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Respect for the Dead in my home town

Started by Jim_Rogers, June 08, 2014, 10:26:32 AM

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Jim_Rogers

In a thread I started last fall, here: https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,70122.msg1052264.html#msg1052264

I mentioned the "total lack" of respect for our dead in the grave yard near me.

We have been working on upgrading the grave yard, with proper pruning of very over grown bushes, tree branches and repairing all the water faucets in the system.

We did a great deal of searching and refining our "Veterans" list the last week before Memorial day.

The local VFW guy who took over setting out flags from the local American Legion group said he knew of about 75 to 78 veterans that they put out flags on their grave sites.

He told us that if there were a father and son, in the same lot and both were veterans that he only put one flag there. We on the records committee and the main cemetery committee felt that every veteran should get a flag.

The records committee identified over 238 veterans in our cemetery and this list is still growing. Not because more veterans are dying but because we keep finding more as we walk around recording names and dates off of head stones.

This cemetery is on the town line with another town. And it is named after a village in this other town. A very high percentage of people buried there are from this other town as this area was one "parish" many years ago.

The other town appointed a "veterans grave officer" to care for all veterans graves in their town. And as there are so many veterans here in our cemetery he volunteered to place a flag on every veteran in our cemetery that we have found.

The other town officials were a little upset that he was using their money to buy flags and put in our town's cemetery. So we, the cemetery committee, voted to pay for all flags put in our cemetery by this grave officer. He has been getting some very nice flags. And he has gotten 144 for around $100 which is a great price, I think and feel. He has bought hundreds of flags.

He found a company that will pay their workers to do some community service, and asked them if they could help him put out the flags.

They send over a bunch of nice ladies to help him and they put out over 240 flags a few days before memorial day in an hour and a half.

Here is a picture of the group:



 

Here is a picture of "Donnie" with some of the many flags at our grave yard:



 

I don't have a picture of our grave yard with all the flag blowing in the breeze, yet, but I'll take one later today, when I'm there, if I can.

Also, today is "Fireman Sunday"
That is a day when the local fire company remembers all their past fire fighters.

The records committee was provided a list of names of past firemen and we located all their grave sites on our grave yard map so that they could use this list and map to locate all the graves in our cemetery. They, the current firemen of this other town, put out 98 flags on their past fire-men's graves, this past week.

The held a ceremony this morning with three fire trucks transporting flowers to the grave yard and all firemen were dressed up in their "Class A" uniforms.

Again I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of these find young men honoring our/their past fire fighting men. If I find one I'll post it.

We are very proud of the work we're doing and we have gotten lots of great comments from living relatives of the people buried in the cemetery. Including thank yous for having their veterans marked with a flag. One or two came up to us and told us that their relative has been there for many years and never got a flag, until this year.

Further improvements, will be adding a flag pole at the entrance to the grave yard for a central location to hold remembrance ceremonies. And driveway name signs. Hopefully some day a map sign showing all the lot numbers and driveway names. The newest driveway into our "new section" will be known as "Veterans" drive, in order to honor all veterans in our grave yard.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

sandhills

"We are very proud of the work we're doing"
As you should be, great job Jim.

VictorH

That's great Jim.  I know you and the committee have been working hard to get things right.  I bet it was nice to see all the flags in the breeze.

Peter Drouin

A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

drobertson

only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

Jim_Rogers

Well, we did another walk around today.
I did take two pictures, but they really don't show the flags the way I wanted to.

But I wanted to share them with you, as I said I would.
When I see a better angle that truly shows lots of flags, I'll snap another one.

From the middle looking east:



 

You can see the old church steeple in the back ground.

And looking west:



 

We found several grave sites today, that were on our veterans list that didn't have flags yet. And my partner on the records committee went back and put out five more flags today. And we found two or three veterans that weren't on out list, as well.

We're going to get more flags from the Veterans grave officer and have them on hand with us for next weekend's walk around so that when we find them we can put them right out. Father's day is a holiday that there are a lot of people at the cemetery to visit.

Thanks for all your kind words and comments.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Alcranb

Thank you for sharing. You and your helpers certainly deserve an attaboy  smiley_clapping job very well done!!
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.  (Mark Twain)

goose63

Jim as a combat vet i would verey much like to say THANK YOU 
goose
if you find your self in a deep hole stop digging
saw logs all day what do you get lots of lumber and a day older
thank you to all the vets

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Jim_Rogers

Quote from: goose63 on June 08, 2014, 08:51:58 PM
Jim as a combat vet i would verey much like to say THANK YOU

You are very welcome and thanks for your service.

Thanks to all for your kind comments.

Our current veterans list is now up from 238 to 255, and we're going to continue until we see that every one in our cemetery gets a flag, all summer long.

We were asked: "when are you going to pull up the flags?" We said we're only going to replace them when they are worn out and or the sticks are broken.
Others before us would pull them up and put them out again later on.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Jim_Rogers

We have completed the inventory of grave stones at this cemetery and our total list of veterans is now up to 298. We have 123 firemen as well.

We went through the cemetery just before Memorial Day and updated all the flags that needed upgrading and replacing. We also found some more veterans who didn't get a flag last year and we will have them on our list forever.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

goose63

goose
if you find your self in a deep hole stop digging
saw logs all day what do you get lots of lumber and a day older
thank you to all the vets

timberlinetree

Great job! my hat goes off to you and all your helpers!
I've met Vets who have lived but still lost their lives... Thank a Vet

Family man and loving it :)

CHARLIE

I sure appreciate what you are doing Jim. It bothers me to see graveyards forgotten or even graves forgotten. Two thumbs up to you and your committee.
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

SawyerBrown

Pete Brown, Saw It There LLC.  Wood-mizer LT35HDG25, Farmall 'M', 16' trailer.  Custom sawing only (at this time).  Long-time woodworker ... short-time sawyer!

Jim_Rogers

Thanks for all your comments.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

LittleJohn

Ok not too sound to PREACHY, but if you are a Thrivent member, or know any Thrivent members; you are able to apply for an "Action Team", which allows you to receive $250 to help start, maintain or assist an on going volunteer effort. 
**Moderators, I am not sure I am allowed to add this hyperlink (so remove if its not allowed)
https://www.thrivent.com/making-a-difference/living-generously/thrivent-action-teams/

I recently completed one to purchase a cooler, Gatorade and bottled water for a local branch of the Habitat for Humanity; does anyone realize how much $200 in gatorade/water is :o (SHOPPING CARTS WORTH, poor check out girl)!

Jim_Rogers

My friend "Donnie" the veteran's grave officer of Newbury, MA. has volunteered to take on the cleaning up of a cemetery in his home town. The next town over from me.

I visited him there yesterday.

Some of these settlers were buried there long before this country became the United States as the area was settled in 1635.

Donnie and his friends have begun a three year project to clean up the cemetery and find all veterans and make sure that they get a flag at their grave site.

Here is a video he did of his project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kZmnKnBXmNA

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Chuck White

Wow, that's a big project.

God bless you guys for doing what you do, Jim!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Jim_Rogers

We've continued to work on upgrading our cemetery with flags and flag holders.
We identified over 100 veterans who didn't have a flag holder at their grave site. The committee voted to spend some money and we bought some new metal flag holders and placed them at veteran's graves to hold new flags as they are needed.
We also got a new flag pole this past May and the town workers installed it just before Memorial Day.
We are flying the flag on "special" flag days. And I usually take a picture and post it on my facebook page.
Here is a picture of the new flag pole (viewed from the street) and the flag at half mast to remember all who were lost at Pearl Harbor.



 

It's a little hard to see in the above picture, because it was taken at dawn when I put up the flag.

Here is a shot of the new flag holders:


 

And here they are next to some headstones:



 

Our cemetery is in the group that gets the Christmas wreaths for veteran's head stones.
We will be putting them out on the 16th this year, with the help of the girl scout troop.
I'll have pictures of us doing it again this year.

Jim Rogers

PS Here is a better shot of the flag pole that I took on Fireman Sunday:



 

And the Firemen at the cemetery:



 

and:


 
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Kbeitz

wow... Maybe i made some of those flags....



 
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

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