Dallas Scott Hudgens, Jr., a Georgia native, was a family man, a well respected, self-made businessman and philanthropist, and a veteran of World War II who served in the U.S. Army in the European Theater. During his tour of duty, he landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, fought in the major battles of Normandy and Cherbourg, participated in the spearhead at the breakout of Normandy, and, as Allied troops advanced out of France into Germany, fought at the Siegfried Line, Hurtgen Forest, Battle of the Bulge, Bridge at Remagen and Nordhausen. On a visit to the Normandy American Cemetery in 1995, he was awestruck by the beauty and serenity of the site overlooking the English Channel and envisioned a similar opportunity on his land in Georgia, with its vistas of the North Georgia mountains and Lake Allatoona, as a perfect final resting place for veterans and a place for quiet reflection for their families and loved ones. He then decided to donate the 775-acre site for the Georgia National Cemetery. Although he did not live to see the actual donation and completion of the cemetery, he died knowing that everything was in order to complete this gift to the nation's veterans, the citizens of the United States, and the state of Georgia. The land was donated on April 3, 2001, and the cemetery was dedicated on June 4, 2006. He never forgot his Army buddies, or those who fought in other wars and conflicts, and made the donation for these Americans, their sacrifice, their families, and future generations of heroes.