Planes, Trains & Heroes: A Story of Warner Robins and the Robins Region

FROM THE PEOPLE
“My journey to Warner Robins began by being born in New York City, which continued by following my grandparents south
to Gainesville, Georgia five years later then to Atlanta for two years. My dad heard of a military base below Macon was hiring
veterans and knew, that for his family’s sake and livelihood, Warner Robins was the place to be. As a WWII veteran, his experience
and knowledge in electronics made him a good fit for the job. He knew he should leave the big city for this unknown land. Daddy
was hired and lived in a dormitory temporarily, along with other men coming to an area which lacked housing. The dorms were
located on North Davis Drive in 1954. Eventually these were used for Scout Troops, college classes, etc. until demolished. Dad
lived there through the year returning to Atlanta on Friday evening and back on Sunday evening. My mom and the three children
stayed in Atlanta until the school year ended to see if this new land of opportunity was all my dad had hoped it would be.
“To my mom and other women arriving in Warner Robins, the area did not offer much of anything to write home about. They were
truly pioneers and true heroes of their time. I was ten and the original Sacred Heart Church was already built.My first memory of
Warner Robins and Sacred Heart Church is still embedded in my mind. I was wearing a nylon dress to church on a blazing hot summer
day with no air conditioning. My puff sleeves on my dress became full of gnats. It was a horrible experience. My mom took me out of
church and removed my dress, never to be worn again anywhere in Warner Robins. I survived, but with lasting unpleasant memories.
“My first year of school here was grade five at Lindsey. It was a welcoming school with a wonderful principal, David Perdue,
who went on to being the Houston School Superintendent. My fifth-grade teacher was Max Croft who went on to Northside High
School to be its principal. By my sixth grade, Sacred Heart School opened its doors in an old Army wooden barracks. With the
beginning of this zealous endeavor, the nuns from Ireland were sent across the ocean to teach the Catholic students here. They were
the Presentation Sisters and were truly embarking into the unknown. These Sisters were true trailblazers. They had arrived wearing
wool, full-length habits, covering head-to-toe to live in a house with no air conditioning. These were heroes to all who came to
know and love them. Their tasks were daunting as American children were more rambunctious than their Irish counterparts.
“Today, here at Sacred Heart School, we no longer have nuns. They definitely shaped our minds and hearts with love of God
and our fellow man to become stellar members of society. The school went through to the eighth grade, and continues to do so,
kindergarten included. Sacred Heart Church and School has been a part of Warner Robins from basically the beginning of the
town’s conception, and still continues to grow with a new church and school. It has a large active parish with many programs and
Christian Service Center in the heart of the original downtown area.”
- Diane Wagner 2018
champions, ag sales, 2011-2012 and
2017; state grand champions, barrow, 2014-
2015; and state champions, floriculture,
2010-2011
PRIVATE
SCHOOLS
Private schools serving Warner Robins
include Warner Robins Christian Academy,
Sacred Heart Catholic School, Central
Fellowship Christian Academy, Christian
Fellowship Academy, The Westside School, and
Mt.DeSales Academy.
COLLEGES
Colleges with campuses in Warner Robins
include Central Georgia Technical College,
Georgia Military College, and Middle Georgia State
University. Other colleges offer extension or online
programs. Mercer University and Fort Valley State
are also choices for students in the area.
FROM THE PEOPLE
“I moved to the United States five years ago from Cuba, and Warner Robins has been my home since then. My sponsor family
lived in Miami a few years. They wanted to get away from the city and find a peaceful place to live. I believe Warner Robins was
the best choice they could have made because it has filled me with joy and peace.”
- Haydee Acosta
48 ✦ PLANES, TRAINS & HEROES