River Road roundabout at Green Island named for Medal of Honor recipient Col. Ralph Puckett

COLUMBUS, Ga. ( WRBL ) — If you are travelling along River Road at the Green Island Drive roundabout, you might notice something a little different.

The roundabout got a new name Monday.

The Georgia General Assembly has renamed the interchange after Medal of Honor recipient Col. Ralph Puckett.

This roundabout has been operational for about five years. Those involved say having Col. Puckett’s name on an interchange not far from where he lived is appropriate.

Monday morning at Spring Harbour this sign was being presented to Jeannie Puckett to honor her husband, Col. Ralph Puckett’s service and sacrifice.

At the same time, the sign on the roundabout at Green Island and Brookstone Drives was being unwrapped.

“Col. Ralph Puckett was a very important person to me,” former Georgia DOT board member Sam Wellborn said. “I loved him dearly just like everybody else. One of the most outstanding people I ever met. One of the best leaders in America. And it’s only fitting that we name something permanently after him so that his family go through that roundabout they will remember Ralph and cherish his memory.”

Col. Puckett died in April at the age of 97. He has roads named for him on post at Fort Moore and in his hometown of Tifton.

But this roundabout has particular significance to his wife, Jeannie. Col. Puckett retired from active duty in 1972 and went to work for Outward Bound, helping wayward teenagers find the right path.

“And he used to equate it to a roundabout,” Jeannie Puckett said. “You know you can’t contemplate your navel and expect something to drop on your shoulders. So what you have to do is from the roundabout you take a route. You dedicate yourself to that for a year or two. And if that doesn’t work you come back and pick another path. But you have to commit yourself fully to whatever it is you choose. But it’s not a commitment for the rest of your life if it’s not a good fit. A man can take another road. So, it’s very appropriate this is a roundabout where you get different choices.”

State Rep. Debbie Buckner sponsored the legislation that enabled the naming of the portion of a state highway after Col. Puckett.

She says House Speaker Jon Burns often talks about honoring and remembering people often as a way to keep their memory alive.

“What better way to learn about our military and about leadership and just general good works in the community than to learn about Col. Puckett,” Buckner said. “Lot of lessons there.”

Since Col. Puckett’s death there have been honors at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. and at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

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