is no longer a field of forgotten memories; it is now a new garden of faith. Beneath this tree, we renew our covenant — to honor the past, heal the present, and plant seeds of hope for the future.”

The Covenant Beneath the Tree

As the sun rose higher, hands joined, heads bowed, and hearts aligned.

The wind stirred through the pecan branches like the whisper of ancestors, carrying their unseen Amen through the morning air.

The covenant made that day was simple, sacred, and strong:

• To preserve the legacy of the 6888th, the Buffalo Soldiers, and the Pioneer Infantry.

• To restore dignity to every forgotten grave.

• To honor the veterans buried here as the motivation for service and stewardship.

• To teach future generations that freedom has a cost — and a calling.

As children placed flowers on headstones and listened to stories of those who came before, elders stood in reverent silence, proud and peaceful, knowing the roots of this tree run deeper than sorrow; they run into eternity.

The Living Legacy

The pecan tree at New Trinity stands as both monument and metaphor — a testament to endurance, abundance, and divine promise.

Like the tree, the Honor Squad is planting seeds of remembrance that will bear fruit long after their own generation has passed.

Their work is not just about headstones and history — it is about spirit and stewardship, about lifting the legacy of those who lifted a nation.

“We must move from the color line to the bloodline that makes us brothers and sisters,” said Pastor Tatum.

“Like this pecan tree, our faith must be rooted deep enough to outlive us and strong enough to shade those who come after us.”

The Benediction of the Pecan Tree

Beneath the pecan tree at New Trinity Cemetery,

the past breathes,

the present stands watch,

and the future takes root.

Here, under the leadership of Commander Chad Page and Pastor Kyev Tatum, The Honor Squad carries forward the torch of memory —

giving honor when honor is due to the soldiers, saints, and servants of God who served this nation from the Civil War to the War on Terror.

As the sun sets on this sacred ground,

the leaves of the pecan tree shimmer like medals in the breeze -

each one a reminder that:

• Freedom has a footprint.

• Faith has a foundation.

• Honor has a home — beneath the pecan tree at New Trinity Cemetery.

A Call to Commemoration

On Veterans Day — Tuesday, November 11th, at 3:00 p.m.,

the community will return beneath the old pecan tree at Historic New Trinity Cemetery

to pay homage to American Legion Post 655 —

for more than four decades of faithful stewardship, perpetual care, and protection of this sacred ground

and the more than 500 veterans who rest here.

Their dedication — the building of a Fence of Honor and a Stately Gate of Remembrance —

stands as a lasting tribute worthy of the heroes who rest beneath the pecan tree.

Together with the Honor Squad, the covenant continues:

to give honor when honor is due, to honor the veterans as the primary purpose of the day of service, and to keep the promise of the pecan tree alive for generations to come.

Please contact American Legion Post 655 Commander Chad Page at 469-660-7003 or New Mount Rose Pastor Kyev Tatum at 817-966-7625, or visit www.newmountrose.com to make a donation to our Honor Squad.