How to Clean Veteran Marble Grave Markers by Memorial Day
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Learn how to clean a veteran marble grave marker using D/2 Biological Solution. Trae Zipperer demonstrates the proper way to honor a veteran with a clean headstone and grave flag by Memorial Day. While visiting New Hope Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in La Crosse, FL, Trae found the forgotten ground level marble grave marker for 20-year-old Private James I. Thomas who was a member of the 60th Infantry Regiment attached to the 9th Infantry Division during World War II. Along with the 9th Infantry Division, James Thomas landed at Utah Beach during the Invasion of Normandy on 10 Jun 1944, which was D-Day +4. He was Killed In Action two-months later on 6 Aug 1944 while fighting across France. Once a hometown war hero laid to rest with full military honors four-years after his battlefield sacrifice. His once sacred marble stone was found 9 Apr 2021 covered in black algae with encroaching sod covering his previously important death date.
What we’ve allowed to happen to our veteran headstones and grave markers is despicable. But, we can make this right, one grave marker at a time, by focusing on what’s really important.
Visit ByMemorialDay.com to watch how-to videos and find a link to the Fact Sheet Cleaning Government-Furnished Headstones/Markers issued by the National Cemetery Administration. Register at VeteranGraves.com where you can add Cemeteries, add veteran Graves, upload before and after photos, and document every detail of your veteran’s military service.
He turned 20 in combat. He died 4 days after his birthday. That’s so incredibly sad
That's what I said
heroes might have sad stories
This young man was not even old enough to buy a Beer today, yet he gave his life for our Freedom. Rest in peace brother James I Thomas.
My uncle died on August 4, 1944, two and a half months after he turned 19. Buried in Normandy.
@@vinipcplayer I agree
I took the overgrown grass off my grandfathers grave markers a few weeks ago. Going to go and clean it and my grandparents headstone soon.
For those of us who believe, they are not dead, only sleeping, awaiting a glorious resurrection. How can we truly believe in eternal life, knowing full well we will meet them in heaven soon enough, while at the same time allowing their grave markers to be covered in filth? I believe your grandparents are aware of your respect for them.
@@theyfaceeast indeed.
That’s sweet of you
Wat a waste of time and energy lul
@Todd Blanard okay todd who asked?
He was still a kid when he died..... he only spent 20 years on this earth, and he gave his life for it. God rest this hero.
His video will surpass 1,000,000 views within the next 48 hours, so his sacrifice is touching many lives all these years later. God has a plan.
He died 4 days after his 20th birthday, as someone his age, mad respects for him, and many others who died fighting for what they believed in, in either side.
And in most cases, what they believed in was simply standing in harms way for the country they considered to be their sovereign, their home.
That was the grave marker for a 20y.o. veteran. Such a young age. 🥺
Not young for a WWII soldier though
@@Jaketheaxman wtf do you mean it literally says WWII idiot
@@Vataleon He means that there were many that were younger than 20 in WWII. My Grandfather was 17 or 18 when he joined. He hadn't even completed high school yet and didn't get his diploma until years after he passed away in 1994 when my mother applied for it.
When a grave is placed in a non-military cemetary, it falls upon the relatives to maintain the graves.Parents may have passed on or the grave is unknown to other relatives. The "Friends" of our local disused cemetary park found several British WW1 graves beneath the years of undergrowth. These have been researched, cleaned and restored. It was wonderful that children from the local school visited and placed flowers on the graves. More importantly, some of the soldiers decendants have been re-united with their heritage.
Thank You for your respect and care for this young man's memorial stone.
"Lest We Forget"
4 days after his 20th birthday. That's very sad to think about. Thank you for cleaning his grave.
It was an honor to clean his grave marker. God has a plan. This video has reached more people than any of my other 48 videos, and it wasn't a plan to shoot this video. I had spent all morning shooting a different video a few rows away. I found James Thomas later while I was walking the cemetery preparing to treat all the veteran stones. I couldn't not clean him up, so I set up my camera and hit record.
@@theyfaceeast You are an amazing person for doing what you do. I enjoyed watching the video and listening to what you had to say. God bless you, sir
There is a very large US WW2 cemetary in the Netherlands in Margraten. The community cleans the graves of our fallen allies every year. I've tried to join but there was actually a waiting list when I tried.
Thank you so much. ❤
Visiting graves, I found one that was easily missed. All you could make out was two letters, the rest of the headstone was buried in the dirt. I spent fifteen minutes uncovering it by hand, as I didn't have any tools with me. The poor kid that was forgotten died at the age I am now, 23. I took a photo so that I can leave a flower when visiting my ancestors. I don't know him and can't find anything on him, but maybe if I honor him, he can be happy in the afterlife that at least one stranger cares.
If anyone knows an R. Eugene Brown who lived from 1960-1983, I'd love to know more about him. He's buried in a Moline, Illinois graveyard. I passed him for years without knowing his grave was there.
That’s very thoughtful of you 😁
Just did an ancestry check. This is my wife’s maternal great grandfather’s 5th cousin. Shows his nickname was Buster. I love what you’re doing for these honorable men and women. 💜
Stop lying lol
@Luft good doggie now roll over
20 years... so young, but he felt the duty of defending his country in the war. I'm not from USA but I respect those warriors who went to war to protect their land.
I respect all men that fight for their country and what they believe in
how they protected their land when they fighted in Europe?
@@empat8052 fought
He was killed 4 days after his 21st birthday. It’s tragic.
@@JOJOCRASHOUT it’s both bcs we still have soldiers.
My son and I recently began cleaning the markers off of children's graves that haven't been maintained. It is very sad, but very rewarding emotionally.
It certainly is very rewarding emotionally. I've had many volunteers tell me cleaning veteran headstones is the most meaningful thing they've ever done in their life.
The spirits of those graves watch in joy when people do this I just know it! I know that he would appreciate you cleaning his stone!
Happy 97 birthday James
James Thomas had just turned 20 four days before he was killed. I'm glad that at least people can now look at his stone and pause in remembrance.
I'm curious to know if anyone has visited the grave of PVT James I. Thomas after watching this video. His cemetery contains the remains of FIVE young Americans who died during World War II.
@@theyfaceeast I'm down here in Florida myself if you can provide the location stop by and show my respect.
@@stevethedude.4586 Location of PVT James I. Thomas' grave is New Hope Primitive Baptist Cemetery in LaCrosse, FL a few miles north of Gainesville. You can look him up on Findagrave.com
Thank you so much for make that young man's grave become beautiful again. May his lovely soul can rest in peace.. I'm not from US or that man's family but I respect everyone who fought for their country.. he died so young and in 4 days after his 20th birthday. Thank you so much for your service, Soldier
You folks at Veteran's Graves are outstanding citizens! As a veteran, I thank you for everything you do!
I sent D2 to West Virginia when we went there on vacation. We cleaned 11 stones. Families used to take care of the family plots until TV’s came into homes.
Active duty soldier here. Thank you for doing what you are doing!! This motivated me to look into veteran tomb stones near Fort Bragg, NC I usually dont have anything going on in the weekends but this made me feel like I should be out there cleaning those stones. Thank you
As a vet and one that is approaching the end seeing this has special meaning and I thank you sir for what you are doing. Semper Fi.
Can't imagine what these lads felt right before landing in Normandy. At such a young age too.
Much love from France, we're eternally grateful to your soldiers, may they rest in peace. At least thanks to people like you they've got decent graves.
The poor man died just after he turned 20. I’m 20 and it feels like my life is just starting. I cant imagine the feeling of being unfulfilled and regret in his last moments. If I was shot in the stomach at that age I probably would have had a heart attack from just the thought before the bullet wound killed me
Unfulfilled? He died a hero!
@@Faddidaddi he might have but was he able to live his life as others did due to the sacrifice he made? That’s now others see it but do you think that’s how HE SAW IT it in HIS dying moments with the chance of his whole life he has envisioned ahead of him suddenly ripped away? In his mind do you think he was thinking,” well I guess its worth trading a lifetime of memories and happiness for my life at this very moment”? I don’t. I would be mortified to be losing my life at that moment, knowing if I had taken a different route I would have been able to live the rest of my life. It’s not just the lives they have they worry about, it’s the lives they’ve envisioned to-be. Those who die in service don’t have that
9th Landed 10 Jun 1944. This soldier probably died around St Lo. Thanks for honoring this soldier.
We all get this video recommended on August 6th. Rest in Peace!
As a Paralyzed Disabled Veteran I cannot thank you enough for caring for our fallen brothers and sisters grave markers. I am going to do my best to initiate this in my area.
God bless you and I can assure you there are millions of us who are grateful for you. Each hometown needs one caring person to lead this effort. Leading is really quite easy, but it does take a few phone calls and organization skills. Volunteers will show up to perform the physical labor. Just get your first veteran headstone cleaning event on the calendar. Then send an email to each of your local new outlets including newspapers, tv news, and radio news about the event. You will get press coverage and the volunteers will just show up on time at the event. You will learn a lot during the first event, which makes the second event easier, and the third event a piece of cake. The absolute best people in your local area will show up to help!
I don’t know why this video showed up on my recommended page but I’m glad it did. Being from a military family and also a former army wife the respect you give to these people is amazing to say the least.
Now, with that being said, what struck me the most about this video is the name and birthdate. My oldest sons middle name is James (it was almost his first name) and his birthday is Aug. 2. He’s been in love with all things military/hunting/guns/strategy related since he was 2. He’s about to be 19. Ironically enough, his dads birthday is Aug. 6. I don’t know why this hit me the way it did, it’s just some weird coincidences, but I’m glad I saw it. Thank you. And please keep up the lovely work. 😁
I'm glad you found the video meaningful to you. Keep paying attention to all those weird coincidences. Sometimes they're not coincidences at all. Sometimes God has unique ways of communicating with us. He tells us to be still. If we pay attention, there's more going on around us than meets the eye. Your son sounds to me like a fine young man. I spend a lot of time thinking about the veterans of our past. When I see young men like your son, I think about how young all of the men were who fought for our freedom.
4 days after his 20th birthday. Thank you for doing what you do.
Why would anyone dislike this video? You did such a good job, sir… bless you. 🙏🏼
Thank you! It takes all kinds I guess. I could do without some kinds, but God tells us to love our neighbors.
I love this so much!
My dad was 18 years and 12 years old on Valentines Day 1951. He was wounded and listed as POW/MIA. He was put into a straw hut with 25+ other wounded soldiers and abandoned. Weeks later they were discovered by the Australians. 8 were still alive. He told us he survived because he was able to get snow through the walls of the hut. He was hospitalized for 6 weeks and then went back to his unit to finish his tour. At his funeral we were told the whole story of his bravery. He was a hard working, honest man who never complained and loved his country. Thank you for honoring these hero’s. It’s much appreciated. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I just joined your Veteran Graves.com website and plan to start with my Dads stone, and make a video of it and add pictures of him in his WWII Uniform in Europe and tell the stories he told us. Then I will go onto his Dad's and his dad's Dad, etc. And there's 2 separate Police Officers who were killed in the line of duty (from the same department, 30 years apart) from both sides of my family that I plan on visiting as well. Thank You for what you do. You have no idea of the ripple effect your work has caused. Stay safe.
He celebrated his last birthday and didn’t even know it. Love everyday ladies and gentlemen.
Every word and sentiment which you impart here is absolutely true. No embellishment needed. Thank you for this service in restoring these historical markers.
Amen. We have a lot of work to do, and hearts to reach, but we will one year get all veteran headstones cleaned by Memorial Day.
My grandfather was in WWII. He survived the sinking of the U.S.S Samuel B Roberts. He sadly passed away in 2015. I miss him everyday
I personally never seen an issue with overgrown headstones, to return to nature is a peaceful part of the cycle to me
100% agree
I agree very strongly with this
All our veterans deserve respect and remembrance. When I drive by a cemetery on Springbank Avenue in London, Ontario, Canada, I always glance over at the rows of identical markers on graves of Canadian veterans and say a silent thank you. We in Canada have Remembrance Day on November 11. Services are held at memorials across the country. The problem? Most forget afterwards and just "get on with their lives." All service personnel, active or retired, living or dead, deserve our respect and should remain in our thoughts all year long. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Canadian and American war cemeteries at Normandy. What a moving experience. I salute all who have sacrificed for my freedom.
Happy birthday James. May your soul be at peace and thank you for your sacrifice.
The man had just turned 20 when he passed, poor boy didn't even have the chance to live a life
He died a hero. In times of need, unfortunately sacrifices had and still have to be made.
@@timepoet77 yeah, but it just feels so unfair :(
Some poeple get killed before they get out of the mothers belly
This guy is a true American! Thank you!...And To the 400 or so people that disliked this video.... we are ashamed of you....
There has to be some place to where we can ship away those who don't love America. England had Australia! England also had their 13 colonies in the New World! Just drop them off with a bag lunch and SEE YA. Wouldn't it be great to do this with about 100 and videotape them 30 days later? I saw what it was like overseas when I was deployed in the Navy. I thank God for my ancestors who created the United States of America and I thank God for allowing me to live here, and not there.
Paying tribute to the fallen is so honoring. My grandfather fought in the Korean War. God bless them all.
Can you really just pop into a graveyard and clean stones? Do you have to ask? It seems like such a relaxing and overall morally rewarding thing to do for you county/city. I’m glad people such as yourself do things like this just out of the kindness of your heart.
Interacting to see an answer too, hopefully
@@aandrew763 i want an answer too
Me and my girlfriend do it in the spring and fall. Honestly just do it and if asked what you're doing be honest and explain what you're doing. It's really peaceful
Its technically illegal, but besides a karen, everyone would be happy to see someone do this. If you cant find any living relatives of the person, then you can clean it. But otherwise, ask a descendant
You must obtain permission from the cemetery steward prior to performing any work inside the cemetery. Each cemetery is owned by someone, or some entity such as a city, county, or church. Visit ByMemorialDay.com, watch the videos posted there, and click on the link to the protocol issued by the National Cemetery Administration. Do not take no for an answer! Give the cemetery a copy of the protocol. Government-furnished veteran headstones and grave markers remain federal property, so the old excuse of only family members being able to clean veteran headstones due to private property concerns is HOGWASH! Don't be surprised if you have to fight city hall to obtain permission to clean veteran headstones in city owned cemeteries. This is a just cause, so you will eventually obtain permission.
I am a Gold Star Mom. I lost my son in the Iraq War. Thank you for doing what you do for these men and women who gave the ULTIMATE sacrifce.
If this mission can bring any level of comfort whatsoever to you as a Gold Star Mom, then it has all been worth the effort.
Janine we had a prime minister here who started off weapons of mass destruction Tony Blair I blame him for all loss of life in that awful war he should have gone to prison but he still has that hanging over his head one day someone will put him there how he sleeps at night I will never know I am so sorry for your loss I will keep up my own fight against this scum bag for the rest of my life he is still trying to get back in to Government here but he never will I. Write to news papers so often just to keep my campaign going
Damn he died 4 days after his 20th birthday
Years ago, after church, families would take a picnic to the cemetery and clean family stones. They would plant flowers, trim the grass around the stone. Once TV came into the homes, they dropped the trips to the cemetery. Also, remember when stores were closed on Sunday? If you didn’t have gas or groceries, you were out of luck. EVERYTHING is now open on Sunday. Sunday was always reserved as a sacred day of rest. Now, no such thing. Thank you for honoring these hero’s. I use wooden skewers to clean out the lettering. The toothbrush is a good idea too.
There was a baby buried next to my family plot who was born in 1952 and passed in 1952. We give her flowers along with my mom and uncle's sites every year. My mom made sure we did that. Mom's resting place is beside this baby who is unrelated by blood, wouldn't have it any other way.
Also, thank you for your service, James Thomas.
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful testimonial of the human spirit. Your mom was quite a lady. Good choice for her final resting place.
I do the same…I found a little boys’ grave some years ago. He was born in 1896 and passed when he was 11 months old. I looked him up in digital church books here in Norway, and he died of pneumonia like so many children did back then.💔
@@theyfaceeast thank you, she was. Unfortunately after my grandfather passed away from COVID last year the plots are full. My father wanted to be buried beside her, but then changed his mind and has a hybrid solution, haha. He wants to be cremated and half his ashes spread on my mom's grave, the other half mixed into concrete formed into a small artificial reef sunk in the Gulf of Mexico and the family can give GPS coordinates to friends and family so they can fish over his resting place 🤣🤣🤣. Have to say, my parents are creative lol
@@Flufferz626 I didn't have an opinion on cremation vs burial until I visited all the graves of my known ancestor grandparents and found all their graves facing east. Now I am 100% for burial.
How far we’ve fallen. This young man was 20 years old and willing to die for his country. Not many 20 year old today are even willing to get up and go to work. Makes my heart hurt
Odd. I don't know a single person my age that doesn't have at least 1 job. Don't assume. It makes an ass out of u and me.
And there are droves of ppl going to the military right out of school, and carrying jobs in school... Even with that, just joining didn't equate to being willing to die... you're comment made my heart hurt... We'll call it even...
A lot of 20 year olds have been fighting our wars over the last two decades.
@@sweetbuns4537 yet you’re the one assuming, I’m 20 and know PLENTY that don’t even try to get jobs because they “don’t have to”.. don’t make an ass of yourself
@@hotpepper2491 It's too late, she already did with that stupid ass comment
- The History of the 9th Infantry Division -
1918:
Organized on July 18th, 1918 at Camp Sheridan, Alabama, the 9th Infantry Division was in training in the United States when World War I came to an end. The Division was then demobilized on February 15th, 1919, but was re-designated to a Regular Army Unit in 1923.It remained on the inactive list though.
1940-1941:
Reactivation of the Division came on August 1st, 1940 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with units assigned to it that had seen combat action during World War I. Among them were three Infantry Regiments: The 39th Infantry Regiment, the 47th Infantry Regiment and the 60th Infantry Regiment. These regiments had already distinguished themselves in combat and would receive honors in the years to come. After reactivation the Division entered a period of intensive training, followed by the Carolina maneuvers, conducted by the First Army in September 1941. The Division later was attached to the Amphibious Corps of the Atlantic Fleet and underwent amphibious training. Subsequently released from its attachment, the Division again came under control of the Army Ground Forces.
1942:
The first elements of the 9th Division departed in November 1942 for the North - African Theater of Operations. Elements of the Division took part in “Operation Torch”. When the 39th Regimental Combat Team landed at Algiers, the 47th Infantry Regiment hit the beaches of Safi, French Morocco while the 60th Infantry Regiment fought on the beaches of Port Lyautey, Morocco and secured the “Citadel”, known as the “Kasba”.
1943:
In the weeks that followed, the 9th Infantry Division completed combat missions in Tunisia (where the German “Afrika Korps” was smashed) and in Sicily before leaving for England where it went into training for the invasion of Fortress Europe. The 9th Infantry Division did not take part in D-Day, the invasion of Normandy on June 6ht, 1944 because it was considered a veteran Division that already fought in several heavy battles.
1944:
The Division landed on the Normandy beaches on D-Day+4, June 10th, 1944. It helped to cut of the French Peninsula and in capturing the city of Cherbourg and its vital port. It battled further across France and on September 2nd laid claim to being the first Allied unit to begin the liberation of Belgium when a unit of the 9th Division entered the town of Momignies. The Meuse river was crossed early in September and then the Division were amongst the first to cross into Germany, just south of Roetgen, on September 13th, 1944. From here the 9th Division helped to penetrate the German Siegfried Line and fought several heavy battles in the Hurtgen Forest area. After being pulled of the line due to heavy casualties, it “rested” in the Monschau Forest area, where on December 16th 1944, the German winter offensive, the “Battle of the Bulge” started. Here the Division beat back the enemy’s best efforts.
1945:
Highpoint of its World War II record was the crossing of the Rhine early in 1945. By the morning of March 7th, all bridges across the Rhine had been blown, except for one. This was the “Ludendorff Bridge” below the small town of Remagen. After a forced march, the 47th Infantry Regiment’s 2nd Battalion deployed over the bridge. Crossing against heavy artillery it became the first Infantry Regiment to battle across the Rhine barrier since the Napoleonic Wars. Soon the 60th Regiment made a daring dash across the battered bridge, followed by Division support units. Meanwhile the 9th Military Police Platoon, despite artillery and air attacks, kept traffic moving and doubled as medics and evacuation men. By March 11th, all combat teams of the 9th Division were across the Rhine. On March 17th the bridge collapsed and all further crossings by Allied troops in the central sector had to be made on pontoon bridges erected by engineers. By March 20th the 9th Division had conquered the entire central bridgehead area between the Rhine and Wied Rivers, securing a front from which the final blow was struck at the heart of Germany. The Old Reliables (a nickname given to them for actions around the Schwammenauel Dam in February) worked constantly on the shrinking Ruhr Pocket in the closing days of war, freeing approximately 900 slave laborers from five different countries with the capture of Sinu on the Dill River. On April 21st, 1945, the Division relieved the 3rd Armored Division along the Mulde River near Dessau and held that line until V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day), May 8th 1945.
My uncle and grandfather were both veterans. My grandfathers all served in WWII. My uncle served in Vietnam. I miss them. I love them. And I’m inspired to serve them in this way. Thank you for showing me the way.
Amen! I love them too. As a believer, you know they know what you are doing to honor them.
I’m here in August 8 2021
Me too
Me too ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡
me too :)
Man... He's only 20yo....and 4 days after his birthday too... Such a young man... While im 21yo struggling to finish my diploma
Hey don't feel too bad, they fought so the next generations could have life easier, they died so you could do your absolute best in school, so get your diploma and be proud cuz no matter what or who you are most of them would be proud to die again,
@@kalima2932 Amen.
James was 4 days past his 20th birthday! Makes me wonder what a 20 year old of today would do if their country needed them! Great respect for Private Thomas! RIP and thank you!
I barely just turned 20...I cant imagine the horrors this man saw and endured. God bless you James Thomas
So many. So young.
im not patriotic and i dont personally believe in any religion. that being said, my grandfather died less than a week ago and his funeral was a few days ago. when we were burying him i noticed all of the gravestones around us and how many of them were covered with grass and muddy, some people were even standing on graves. i picked all of the leaves and sticks off of the ones that i could, but it made me deeply deeply sad to see all of those run down stones that didnt have any care or attention for them. im getting rlly sad now so im going to keep this brief, but i think im going to start cleaning grave stones for no other reason than respect, whether they served the country in battle, educated others, or even just lived a life as best they could, i want to help honor and respect their burial sites and the physical evidence they left behind.
That’s good man. I wish you luck
@@ideajokeclown7633 thx (:
Exactly, human basic respect for every life is important regardless how these lives were lived, and we need to recover babies and children from boarding schools and other lost graves
I wanna but I feel like I would be embarrassed
@@autismreal im nervous for it too, but anyone who looks at someone cleaning a grave and judges them is an asshole. if i saw someone dutifully cleaning the muddy and grown over gravestones in a cemetery i would only think of them in the highest regard. even still, im pretty nervous abt it .___.
So sad he had just turned 20 before passing away..
They were, and are, all so very young. And each of their deaths altered human history, because they would have married and fathered children. Their wives would not have married the men they did. And all of us who descend from that alternate husband would have never been born. I learned this while building my family tree. I found not one, but two grandmothers whose first husbands were Killed In Action. I descend from their second husbands. If those young men are not killed, I never exist.
War is he'll on earth. Bless you for honoring this soldier. My dad was in the Korean Conflict. He had poor health because of it and left my mother a widow with five children. He was 30.
As you know, Korea is the Forgotten War. I am grateful for your dad.
Crazy to think we all get recommended and are watching this august 6th, the day of his death. God blessings.
You think god controls youtube?
Thx you!
I didn’t even notice until you mentioned it. Wow!
Wouaaw your so fucking right thats so weird
Dear sir, I can't begin to tell you how important how your efforts in tending the graves. It is clear to me that your efforts are an act of prayer. God Bless You.
It wasn't my idea. I'm doing what I believe God has asked me to do. The United States is God's country, founded upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, by our ancestors who were persecuted for their beliefs in their European homelands. God is being systematically removed from the hearts and minds of Americans. God has a plan. Upon most every one of those veteran headstones and grave markers is a cross. And unlike National Cemeteries, the veteran graves in our hometown cemeteries face east. Matthew 24:27
Never forget that peapole died for you're freedom always give respect for thoes who died in battle.
You have inspired me to do this! I am going to start doing this in my own home town from now on every year before Memorial Day.
I am now off to find out who is in charge of our local cemetery and how I can help out.
God Bless America 🇺🇸
Amen Justin. Visit ByMemorialDay.com and view each webpage there. Each page has videos to help you prepare to clean veteran headstones. On the About page, click on the link to the protocol issued by the National Cemetery Administration. You will want to share that protocol with your cemetery steward so they will know the veteran headstones are federal property and that you will be following the proper way to clean them.
God. He’s just had his 20th birthday when he was killed. How sad… :(
thats what i saw. 4 days after turning 20...
Not only were they 20, really young, they died 4 days after their birthday…
Atleast they got heaven as a gift
The fact that this man died at age 20, just four days after his birthday.. really shows how much these men sacrificed for our nation. Their entire futures were taken away because they were willing to pay the ultimate price to protect our freedom.
He died 4 days after his birthday, he barely made it to 20
It is very beautiful to see the patriotism and care of this man with the resting place of these heroes
that was 4 days after his birthday he was 20
This hurt's me 💔😢
Heading out today to do my first cleaning. Got permission and all my supplies. Can't wait!
1:57 I'm watching this on aug 6... I just got the recommendation this morning :0
same here
4 days after his 20th birthday he was killed in combat I'm crying
I’m sorry, you should frame picture of him or clean his tombstone. It relaxing and also respectful
@@heidivalli87 he is talking about the solider in the video btw
My grandfather was born 4/12/24. He was in the first wave on D-day, Utah Beach 6-6-44. He is still alive. Mr Thomas gave up a lifetime for our freedom. Thank you Sir 🇺🇲
Random Guy cleans my headstone
My Ghost: Thank You random guy ❤️
The 60th of the 9th Infantry Division first taste of battle on European soil came on D-Day + 4, June 10th, 1944, when it joined the 39th and 47th Regiments for an offensive into France. One of the first orders given to the 60th Regiment was to march toward Ste. Colombe. In this action the 2nd Battalion achieved outstanding results.
Somewhere you made a ghost very happy
I believe in heaven, so I can sense they are watching me when I clean their headstone. It's a connection unlike any other. It's really about what you do when nobody is looking, but they're looking.
Thanks for all your work and care and respect for our veterans. We are free because they fought for us.
He died when he was 20 😢
😢I need to do that , and not only for Veterans, but any grave stone , it is so sad I feel the same way you do , bless you for this amazing work of love.
Glad to hear we are of like minds when it comes to respectfully honoring our departed.
only 20 years old
He was only 4 days 20 it’s so sad
School kids should be taught to do this.
Very well done. I live in germany and we have a lot of war cemetries in the lower rhine area. Unfourtanetely our contry is really sick at the time. If we do what you do there and we did, they declare us far right terrorists and there are almost several cities all about germany that prohibited to take care about the fallen soldiers graves. Really appreciate what you are doing. Be safe and stay free, please!
Very insightful comment. Those German military veterans were the good guys to their loved ones. They did their duty to what they considered to be their sovereign, what they considered to be sacred enough to die for. In war there are winners and there are losers. The winners obtain a platform from which to degrade the conquered. But the conquered were fighting for a cause they felt was worthy. Soldiers do their duty. They are not the ones who choose to go to war, but they answer the call to arms. Why? That is the question one must seek to answer before concluding men on one side were good and men on the other side were bad. We have the some issue here in America with our Confederate veterans from our Civil War. Their loved ones built monuments to them, and 50 million Americans living today descend from them, but the movement today is to erase them. Again, why did they leave their homes and families to go to the front line?
“ they weren’t savages. They were decent people acting in the interest of their nation obeying orders”
- Ben Ferencz last Nuremberg fella
@@theyfaceeast What a pathetic comment. german soldiers commited war crimes; atrocities and mass murder. They left their homes because they thought they are ubermenschen, the pinnacle of the human evolution. Everyone else in the East was not a human being to them. They couldn't wait to go and kil innocent people and make room for the only valuable beings on earth; the germans. Get educated and read some of the memoires instead of babbling so much ignorant bs.
@@hotshot6674 Never Google US war crimes or you're gonna have a bad time
sad news. The last D Day veteran died 2 or 3 days ago in the UK. before he's 100th birthday. so sad. may all the veterans who are laid to rest where ever they are. May they all rest in eternal peace 🎉🕊️. from 🇬🇧 an old cockney gal. Great job. 😢
I too am from England, about 400 years ago! We must never forget what our veterans of the past did for us. That goes for ALL of them, because each of their contributions contributed to the condition we find ourselves in today. Future generations will be called upon to do their part, some with their lives. The warrior culture is preserved in the sacred veteran headstones that mark the graves of the finest our God produced.
@@theyfaceeastI quite agree and most of the soldiers who died they were young boys. if you know your history. There's a England. UK. And great Britain. Which a lot of people don't know and get confused about. It still does my head in and I was born in London. I do love my country and the historical places and the architecture I luv the most. well you b safe take care catch you on the flip side. You've got me as a subscriber for sure. Great video thanks. check out the poppy video in London. it's amazing. But make sure you have some tissues ready it's a tear jerker. from 🇬🇧 an old cockney gal 👍👍😄🕊️ and ❤️to all
@@MarieFletcher-tw7io I do want to become more fluent in the British Isles terminology. I have ancestors from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. I know there were wars before my ancestors left for the New World, and some were probably not fans of England. But I come from all four groups.
Wow, his birthday is tomorrow.
It’s in 5 days 🤨
@@KiaSoulEV-rt4sg that’s the day he died
@@KiaSoulEV-rt4sg That’s his death date.
Your right, happy birthday to this soldier.
I'm 72 and ashamed I've never thought about this before thank you for bringing this to my attention i would like to participate in something this meaningful.
thanks for the cleaning tips.just went to my dad's grave at my state veterans cemetery.
had the same dark mossy looking growth.just used water.but now I know I need to grab this D2 solution...finish look's awesome..Thank's trae
Damn he just turned 20🙏🏾
And I noticed he passed 4 days after his birthday on August 2nd 💕❤😢
few days after his birthday 😔why he? he was only 20 years old
That is so sweet. It looks beautiful afterwards. Veterans do deserve this.
Wow. 20 years old.
After his birthday.... 2nd august right...
@@mygamingchannel8555 ooh yeah my b
That kid had just turned twenty the week before, when his world came to an abrupt end. Thank you sir, for your kind labor.
Our veterans from all generations each gave something of themselves, their youth, their lives. It's unconscionable that we allow their graves to be abandoned without honor.
Damn bro. 20 years old😔
Poor kid died 4 days after his birthday.😢
he was 20 for 4 days
This kid did things for us at 20 he helped save the world now a 20 yr old most can't think without a phone
Our young people are capable of doing great things if we don't allow them to be indoctrinated by influencers who have no comprehension about the cost of freedom.
Weird how everyone got this recommended in august 6
7th for me but yeah, quite coincidence
7th for me as well. Weird
8th
People who give their lives for their country and people and are ready to give their lives are the most honorable. Being patriotic is a high virtue. I pay my respects to patriots living all over the world. A friend from Turkey...
This poor kid was 20
Wow 20 years old thank you james i thomas for your service you were a brave young man now days 20 year olds are affrid of there own shadow
As a combat veteran who lost brothers in battle, than you so much. I will get out and do the same.
He was only 20 yrs and 4 days old...😕
You are doing a great job! ❤
I was born on August 2nd. I don't know why but, I am always happy when I find out someone was born on the same day. I'm going to pray for him too on our birthday. ❤🇬🇪
Prayer is a wonderful idea.
Jesus christ he died at 20- being 20 myself (currently) I cant imagine being on his shoes honestly. Thas so young...
He was barley even 20 he died 4 days after turning 20
@@regulus_red true true. S just hard to imagine someone my age or younger dying, even if we’re generations apart, yknow? Life hitting me in the face with reality
@@shimaren2425 which is why although I'm not American
I don't support The draft and the fact YOU HAVE to sign up for possible conscription to get federal benefits or risk a fine or jail in case of a war.
@@MarcusCollins69 idk much abt the draft honestly, I’m still reading about it while researching on the topic (not an American myself as well), so I didn’t really know about the last part you said (which is good that I know now, will research more on it later)
Tho I believe it’s not just the draft that got these kids into the middle of the war. Something something sense of duty? Some of these kids wanted to serve...
_but at what cost tho_
Jesus died at something like 36/37 y.o.
Thanks for doing a simple yet meaningful work. Lately I've been thinking about life and death. I find it sad that I'm almost 20 and knowing about someone like me who had to die in war, I can't even imagine what it must have felt like and what was going through his mind. I say we all have an impact on Earth and everybody, you did one in many and on this poor fella who is R.I.P. Thanks again
Thank you for watching. I'm glad his sacrifice touched you in a way that might make your limited time on earth more meaningful.
He literally died 4 days after his 20th birthday 😭😭😭💔💔
All British veteran gravestones around the world are cared for by a special commission they are immaculate ,I visited a British cemetery in kanchanaburi Thailand and not a blade of grass was out of place.
I have witnessed an example of the British veteran gravestones being meticulously cared for in a municipal cemetery located in Arcadia, Florida. The gravestones mark the final resting places of British Airmen killed in training crashes at a Florida airfield during WWII. Adjacent to the more than 20 British Airmen was the filthy veteran headstone of an American Navy sailor killed in action during WWII, his white marble upright veteran headstone covered in black biological growth.
I just returned from a veteran headstone cleaning event at Vicksburg National Cemetery in Mississippi where 18,000 veteran headstones had not been cleaned in what looked like decades. We have much work to do here in the United States and the Pacific to begin showing proper respect to the military veterans of our past.
I have visited that Graveyard and left o poppy on the site where my mother’s first husband died building the Burma Railway and died there. He was an Australian soldier.
@@janwalker8716 the depth of your heart is extraordinary to have visited the site of your mother's first husband's grave site in Thailand. At first, I thought you were referencing the cemetery where my video was filmed. Second, I thought you were referencing the cemetery I mentioned in Arcadia, FL. But I don't recall seeing a Canadian serviceman buried in those two cemeteries.Then it hit me you were describing the comment about Thailand. I receive many comments and yours is one of my favorites. God bless you, your mom, and her first husband. You simply do not exist without his ultimate sacrifice.
@@theyfaceeast I tell my children and grandchildren that except for his sacrifice that none of them would be here either. I do feel blessed to have been born. She met my father eventually, he was a veteran from the US Army and he received the Bronze Star with Cluster and the Purple Heart among other awards. His war was fought in Europe.