Kansas Veteran Headstones Are Dirty

Veteran headstones in the State of Kansas are dirty and in need of cleaning. Trae Zipperer with By Memorial Day randomly stopped by Gypsum Hill Cemetery in Salina, KS to check on the condition of veteran headstones in Kansas. Like most every state, the veteran headstones and grave markers in Kansas are covered in biological growth such as black algae, lichens, and moss as well as dirt, grime, and bird droppings.

The cemetery supervisor was a fantastic gentleman and welcomed the idea of volunteers helping to clean veteran headstones and honor veterans in this cemetery with a flag at their grave. The City of Salina and the cemetery staff do a nice job of maintaining the cemetery grounds, but they don't have the manpower nor the budget to clean headstones, including veteran headstones. I asked for permission to clean a veteran headstone for this video and the supervisor was more than happy to say yes.

There are literally hundreds of veteran grave markers in need of routine maintenance attention at Gypsum Hill Cemetery. While walking the cemetery, I found the G.A.R. Section for Grand Army of the Republic where many Union Soldiers from the Civil War are buried. There are dozens more Union Soldiers scattered throughout the cemetery, but I chose this G.A.R. section to clearly show viewers the contrast between veteran headstones in a Kansas municipal cemetery and those white marble headstones you see in our National Cemeteries such as Arlington. The veteran headstones in Kansas are dirty, leaning, sunken, and fallen.

The forgotten Union Soldier veteran headstone of Sergeant John Gordon, Company F, of the 12th United States Colored Infantry was selected as the stone to honor with a proper cleaning. According to his muster rolls at FOLD3.com, Sergeant John Gordon was born in 1838 in Columbia, TN and enlisted as a Union Soldier at the age of 25 in Stevenson, AL on 5 Sep 1863. He was a farmer by trade. He was promoted from Private, to Corporal, to Sergeant, so we know he was good at soldiering.

Join the effort to clean every veteran headstone in America by Memorial Day. Visit ByMemorialDay.com to learn more and watch videos about how to properly clean veteran grave markers issued by the National Cemetery Administration. Like us on Facebook at By Memorial Day. And subscribe to our channel here on YouTube.

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