On Sept. 10, volunteers van visit VA national cemeteries like the Los Angeles National Cemetery, pictured here, to clean headstones in honor of National Day of Service. (Photo: VA.gov)
In a blog post published on Saturday, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it will be accepting volunteers to clean headstones at national cemeteries across the country on Sept. 10, including four in California, for National Day of Service.
The VA asks that volunteers assemble at their chosen cemetery by the main flagpole at 10:00am on Friday for an opening ceremony, followed by an instructional briefing on how to clean headstones properly and respectfully. Volunteers are also encouraged to “post tributes and photos on VA’s Veterans Legacy Memorial,” an online portal that honors America’s fallen servicemembers and veterans.
Commenting on the planned event, VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Matt Quin says, “as we reflect on the tragic events of 20 years ago, it is also appropriate to remember and honor the men and women who have given their lives throughout the Global War on Terror. Volunteering to assist with beautification projects to keep our cemeteries at national shrine standards is a fitting tribute to thank all of our brave heroes for their sacrifices on our behalf.”
The four national cemeteries in California accepting volunteers include:
- Golden Gate National Cemetery
- Great Lakes National Cemetery
- Los Angeles National Cemetery
- Sacramento Valley National Cemetery
National Day of Service Remembers September 11th
National Day of Service honors victims of the September 11th terror attacks as well as veterans and servicemembers who have fallen in the resulting Global War on Terror.
Since 2001, 776 servicemembers from California have died in these conflicts. Most recently, four U.S. servicemembers from California—Sgt. Nicole Gee of Sacramento, Cpl. Hunter Lopez of Indio, Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola of Rancho Cucamonga, and Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui of Norco—were killed while defending refugees and fleeing Americans amid the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.