Alabama
Alabama’s Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spanish Fort recognized as one of the best | WKRG.com
SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WKRG) — Beneath thousands of headstones, a life of service and sacrifice is honored at the Alabama State Veterans Cemetery in Spanish Fort.
“It is pretty profound the sense of pride in the work,” said cemetery director Joe Buschell.
“The beauty is just overwhelming, and there is so much honor here for our veterans for the community,” said Commissioner of Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Jeff Newton. “It’s just a solemn place.”
Buschell accepted the Excellence in Veterans Cemetery Operations recognition, but he says it is a team effort.
“We’re going to do whatever it takes. When the day starts, our obligation is to honor that veteran and their family,” Buschell said.
The only state veterans cemetery in Alabama is the final resting place for almost 5,000 veterans and their spouses.
“They truly care for the veterans of the state of Alabama,” said Glenn Powers, Deputy Under Secretary of Cemetery Operations for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that sets the standards for all 124 state veterans cemeteries across the U.S. “They do exactly what we want them to do, what the American citizens want them to do, take care of our veterans, honor them in perpetuity.”
Established in 2013, the 130-acre property off Highway 225 has room to expand for generations to come.
“They gifted everybody at least a part of their life, said Buschell. “At this cemetery, we have at least a couple that gifted the whole thing, so that means a lot.”
A debt of gratitude that can never fully be repaid.
Majay Thompson is down to four schools.
Thompson is a 2027 wide receiver out of Crest High School in Shelby, North Carolina. Alabama football is in the process of wrapping up another group of official visits and the explosive wide receiver is a part of this group. The wideout is now considering Alabama, Florida State, Georgia and Wake Forest. All signs point to a commitment announcement coming soon.
The Crimson Tide made Thompson a priority before getting him on campus over the weekend for an official visit.
At 6-foot and 186 pounds, Thompson reports the ability to run a 4.4 forty, and his speed is evident in some of his top plays from the 2025 football season. He flashes the ability to take the top off of defense by getting behind the secondary, along with his ability to turn a short pass into a big gain. The new Alabama targets sees his route-running, strong hands, ability to create separation, blocking, speed, and body control as strengths.
Thompson finished his junior season with 53 receptions and 865 receiving yards. He compiled 1,115 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns.
Watch Majay Thompson Highlights Below:
Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
Michael Nnabuife has verbally committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Nnabuife is a 2027 three-star tight end. Touchdown Alabama’s Justin Smith provided a breakdown of what Nnabuife’s commitment means for the Tide in a video. The video can be streamed below:
Since 2007, Touchdown Alabama Magazine has been a top-trusted source for Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes, updates & analysis. With a team of expert writers that have combined experience of over a decade, TDA is your one-stop-shop for keeping up to date with the Crimson Tide.
Entering year three in Tuscaloosa, the Kalen DeBoer era at Alabama has already proven to be a memorable one on the recruiting trail.
Following the retirement of legendary head coach Nick Saban, recruiting has not slacked at all for the Crimson Tide under DeBoer, with Alabama having compiled a top three class nationally each of the last two years, per 247Sports.
The Crimson Tide appear set to do so once again this upcoming cycle as well, with Alabama off to a strong start to the 2027 class as we enter the summer months, a period that has certainly been impactful for the program over the last two years in terms of landing commitments.
A list likely to grow in the future, here are five of the biggest early high school recruiting wins of the DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa.
5. Michael Carroll commits to Alabama
One of the highest ranked recruits to commit to Alabama under DeBoer so far is Carroll, a prospect who is certainly looking to be a home run addition for the Crimson Tide entering his sophomore season. The IMG Academy (Florida) standout was considered as the nation’s No. 1 interior offensive lineman, per 247Sports, out of high school, and is set to start for the second consecutive season this upcoming fall.
4. Alabama lands top 2027 quarterback Elijah Haven
Haven’s commitment is the most recent recruiting win featured on this list, with the Crimson Tide landing the elite quarterback prospect back in April. Considered as the nation’s top quarterback in the 2027 cycle out of Dunham (Louisiana), Haven is one of the highest-rated signal callers to ever commit to Alabama, and has star potential with the Crimson Tide, should he eventually make it to campus.
3. Lotzeir Brooks commits to Alabama
One of Alabama’s biggest evaluation wins of the DeBoer era so far appears to be Brooks, a wide receiver who was among DeBoer’s first commits in Tuscaloosa out of Millville (New Jersey). Coming out of high school, Brooks was ranked as the No. 25 wide receiver nationally, per the 247Sports Composite, and the wide receiver appears set to be a major piece of Alabama’s wideout room for years to come after a big freshman season a year ago.
2. Ryan Coleman-Williams recommits to Alabama
Coleman-Williams was a long-time Alabama commit prior to his decommitment following the retirement of Saban in Jan. 2024, with DeBoer and staff eventually getting the in-state Saraland (Alabama) star to recommit a few weeks later. Despite some struggles at times a year ago, Coleman-Williams has been a star for the Crimson Tide across his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa, racking up 1,500+ receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns.
1. Alabama flips Keelon Russell from SMU
A long-time SMU commit at the time, Russell flipped his commitment from the Mustangs to Alabama back in June 2024, with the Duncanville (Texas) quarterback going on to eventually become one of the nation’s highest-ranked recruits in the 2025 class. Russell now enters his redshirt freshman season at Alabama in a competition to become the Crimson Tide’s starter at quarterback, and is considered one of college football’s top potential 2026 breakout candidates.
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