Hunterdon County hosts final veteran headstone cleanings for 2023
HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – Hunterdon County hosted a final day of veteran headstone cleanings on Saturday at two separate cemeteries, the Locust Grove Cemetery in Quakertown and the Milford Union Cemetery in Milford.
Since May of 2023, volunteers and residents have participated in over half a dozen headstone cleanings throughout Hunterdon County.
On the morning of November 4th, volunteers from the Boy Scouts of America Troop #108B, Troop #108G, and Troop #121, helped to clean veteran headstones at the Locust Grove Cemetery, and in the afternoon, a separate group of volunteers gathered to clean headstones at Milford Union Cemetery.
Both cleanings had between 25-30 participants respectively.
Some volunteers were repeat attendees, and those that were attending for the first time received instructions for proper headstone cleaning protocol and were directed to clean the gravesites marked for fallen heroes with an American flag. It was a wonderful day for volunteers to partake in the honoring of those who have served our nation in their final resting place.
Hunterdon County first began cleaning Veteran headstones in 2021, following a visit from Trae Zipperer, Navy Veteran, and founder of the non-profit group, ‘By Memorial Day’, an organization with a focused goal to clean and care for every veteran headstone across the county.
Headstone cleanings will resume again in the spring of 2024.