Honoring Veterans . . .

. . . In 150 National Cemeteries

A re-reading today of one of the journals appearing a few months ago in the "bundle" of the American Amateur Press Association (for info on the AAPA, click on its big emblem on the right side of this blog) brought up the query " how many national cemeteries exist for the last resting places of United States servicemen and women.

Len Carrick, a retired dentist in Redding, California, did a brief research for his SHASTA RAMBLIGS and learned that there are 142 such cemeteries in existence in 39 of the 50 states. Being apprised of new dedications, I have added eight more, two of which are on the islands of Guam and Saipan

But the count of national cemeteries does not end there. Existing on foreign soils are 24 more, mostly in France, Belgium, Italy and England. Mexico and Luxembourg also host American veteran cemeteries.

The foreign soil cemeteries have 124,947 veterans interred. In Mexico City and Corozal, there are 6010 such burials.
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And the count of honor cemeteries for veterans continues in 27 states which to date have established and dedicated 74 such burial grounds and one has been dedicated in Puerto Rico.

Certain of the cemeteries include those who fought for the United States in wars dating back to the American Revolution and some burial grounds include soldiers of the Confederate States of America who perished for their cause in the Civil War of the mid 1800s.

Cemeteries for veterans are cared for by the Veterans Affairs Administration, the United States Army and the National Parks Service. If you visit a veterans' cemetery, be aware you will possibly be blinded by the expanse of white marble gravestones and then be amazed by the precise and so careful manicuring of lucious green lawns.

There are many ways of honoring the deceased heros lying in those graves. One of the ways is that of a lady I heard of through an obituary at her demise.

Once a month she visited the Bourne National Cemetery on Cape Cod in Massachusetts carrying a dozen red roses.

Whenever among thousands of graves, she found one with a last name matching hers, she laid a rose on the top of the stone. None of the names she found were of relations. They just needed to be honored she felt.

Don't let any veteran YOU may have known be forgotten. Pay tribute now to someone who helped make it possible for you to honor him - or her. Maybe one day it will be me you honor and, in advance, thank you.

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