From left, Catoosa County native VC Beard, who now resides in Soddy-Daisy, and Varnell’s Luke Stacy hold up a 6th Cavalry insignia pin that belonged to Beard’s late father Arla William Beard, who served in the 6th Cavalry. Stacy found it while metal detecting.Varnell’s Luke Stacy was out metal detecting and stumbled upon a 75-year-old 6th Cavalry insignia pin from Fort Oglethorpe’s Post.
After meeting with 6th Cavalry Museum Executive Director Chris McKeever recently, he learned that the pin belonged to the late Arla William Beard, who served in the 6th Cavalry from 1925 to 1941. His son, VC Beard, stopped by the museum to accept the pin.
The pin was found at the former site of a home which was demolished to make way for Farmingdale subdivision on Dalton Pike.
“At an old home site off of Dalton Pike south of Cleveland, Tennessee, there is a subdivision there now,” said Stacy, who estimates the pin was buried there for 60 years.
What made the pin stand out was Arla’s signature on the back, he said. Stacy held onto the pin for five years before inquiring about it and setting off on a search to find the owner.