Decades after the soldier's death in combat, a ballad inspired by the grave of a Georgia WWII hero has been written.

From the grave, a World War II hero from backwoods Georgia continues to inspire Americans today.

A song about the story of U.S. Army PFC Ervin O. Jones is fitting.

In 2014, Craig Gleason, a Georgia songwriter, wrote "The Ballad of Ervin O. Jones" after discovering the soldier's headstone in a churchyard cemetery in Alpharetta with his daughter.

Gleason described the story as powerful during a telephone interview with Planet Chronicle Digital on Sunday.

Gleason instructs veterans in songwriting during Warrior Week at Camp Southern Ground in Fayetteville, Georgia.

The Nashville Songwriters Association's former coordinator, Gleason, founded the Grammy Award-winning musician Zac Brown's camp in 2011.

Near his home in Alpharetta, Gleason saw a church cemetery as a chance to educate his 12-year-old daughter about local history.

According to Gleason, homeschooling involves utilizing real-life experiences, such as travels and interactions with people, as a means of education for children.

Songwriters use their gift of music to interpret everyday experiences and share them with others.

"These tombstones can teach Audrey a great deal."

The Gleasons discovered a hometown hero buried among them, and in doing so, learned about the long-lasting grief that affects families after wartime losses.

During the Battle of Okinawa on April 17, 1945, 20-year-old PFC Jones was killed on the island of Ieshima as American forces approached the home islands of Imperial Japan.

Gleason was haunted by the grave of the soldier and was moved to write about him. However, he wanted to uncover the true story about the young man resting under the headstone near his home.

Curtis, the younger brother of PFC Jones, was still alive and residing in Canton, Georgia.

"Gleason stated, "I visited Curtis, who resided in a small trailer in the woods. I knocked on his door and introduced myself. I informed him that I was writing a song about his brother Ervin and requested a conversation.""

Ervin was like old-school backwoods Georgia. Real salt of the Earth. He invited me in and for the next three or four hours in his living room he pulled out artifacts, pictures, and an old guitar that Ervin owned.

It was discovered that Gleason and the ever-youthful impoverished farmer from Georgia possessed the talent for music.

"Within a few hours, I felt like I was part of the family after laughing and crying with them."

PFC Jones, the former stranger, died as a hero, among other things that Gleason learned.

In July 1945, Capt. William B. Cooper, the soldier's commanding officer, wrote a letter to the soldier's mother, Jennie, expressing his admiration for the soldier's courage and aggressiveness in action, which served as an inspiration to the officers and men in the company.

Jones' parents never fully recovered from the grief they experienced after learning about their son's death, according to Gleason's most painful discovery.

John and Judy Jones, PFC's nephew and his wife, stated via text message on Sunday that Granny Jennie and Papa Harmon never mentioned Ervin, and they visited them every Sunday until their passing.

"American patriots and war heroes, much like songs, grow from the most humble circumstances."

"The loss of their firstborn son Ervin caused them constant pain, and they continued to grieve until their death."

Gleason imparted a valuable lesson, which he strives to convey to aspiring musicians, seasoned performers, ordinary citizens, and his audience when he sings "The Ballad of Ervin O. Jones."

American patriots and war heroes, like songs, originate from the simplest beginnings.

In the final stanzas of the ballad, he both composes and performs: "From the lowlands to the highlands / Through every tree and boulder / Fell brave warriors who sacrificed their all / Like Ervin O. Jones."

For more Lifestyle articles, visit planetchronicle.net/lifestyle.