My father is a Vietnam War vet buried in Gettysburg, PA. I live in NC. Three years ago, I visited for the first time since my mother passed, 10 years ago. Dad’s grave looked horrible! My god-daughter had moved to Gettysburg, so I would be visiting more often. When my husband and I returned about a year and a half later, we brought the garden tote so we could clean Dad’s grave. To my surprise, someone had already come along and done it. He even had a new flag and the little vase for flowers was cleaned out. I just came across this video. I’m sure you didn’t personally clean my father’s grave, but as a family member of a veteran who received a similar cleaning, I want to say a huge thank you! This truly means more than you will ever know. ❤
Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I know there are many people across the world who have volunteered to join this effort to clean every veteran headstone by Memorial Day, but we have only scratched the surface. I have no idea yet where someone has cleaned veteran headstones and where nobody has responded to my call to action.
My great-grandfather was a polish soldier in ww2 and was a pow and was freed and liberated to Scotland and ended up in South East London so u sir a honor to all the people who have served love from the UK
I thank you for your respect of our veterans. Too few do. My Dad, a WWII. Veteran and Ex-POW is in a private mausoleum, but I will do this for others. Thanks!
Was an Infantry Captain? If so, that is a very big deal in combat. In the Civil War, the Captains led from in the front their Company of 50-110 men directly into the face of the enemy.
It's in my bucket to clean up my Dad's grave marker cleaned up before I go. He was in WW11 and Korean War. Thank you for posting, I've gotten some ideas.
I am a Vietnam veteran who will be 80 in January (2025). I never married and have no children so there will be no one to clean my veteran's marker, so this kind act by you, young man, gives me comfort. Thank you.
I thank God for you. I grew up in the 70's and 80's. You need to know that my generation of boys viewed you Vietnam Warriors as our heroes. Your comment is very special to me. I've received thousands of comments, but never one like this. Maybe you are the reason God asked me to do this. I thought the Gold Star mom was the one, or the Gold Star dad, or the Gold Star wife. But God bless you sir, we've got you.
@@theyfaceeast For a while after I returned from Vietnam, we were disrespected and called names by the generation of protesters. However, by your generation, that began to change. The Vietnam war was not a conflict that was supported. Jane Fonda is still hated by the Vietnam veterans, so you are very much appreciated. Thank you.
@@IanGray-gs3zk Jane Fonda is a famous actress, the daughter of famous actor Henry Fonda. Jane Fonda was a Vietnam War protestor and traveled to Vietnam to meet with the enemy leaders. American Armed Forces veterans insert her photo into urinals to literally pee in her face. The first time I saw Jane Fonda's face in the bottom of a men's urinal was in a men's bathroom at a Go Cart track where I worked for a few weeks during high school. The owner of the Go Cart track was a Vietnam Veteran. That is how bad veterans hate her for what she did.
@@LifeRaw_co with these ground level bronze grave markers, you don't know the location of the edges of the base stone until you expose it. Also, you don't know if the base stone is made out of concrete, marble, or granite until you expose the base stone. In cemeteries such as the larger newer for-profit perpetual care type, grounds crews do use mechanical edgers to cut around the edges of the base stones. As volunteers of varying skills with mechanical edgers, and the unknowns beneath the encroaching sod, to make sure we do no harm is why I recommend using a hand tool as shown in this video. We also avoid using any powered tools because there's just too much risk of doing irreparable harm.
@@LifeRaw_co I understand your heart is in the right place, but one ought to also take into consideration that Mr. Johnson was someone's family. It's one thing to go in and (properly) clean a headstone, but it's something else entirely to take it upon yourself to do any sort of structural alterations to the stone that could potentially damage or harm the stone. I know for me, I'd be PISSED if some stranger came in and effed around with my family's gravestone without our permission or knowledge! I've seen other RUclips videos of people who've gone and cleaned random stranger's headstones, with the best of intentions I'm sure, in COMPLETELY the wrong fashion! Power washers for one....on marble none-the-less!!! I was CRINGING the whole time watching them! I would be FURIOUS if some ignoramous came along and cleaned my any of my family's stones incorrectly and caused damage to them! It's better just to do what those like Trey do, go in, clean them properly, and do no harm.
@@theyfaceeast Trey, I also wanted to ask you; I recently took up gravestone cleaning myself, and among a couple of others, you have taught me some valuable tips in doing so; but I wanted to ask you: you said in this video that using D2 on these bronze pieces wasn't necessary, but tell me, would going ahead and using it anyway, especially if the plaque looks like it could use it, actually do any damage to it? I can't think that it would, but I wanted to ask your opinion anyway. Thank you for teaching me useful tips for my own journey into stone cleaning! :-)
I was too your post today. We have been waiting for 3 years for my mother's headstone. My father who was military and buried beside her is in desperate need for this. I didn't get the opportunity to know my father. You have given me the inspiration to honor him. Thank you for what you do,
Wonderful! I envision a day when every veteran of our past, including your father, has a Volunteer assigned to their grave to make sure their graves and headstones are respectfully maintained in perpetuity.
Very nice of you to remember the women who served. My friend was a nurse in WWII in England caring for our boys. She is a spry 101 years young God bless her.
I envision a day in the near future when every veteran grave will have assigned to it a loving Volunteer committed to ensuring their veteran's grave is respectfully cared for at all times, and especially clean by Memorial Day. Register as a Volunteer at VeteranGraves.com
As someone who buried a retired, army veteran father and Marine veteran husband, one at 54 and the other at 37, it touches my heart to see the care with which you have honored these men and women who served. God bless you sir.
I grew up in awe of a grandfather who landed at Utah Beach and fought his way across Europe to victory. His two Purple Hearts, Bronze Star, and 2-hour routine each night just to fall asleep enabled me to comprehend the cost of freedom at a very young age. My grandmother's brother was killed in action during the Battle of the Atlantic. I assumed everyone understood the gravity of what our military men and women have done, and continue to do. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go when it comes to educating the next generations about why they are so fortunate to live in a country where they have no fears when they go to bed at night.
Une reconnaissance éternelle a tous ces BRAVES qui ont combattu pour liberé mon pays , pour l'Europe ,pour le monde et qui pour certains ont perdu la vie et ne sont jamais rentré auprès des leurs . Paix a leurs âmes .A vous un immense merci , vous restez dans nos coeurs. (Belgique)
Thanks for doing this for our fallen soldiers. My grandfather was killed in Normandy when my father was 16 months old and unfortunately we didn't get to know him but are proud to know how he fought for our country. We have always been very loyal to all memorials and his name is on the wall in Bedford va and the memorial there and have him in our local memorial building here and very proud to be his child and grandchildren. Thank you for all you do it is not gone unnoticed!!
I am grateful for your grandfather. We owe a debt to these men and women we simply cannot pay, except to genuinely honor them. It seems to me keeping their headstones clean is the least we can do to show our respect to the veterans and their family members who visit their graves.
You have inspired me a 51 Year old legally blind man who tried to sneak his way into the Navy at 16 years old and was told I couldn’t because of my vision and by watching this video I can certainly Honor one who did. I will clean a veterans marker in 2023 using this video as reference. Thank you for sharing this video, God Bless you Sir. We Salute You!
Thank you Jose! I can tell you we had a blind veteran who cleaned veteran headstones as a volunteer at every headstone cleaning event I organized here in Fort Myers, FL.
Thank you for this, Sir. I've been compelled to clean my own fathers grave. His name is Randy Robinson and he served in the Air Force. He passed in '91 and I don't think it's ever been treated. Thank you for this knowledge.
As a son of a Vietnam veteran I want to Thank You for doing this! Also, thank you for the video, as I have been wondering how to clean my Dad's marker and my family members that served! God Bless You and zGod Bless America! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Rock on Guy, love ya for what you are doing. AS a Black Naval Vet, you have no idea what that meant to see you this morning on the Kelly and Ryan show showing what you are out there doing. What better way to heal this country after all the racial divide we have been going through lately. God Bless You Sir!
Thank you for undertaking not only the noble work of carefully and respectfully maintaining our veterans' gravestones, but also sharing the process with the world and encouraging others to help as well. I'm in 100% agreement that these grave markers should be maintained in perpetuity so our veterans and their progeny know they are cared for even when they have left their earthly presence behind. I respect you greatly for this and will endeavor to help out at a military cemetery in my area.
This is a great way to honor our vets who have died - but there are a lot that are still here, or who left widows behind. It would be nice if people would help care for their lawns, scoop their sidewalks, etc., to show our appreciation while they are still with us. Thanks for showing us how to care for their markers.
I take care of about a half dozen veteran plaques. I agree, it is an honor to take care of my fellow veterans. Semper Fi to all my Brothers and Sisters.
I just found your video and it brought me to tears. I am an 8th generation South Carolinian and started doing my family history about 20 years ago, in that search I discovered that I had ancestors that fought in the revolutionary war, civil war and both WW....I have found their graves over the years and tried to honor them. In my search I have come across other veterans that I am assuming family members have passed on or moved away and their stones have been neglected. I have cleaned some just using water and a soft brush, it is an honor to discover these ancestors and find their resting place...thank you sir for what you are doing here.
You're welcome Pamela. Together, we will remember each and every one of them with a clean headstone by Memorial Day. It should not matter that the veteran no longer has any family members who remember him, or her. The entire population of America should remember them, and honor them. I cleaned a WWII Soldier's headstone this week and it was in such neglected shape. His birth and death dates were covered by dirt. When I scraped off the dirt, his death date was August 6, 1944. The 20 year old had landed at Utah Beach during the invasion of Normandy and was Killed In Action 8 weeks later. And there he was a forgotten hero in his own hometown. I got him ready by Memorial Day!
@@maggienbob1304 Canada declared war on Germany in 1939. The USA declared war on Germany four days after the Pearl Harbour attack in late 1941. Many Americans joined the Canadian military to fight "early". The same happened during WW1 as well.
@@boxwoodgreen Thank you for that. I had no idea, so much I don't know really. Don't know why, but your comment brought a tear to my eye. I think it's just knowing and understanding a little more about him. Thanks again.
@@maggienbob1304 Teary coincidence 1of 2.Years ago I read a book by HW McBride, an American Army Officer ( Colonel I think), and Scout who resigned his commission to come to Canada to enlist for WW1 as a sniper, and machine gunner. He was very precise about locations. Scouting alone on the morning of June 13, 1916 Sgt. McBride he writes, climbed up a railway berm that looked onto the the infamous Hill 60 at Ypres, Belgium. There, Canadian trenches crossed in front of the hill held by the Germans. And then he records the start of a barrage of Minenwerfers, garbage can sized German mines shot up in the air to come down at a steep angle. Slow enough for Sgt McBride to watch each one fall. One came down in a trench where in the tight space it killed a dozen+ Canadian soldiers of the 7th Battalion British Columbia Regiment. One of whom was my great uncle James. James now rests a mile north with his comrades in Railway Dugouts Commonwealth War Cemetery at VI-D-17. A brave American volunteer risking all, saw it happen, and recorded it for my family.
Cleaning a veteran's grave marker is one of the most meaningful activities I have ever made an effort to tackle. We have much work to do as a NATION, but if we stay the course we will get every veteran headstone cleaned by Memorial Day.
Thank you for looking after the Veterans! My Parents are buried out at our local Veterans Cemetery here in Arizona. It's only 10min from our home so we get out there often. We've always cleaned Dad's stone , now that Mama's joined him we still do. Dad was also born in 1918. He was in Italy in WWII, M Co! He went all the way to the Alps from the bottom of Italy up. He was part of the Monument Men in the Alps finding paintings and sculptures hidden in a Castle up there.
I have read several books about those Monument Men. It was thrilling to learn how dangerous their rescue missions were. Thank God for all the men and women who were and may still be actively involved.
I wish people would do this where my husband is buried. Hubby, Lt. Col., died in service and my Father (USAF, Ret.) are both at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Albuquerque. I’m in Virginia. Thank God for people like you. God bless you for doing this. I’m going to check into doing this locally.
I have witnessed with my own eyes the wonderful people who selflessly answer this call to honor veterans by cleaning their veteran headstones. They exist in every community, and they will handle this noble work, once they hear about the need. We just need to tell others until eventually a Volunteer is assigned to each veteran Grave to provide routine care in perpetuity.
There is something rather cathartic about seeing this. I can imagine their families, and other visitors can appreciate the gesture, and hopefully the veterans can feel the love and respect. I can imagine this work could make a lot of troubled souls sleep better at the end of a day, perhaps some judges will allow this as community service project. Perhaps helping beautify living veteran's homes as well.
That D/2 works crazy good! My Dad is buried in a National Cemetery that is extremely well maintained. I have 4 cemeteries near me that I will begin to identify Veterans that are buried within them and those needing to be restored to their original glory. Thank you for what you're doing for our Veterans 🙏🏼
My uncle Pat Blessing just passed 4 days ago and he was a veteran of the Vietnam war. He was highly decorated and a very brave man. He is to be laid to rest in Quantico National Cemetery. You sir are a just kind hearted and honest human being doing an amazing job. My heart is broken after losing my uncle Pat and I am in tears watching this video. God bless you sir.
I appreciate you and everyone who still honors our country's loved ones. A lot of ppl can't come to take care of graves. I love going to cemeteries besides cleaning n flowers I also love to take photos n post them on cemetery websites so they will able to be found by family and veterans. To me this is truly a beautiful act of love y'all are doing. Thank you bunches!
Thank you for your kind words of support. I've been visiting veteran graves in Utah and I can report the people of Utah do a fantastic job of paying perpetual respect to their veterans. We have much work to do, but there are many Americans who appreciate the cost of freedom. They will take on the job of maintaining a veteran's grave if they become aware of the neglect. We just have to ring the bell as loud as we can.
Thank you for this video. I searched how to clean my grandfather's (also a WWII vet) grave marker, so this was brilliant! Also noticed how when all the grass was pushed back, the sun began to shine through, then again with each step of cleaning. Very touching watching you honor this vet.
Congratulations on your work. I have a hard time doing my father's but the cemetery has helped. It's hard as we get older. My Dad was a Jedburgh in ww2.
Thank you for providing this thoughtful service. I hope others will follow your lead. My mother worked in Ottawa, for the British Admiralty. She was awarded the MBE for her service.
What a kind & respectful act for you to clean a strangers grave marker. Also to teach others how to do it. I try to keep my loved ones grave markers clean but never knew how to clean the cement so I was glad to Watch how you cleaned it. Again, Thank You.!
It really is a small world and we are DNA related to more people than we can ever imagine. I've spent a lot of time and effort building my family tree during the past 4.5 years, so I now know the surnames of my ancestors. I can walk into most any old cemetery in Florida and recognize one of those surnames on headstones. Almost every time I research that person, I recognize one of their grandfathers as also being one of my grandfathers. I recently found a Medal of Honor recipient in Cocoa, FL with a headstone not befitting such a hero. I recognized his last name of Bennett. Sure enough, he turned out to be my 4th Cousin 3x Removed. I would have never made the connection had I not built my family tree. I've experienced such joy by discovering my roots, so I try to inspire others to experience that joy as well.
That's the plan Adam! Eventually we will have a Volunteer assigned to each veteran grave and track the maintenance of each grave, including each time the grave flag is replaced.
Hello Honor Your DNA, I appreciate your reply. I occasionally drive past a large cemetery in London, Ontario and can see the veterans' section. I always say a silent thank you to all those interred there. We all owe our service personnel so much. In Canada, we have Remembrance Day on November 11 and services are held at cenotaphs throughout the country. Sadly, people return to their daily lives the following day and most forget! When I see the war cemeteries at Normandy and the thousands of stones at the graves of Americans, Canadians and British military personnel, I realize that all veterans, alive and deceased, need to be honoured and remembered YEAR ROUND, not just one day a year. I know that your efforts in cleaning memorials is appreciated by so many. Thank you. Regards, Bob in Ontario, Canada
You gave great care and attention to this grave marker. You are a good man, his family, if alive would be truly proud. If only we had such respect for our veterans in the UK.
My veteran headstone videos are being watched by people all over the world, including the UK, so hopefully you will see this movement gain momentum in the UK too.
Trae, you are awesome to be taking care of veteran's headstones. Thank you so much! My dad is a WWII army veteran and he has the bronze marker, joint with my mom's. They've been gone now nearly 30 years and I've never used anything but water to clean it. But it is tarnished and I do plan on shining it, then putting a clear glaze. You inspired me to buy some D/2 Biological Solution. Not cheap but it sure does a great job.
Thank you for cleaning this marker. My dad is buried 4 hours away and I want to go and clean his marker. I also want to paint the wording and dates in gold. Thank you for teaching me how to clean the marker.
I lightly sprayed my families headstones with spraying WD40 on it and using a soft lint free rag , I also use Q tips to get the letters cleaned. . Thank you Sir for taking your time and effort to clean the Veterans headstones. My husband served in Vietnam War US NAVY 1968.
We recently went to Michigan and I brought D2 with me as well as a small makeshift cleaning kit to clean my dad's headstone but I got sick the night before before and didn't make it He was also a veteran of both the army and air force Thank you for showing the proper way to clean the bronze markers I still would have liked to have gone but feel less sad knowing that it would have taken more than d2 I gave the D2 I brought with me to a friend who's daughter passed from cystic fibrosis as well as the kit and instructions how to use it
I have been working on my family memorials this week - my father was in WWII, Omaha Beach landing. His marker talks about his life after the war (he was an educator, husband and father), but a veteran he remains (and many others are the same I am sure). Thank you for what you do ❤️. I tried Barry’s kit and it worked fine, but the vinegar, salt, flour combo was great!
Freedom is important for every human on the planet, regardless of race, religion, gender. No one should say they value freedom, while simultaneously attempting to control the freedom of any other human. Honor our Veterans who fought and sometimes died for the absolute freedom of all.
I always did love walking around a cemetery, I was calming to me and I tried to find the oldest stone and the newest stone. Maybe I’ll start doing this too.
Thank you for these videos. I live about 350 miles from where my family, including my father who served in Vietnam, is buried. My next visit home, my husband and I are planning to go clean Daddy's marker, as well as my other family buried there. I've let it go too long.
I've been doing this for so many years I've lost track of how long I've been doing it lol I've probably been to over half dozen cemeteries,clean family's places up put flowers 💐 on there sites, water othe people's flowers 💐 in the cemeteries with 3 50ft hoses. It's really satisfying to do this for people, ive even recently fixed someone's concrete urn on there family's grave...
Thank you for doing this. It is important. I hail from England. I have lived in the United States for 50 years now. I always visit the grave sites of loved ones when I visit the UK. And tidy up graves as needed. Pleased to say, this has inspired other British relatives to do likewise..
It's truly a great feeling to know there are people like you in the world who care deeply enough to honor your dad with a respectable grave marker. Neglected veteran headstones doesn't mean people don't care, they just don't know. That's why I'm so confident we're going to get all the veteran headstones cleaned once word gets around.
@@sheilahtaylor3005 I live on saltwater and know that salt corrodes metal, so I would never apply salt to a metal grave marker. I think restoring a bronze veteran grave marker is beyond the scope of what a Volunteer should take upon themselves to do. I would just wash and rinse with clean water. Eventually, I plan to produce a video about how to restore a bronze grave marker, but I don't know when that might happen.
@@theyfaceeast thank you DO much, I was nervous about using the salt. I will WAIT for your video, however long it takes. I trust you. My Dad was a ww ll vet. Thanks
Thank you for doing this, Trae! I clean grave markers, too, and I always learn from your videos. Currently making sure family members have markers for their graves, starting with two great-uncles who were WW1 heroes. One has already been placed and the other one is in process. Like the PVC pipe flag holder idea. Will imitate!
I love what you are doing with making sure family members have markers for their graves. I've found several unmarked veteran graves despite the fact veteran headstones are furnished by the National Cemetery Administration free of charge. Someone who cares has to complete the application and make sure the stone is placed at the veteran's grave. I recently ordered a headstone for a family member who died a Prisoner of War in Louisville, KY in 1863. He was lost to our family for 157 years.
The PVC flag idea is nice but many cemeteries prohibit "planting" anything in the ground as the cemeteries' lawn mowing equipment would get damaged and/or the PVC pipe/flag would get destroyed. Urns are okay because the mowers go around them. Thank you for cleaning these veterans' grave stones.
I love the work you are doing. Thank you so much for your dedication. I have always wanted to do this, but the cleaner is expensive. I can’t afford it. Thank you for your time and hard work to give respect to our veterans.
Thank you for this! All of my grandpas were veterans, and only 2 of them are buried right here where I live. Their graves look JUST like this and I've been so afraid to try and clean them because I don't want to make them worse. Thank you for this, when the weather cools down [i'm in las vegas] I'll have to try this out on them!
My father is a Vietnam War vet buried in Gettysburg, PA. I live in NC. Three years ago, I visited for the first time since my mother passed, 10 years ago. Dad’s grave looked horrible! My god-daughter had moved to Gettysburg, so I would be visiting more often. When my husband and I returned about a year and a half later, we brought the garden tote so we could clean Dad’s grave. To my surprise, someone had already come along and done it. He even had a new flag and the little vase for flowers was cleaned out. I just came across this video. I’m sure you didn’t personally clean my father’s grave, but as a family member of a veteran who received a similar cleaning, I want to say a huge thank you! This truly means more than you will ever know. ❤
Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I know there are many people across the world who have volunteered to join this effort to clean every veteran headstone by Memorial Day, but we have only scratched the surface. I have no idea yet where someone has cleaned veteran headstones and where nobody has responded to my call to action.
Many don't even have a marker yet!?!
I am going to use this knowledge to clean my brothers and conisin's grave markers. Thank uou
I know what you’re feeling.
I’m in Hanover, PA if you ever need it cleaned again, just let me know!
I would like to take this moment to say thank you for cleaning my grandpa’s grave
My great-grandfather was a polish soldier in ww2 and was a pow and was freed and liberated to Scotland and ended up in South East London so u sir a honor to all the people who have served love from the UK
I thank you for your respect of our veterans. Too few do. My Dad, a WWII. Veteran and Ex-POW is in a private mausoleum, but I will do this for others. Thanks!
Thank you brother. I found you as I was researching my Father’s grave marker. He was a Captain in Vietnam
Was an Infantry Captain? If so, that is a very big deal in combat. In the Civil War, the Captains led from in the front their Company of 50-110 men directly into the face of the enemy.
This is a wonderful way to honor our veterans. Thank you. ❤
Thank you for cleaning the marker , My dad was a WW2 vet, He was born in 1918 too!
You should be very proud of your dad.
I am 8 years old butt this made me cry I am proud of you
You must be quite a patriotic young lady to be watching veteran headstone cleaning videos.
Your parents have raised you right. Thank You for noticing this at such a young age, now 10 yrs old.
Your parents must be very very proud of having such a caring intelligent and patriotic child I know I would be 😊
It's in my bucket to clean up my Dad's grave marker cleaned up before I go. He was in WW11 and Korean War. Thank you for posting, I've gotten some ideas.
I am a Vietnam veteran who will be 80 in January (2025). I never married and have no children so there will be no one to clean my veteran's marker, so this kind act by you, young man, gives me comfort. Thank you.
I thank God for you. I grew up in the 70's and 80's. You need to know that my generation of boys viewed you Vietnam Warriors as our heroes. Your comment is very special to me. I've received thousands of comments, but never one like this. Maybe you are the reason God asked me to do this. I thought the Gold Star mom was the one, or the Gold Star dad, or the Gold Star wife. But God bless you sir, we've got you.
@@theyfaceeast For a while after I returned from Vietnam, we were disrespected and called names by the generation of protesters. However, by your generation, that began to change. The Vietnam war was not a conflict that was supported. Jane Fonda is still hated by the Vietnam veterans, so you are very much appreciated. Thank you.
@@ernestjohnson9564 if it makes you feel any better, we used Jane Fonda's face in our urinals. True story.
Who was Jane fonda
@@IanGray-gs3zk Jane Fonda is a famous actress, the daughter of famous actor Henry Fonda. Jane Fonda was a Vietnam War protestor and traveled to Vietnam to meet with the enemy leaders. American Armed Forces veterans insert her photo into urinals to literally pee in her face. The first time I saw Jane Fonda's face in the bottom of a men's urinal was in a men's bathroom at a Go Cart track where I worked for a few weeks during high school. The owner of the Go Cart track was a Vietnam Veteran. That is how bad veterans hate her for what she did.
Thanks for cleaning that veterans tombstone it came out nice.
You're welcome. It was my honor.
@@LifeRaw_co with these ground level bronze grave markers, you don't know the location of the edges of the base stone until you expose it. Also, you don't know if the base stone is made out of concrete, marble, or granite until you expose the base stone. In cemeteries such as the larger newer for-profit perpetual care type, grounds crews do use mechanical edgers to cut around the edges of the base stones. As volunteers of varying skills with mechanical edgers, and the unknowns beneath the encroaching sod, to make sure we do no harm is why I recommend using a hand tool as shown in this video. We also avoid using any powered tools because there's just too much risk of doing irreparable harm.
I agree and it break my heart to see headstone hard to read and overgrow with weeds.
@@LifeRaw_co I understand your heart is in the right place, but one ought to also take into consideration that Mr. Johnson was someone's family. It's one thing to go in and (properly) clean a headstone, but it's something else entirely to take it upon yourself to do any sort of structural alterations to the stone that could potentially damage or harm the stone. I know for me, I'd be PISSED if some stranger came in and effed around with my family's gravestone without our permission or knowledge! I've seen other RUclips videos of people who've gone and cleaned random stranger's headstones, with the best of intentions I'm sure, in COMPLETELY the wrong fashion! Power washers for one....on marble none-the-less!!! I was CRINGING the whole time watching them! I would be FURIOUS if some ignoramous came along and cleaned my any of my family's stones incorrectly and caused damage to them! It's better just to do what those like Trey do, go in, clean them properly, and do no harm.
@@theyfaceeast Trey, I also wanted to ask you; I recently took up gravestone cleaning myself, and among a couple of others, you have taught me some valuable tips in doing so; but I wanted to ask you: you said in this video that using D2 on these bronze pieces wasn't necessary, but tell me, would going ahead and using it anyway, especially if the plaque looks like it could use it, actually do any damage to it? I can't think that it would, but I wanted to ask your opinion anyway. Thank you for teaching me useful tips for my own journey into stone cleaning! :-)
I was too your post today. We have been waiting for 3 years for my mother's headstone. My father who was military and buried beside her is in desperate need for this. I didn't get the opportunity to know my father. You have given me the inspiration to honor him. Thank you for what you do,
Wonderful! I envision a day when every veteran of our past, including your father, has a Volunteer assigned to their grave to make sure their graves and headstones are respectfully maintained in perpetuity.
The grass would have grown over the stone and no one would know there was a grave there! God bless you for doing what you did.
My dad was a WWII veteran. He also was born onChristmas Day. He was wounded on Okinawa. He was my hero.
Very nice of you to remember the women who served. My friend was a nurse in WWII in England caring for our boys. She is a spry 101 years young God bless her.
Thank you for doing these unselfish acts and honoring these heroes!
I envision a day in the near future when every veteran grave will have assigned to it a loving Volunteer committed to ensuring their veteran's grave is respectfully cared for at all times, and especially clean by Memorial Day. Register as a Volunteer at VeteranGraves.com
Bless you for taking your time to honor him the world needs more people like you 🙏♥️
As someone who buried a retired, army veteran father and Marine veteran husband, one at 54 and the other at 37, it touches my heart to see the care with which you have honored these men and women who served. God bless you sir.
I grew up in awe of a grandfather who landed at Utah Beach and fought his way across Europe to victory. His two Purple Hearts, Bronze Star, and 2-hour routine each night just to fall asleep enabled me to comprehend the cost of freedom at a very young age. My grandmother's brother was killed in action during the Battle of the Atlantic. I assumed everyone understood the gravity of what our military men and women have done, and continue to do. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go when it comes to educating the next generations about why they are so fortunate to live in a country where they have no fears when they go to bed at night.
@@theyfaceeast hi
@@theyfaceeastHI again young people don't have a clue. Most don't anyway
You are to be commended for your noble work and respect 0f our Veterans. AS an 89 year old veteran,I thank you.
Une reconnaissance éternelle a tous ces BRAVES qui ont combattu pour liberé mon pays , pour l'Europe ,pour le monde et qui pour certains ont perdu la vie et ne sont jamais rentré auprès des leurs . Paix a leurs âmes .A vous un immense merci , vous restez dans nos coeurs. (Belgique)
Thanks for doing this for our fallen soldiers. My grandfather was killed in Normandy when my father was 16 months old and unfortunately we didn't get to know him but are proud to know how he fought for our country. We have always been very loyal to all memorials and his name is on the wall in Bedford va and the memorial there and have him in our local memorial building here and very proud to be his child and grandchildren. Thank you for all you do it is not gone unnoticed!!
I am grateful for your grandfather. We owe a debt to these men and women we simply cannot pay, except to genuinely honor them. It seems to me keeping their headstones clean is the least we can do to show our respect to the veterans and their family members who visit their graves.
All my respect for your family. Friendly from Paris.
Thank you for doing this. It is a great labor of love and honor for men and women who served this country.
You have inspired me a 51 Year old legally blind man who tried to sneak his way into the Navy at 16 years old and was told I couldn’t because of my vision and by watching this video I can certainly Honor one who did. I will clean a veterans marker in 2023 using this video as reference. Thank you for sharing this video, God Bless you Sir. We Salute You!
Thank you Jose! I can tell you we had a blind veteran who cleaned veteran headstones as a volunteer at every headstone cleaning event I organized here in Fort Myers, FL.
This guy Is investing his time in cleaning up graves of veterans he isn't related to, just for the sake of It.
I salute you.
Keeping their headstones clean is the least we can do compared to what they did for us.
Thank you for caring for the markers that establish individuals as veterans who served our country. God bless you!
You're welcome! I hope you will join us by cleaning veteran headstones in your local cemeteries. Register at VeteranGraves.com
Thanks for cleaning my great great grandpa
Thank you for this, Sir. I've been compelled to clean my own fathers grave. His name is Randy Robinson and he served in the Air Force. He passed in '91 and I don't think it's ever been treated. Thank you for this knowledge.
God bless your father. I appreciate his service from which I benefit. Please tell your father's story of military service at VeteranGraves.com
As a son of a Vietnam veteran I want to Thank You for doing this! Also, thank you for the video, as I have been wondering how to clean my Dad's marker and my family members that served! God Bless You and zGod Bless America! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Rock on Guy, love ya for what you are doing. AS a Black Naval Vet, you have no idea what that meant to see you this morning on the Kelly and Ryan show showing what you are out there doing. What better way to heal this country after all the racial divide we have been going through lately. God Bless You Sir!
Thank you for undertaking not only the noble work of carefully and respectfully maintaining our veterans' gravestones, but also sharing the process with the world and encouraging others to help as well. I'm in 100% agreement that these grave markers should be maintained in perpetuity so our veterans and their progeny know they are cared for even when they have left their earthly presence behind. I respect you greatly for this and will endeavor to help out at a military cemetery in my area.
All cemeteries have veteran graves.
Great job, I love a clean gravestone. Thank you for your service Don Johnson 💐💐💐
Like the prior marble stone restoration......another noble & magnanimous gesture to pay respect due this Honorable Veteran.
The world would be a far better place if everyone was like you Sir. Much love from the Uk to you.
I came from the UK 400 years ago.
This is a great way to honor our vets who have died - but there are a lot that are still here, or who left widows behind. It would be nice if people would help care for their lawns, scoop their sidewalks, etc., to show our appreciation while they are still with us. Thanks for showing us how to care for their markers.
THANK YOU for your service to those Veterans. GOD BLESS
My husband's a USA navy veteran I want to thank you for doing this, these brave men and women served to protect others they deserve this respect.
Thank you so very much for showing this veteran respect! I love what you are doing. My dad served in World War I and has a bronze marker as well.
Thank you for all your efforts in keeping the sites of our heroes clean.
I take care of about a half dozen veteran plaques. I agree, it is an honor to take care of my fellow veterans. Semper Fi to all my Brothers and Sisters.
Semper Fi !
One great service to fellow human.....bless your heart ❤️ 💙 💜
I just found your video and it brought me to tears. I am an 8th generation South Carolinian and started doing my family history about 20 years ago, in that search I discovered that I had ancestors that fought in the revolutionary war, civil war and both WW....I have found their graves over the years and tried to honor them. In my search I have come across other veterans that I am assuming family members have passed on or moved away and their stones have been neglected. I have cleaned some just using water and a soft brush, it is an honor to discover these ancestors and find their resting place...thank you sir for what you are doing here.
You're welcome Pamela. Together, we will remember each and every one of them with a clean headstone by Memorial Day. It should not matter that the veteran no longer has any family members who remember him, or her. The entire population of America should remember them, and honor them. I cleaned a WWII Soldier's headstone this week and it was in such neglected shape. His birth and death dates were covered by dirt. When I scraped off the dirt, his death date was August 6, 1944. The 20 year old had landed at Utah Beach during the invasion of Normandy and was Killed In Action 8 weeks later. And there he was a forgotten hero in his own hometown. I got him ready by Memorial Day!
Johnson was born on Christmas Day, fought for his Country, and lived to be 62---amazing!
I'm Canadian. God bless you . Should be more people like you in this world!
My Uncle's grave marker says WWII army, Canada. But he was American.
May we always be brothers and sisters.
@@maggienbob1304 Canada declared war on Germany in 1939. The USA declared war on Germany four days after the Pearl Harbour attack in late 1941. Many Americans joined the Canadian military to fight "early". The same happened during WW1 as well.
@@boxwoodgreen Thank you for that. I had no idea, so much I don't know really. Don't know why, but your comment brought a tear to my eye. I think it's just knowing and understanding a little more about him. Thanks again.
@@maggienbob1304 Teary coincidence 1of 2.Years ago I read a book by HW McBride, an American Army Officer ( Colonel I think), and Scout who resigned his commission to come to Canada to enlist for WW1 as a sniper, and machine gunner. He was very precise about locations. Scouting alone on the morning of June 13, 1916 Sgt. McBride he writes, climbed up a railway berm that looked onto the the infamous Hill 60 at Ypres, Belgium. There, Canadian trenches crossed in front of the hill held by the Germans. And then he records the start of a barrage of Minenwerfers, garbage can sized German mines shot up in the air to come down at a steep angle. Slow enough for Sgt McBride to watch each one fall. One came down in a trench where in the tight space it killed a dozen+ Canadian soldiers of the 7th Battalion British Columbia Regiment. One of whom was my great uncle James. James now rests a mile north with his comrades in Railway Dugouts Commonwealth War Cemetery at VI-D-17. A brave American volunteer risking all, saw it happen, and recorded it for my family.
@@boxwoodgreen I did not know this. Thanks for enlightening me.
Thank you for doing this for our veterans. God bless you and God bless the USA!
God knows what we are doing even when nobody else is watching.
As a vets daughter, I thank you 🥺
How would you like to test positive for my phone number...you gorgeous creature.
What a beautiful and honourable tribute to veterans. Thank you.
Cleaning a veteran's grave marker is one of the most meaningful activities I have ever made an effort to tackle. We have much work to do as a NATION, but if we stay the course we will get every veteran headstone cleaned by Memorial Day.
I just lost my grandpa a little over a year ago (97), he was a SGT in the Army during WII thank you so much for cleaning his grave marker
Thank you for looking after the Veterans! My Parents are buried out at our local Veterans Cemetery here in Arizona. It's only 10min from our home so we get out there often. We've always cleaned Dad's stone , now that Mama's joined him we still do. Dad was also born in 1918. He was in Italy in WWII, M Co! He went all the way to the Alps from the bottom of Italy up. He was part of the Monument Men in the Alps finding paintings and sculptures hidden in a Castle up there.
Because of your brave father, my family and I are able to live wonderful lives of freedom and security. Thank you.
I have read several books about those Monument Men. It was thrilling to learn how dangerous their rescue missions were. Thank God for all the men and women who were and may still be actively involved.
Wow! What a history your father had. You honor him and your mother by taking care of them! Bless you!
Wow!
Wow! How great to be that part of our history!👍❤️🇺🇲
Along with those who gave their lives, you are also a hero.
I wish people would do this where my husband is buried. Hubby, Lt. Col., died in service and my Father (USAF, Ret.) are both at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Albuquerque. I’m in Virginia. Thank God for people like you. God bless you for doing this. I’m going to check into doing this locally.
I love everything about this. The goal, the effort, the sounds, the satisfaction of a clean stone.. Perfect video
Thank you for honoring our veterans ❤️.
Standing ovation to you, Sir.
I have witnessed with my own eyes the wonderful people who selflessly answer this call to honor veterans by cleaning their veteran headstones. They exist in every community, and they will handle this noble work, once they hear about the need. We just need to tell others until eventually a Volunteer is assigned to each veteran Grave to provide routine care in perpetuity.
There is something rather cathartic about seeing this. I can imagine their families, and other visitors can appreciate the gesture, and hopefully the veterans can feel the love and respect. I can imagine this work could make a lot of troubled souls sleep better at the end of a day, perhaps some judges will allow this as community service project. Perhaps helping beautify living veteran's homes as well.
That D/2 works crazy good! My Dad is buried in a National Cemetery that is extremely well maintained. I have 4 cemeteries near me that I will begin to identify Veterans that are buried within them and those needing to be restored to their original glory. Thank you for what you're doing for our Veterans 🙏🏼
Where do you buy D2? Who makes it?
@@catherineturner3174 The guy from the video, he gives 10% off with a coupon code.
Thank you for honoring America’s heroes with your service!
My grandfather passed away this January and he thought in the Air force . thank you for helping a special veteran out
Thank you very much for this excellent guide to cleaning Bronze Veteran Memorials! God bless your work!
My uncle Pat Blessing just passed 4 days ago and he was a veteran of the Vietnam war. He was highly decorated and a very brave man. He is to be laid to rest in Quantico National Cemetery. You sir are a just kind hearted and honest human being doing an amazing job. My heart is broken after losing my uncle Pat and I am in tears watching this video. God bless you sir.
Looks great and thank you for all your hard work & dedication to our deceased veterans.
I appreciate you and everyone who still honors our country's loved ones. A lot of ppl can't come to take care of graves. I love going to cemeteries besides cleaning n flowers I also love to take photos n post them on cemetery websites so they will able to be found by family and veterans. To me this is truly a beautiful act of love y'all are doing. Thank you bunches!
Thank you for your kind words of support. I've been visiting veteran graves in Utah and I can report the people of Utah do a fantastic job of paying perpetual respect to their veterans. We have much work to do, but there are many Americans who appreciate the cost of freedom. They will take on the job of maintaining a veteran's grave if they become aware of the neglect. We just have to ring the bell as loud as we can.
😂❤
Thank you for this video. I searched how to clean my grandfather's (also a WWII vet) grave marker, so this was brilliant! Also noticed how when all the grass was pushed back, the sun began to shine through, then again with each step of cleaning. Very touching watching you honor this vet.
Thank you for doing this and honoring our Veterans.
RIP Don Johnson (25 Dec 1918-13 Aug 1980)(aged 61) you will truly be missed and Thank You for Your Service.
Congratulations on your work. I have a hard time doing my father's but the cemetery has helped. It's hard as we get older. My Dad was a Jedburgh in ww2.
Thank you! This was a great tutorial! I have just received my D2 and looking forward to honoring those in the local cemetery
This is such a wholesome and wonderful thing to do Who ever his family was and all the others you did im sure their very grateful for the recognition!
Thank you for providing this thoughtful service. I hope others will follow your lead. My mother worked in Ottawa, for the British Admiralty. She was awarded the MBE for her service.
Thank you Sir for your service 🇺🇸
As a British veteran I thank you for honouring those who went before us. God Bless
Amazing way to show respect for our veterans
Thank you so much for doing this for our fallen Heros. God Bless our Troops💕
Thank you sir for honoring our veterans and so lovingly cleaning their gravesite!!
It’s people like you that make me happy to live here. God bless these people
What a kind & respectful act for you to clean a strangers grave marker.
Also to teach others how to do it. I try to keep my loved ones grave markers clean but never knew how to clean the cement so I was glad to
Watch how you cleaned it.
Again, Thank You.!
I admire that you always ask us if we are in any way related to them because you want to know more about them.
It really is a small world and we are DNA related to more people than we can ever imagine. I've spent a lot of time and effort building my family tree during the past 4.5 years, so I now know the surnames of my ancestors. I can walk into most any old cemetery in Florida and recognize one of those surnames on headstones. Almost every time I research that person, I recognize one of their grandfathers as also being one of my grandfathers. I recently found a Medal of Honor recipient in Cocoa, FL with a headstone not befitting such a hero. I recognized his last name of Bennett. Sure enough, he turned out to be my 4th Cousin 3x Removed. I would have never made the connection had I not built my family tree. I've experienced such joy by discovering my roots, so I try to inspire others to experience that joy as well.
Great job Trae. Hopefully someone will take care of my grave one day as good as you're doing for those soldiers. -Sgt Adam Raymond US Army (95b)
That's the plan Adam! Eventually we will have a Volunteer assigned to each veteran grave and track the maintenance of each grave, including each time the grave flag is replaced.
Thank you so much for cleaning this veteran tombstone and it break my heart to see what happened to them over the years.
Hello Honor Your DNA, I appreciate your reply. I occasionally drive past a large cemetery in London, Ontario and can see the veterans' section. I always say a silent thank you to all those interred there. We all owe our service personnel so much. In Canada, we have Remembrance Day on November 11 and services are held at cenotaphs throughout the country. Sadly, people return to their daily lives the following day and most forget! When I see the war cemeteries at Normandy and the thousands of stones at the graves of Americans, Canadians and British military personnel, I realize that all veterans, alive and deceased, need to be honoured and remembered YEAR ROUND, not just one day a year. I know that your efforts in cleaning memorials is appreciated by so many. Thank you. Regards, Bob in Ontario, Canada
You gave great care and attention to this grave marker. You are a good man, his family, if alive would be truly proud. If only we had such respect for our veterans in the UK.
My veteran headstone videos are being watched by people all over the world, including the UK, so hopefully you will see this movement gain momentum in the UK too.
Thank you so much for this beautiful act of love and patriotism.
👍👍🔥🙏🙏
Trae, you are awesome to be taking care of veteran's headstones. Thank you so much! My dad is a WWII army veteran and he has the bronze marker, joint with my mom's. They've been gone now nearly 30 years and I've never used anything but water to clean it. But it is tarnished and I do plan on shining it, then putting a clear glaze. You inspired me to buy some D/2 Biological Solution. Not cheap but it sure does a great job.
D/2 is really good stuff. I've visited some of the headstones I cleaned more than a year ago and they are still perfectly clean.
Thank you for cleaning this marker. My dad is buried 4 hours away and I want to go and clean his marker. I also want to paint the wording and dates in gold. Thank you for teaching me how to clean the marker.
I often sit around trying to think of projects. This Is It!
I lightly sprayed my families headstones with spraying WD40 on it and using a soft lint free rag , I also use Q tips to get the letters cleaned. . Thank you Sir for taking your time and effort to clean the Veterans headstones. My husband served in Vietnam War US NAVY 1968.
Great job and thank you for what you're doing for the men and women who served our country.
We recently went to Michigan and I brought D2 with me as well as a small makeshift cleaning kit to clean my dad's headstone but I got sick the night before before and didn't make it
He was also a veteran of both the army and air force
Thank you for showing the proper way to clean the bronze markers
I still would have liked to have gone but feel less sad knowing that it would have taken more than d2
I gave the D2 I brought with me to a friend who's daughter passed from cystic fibrosis as well as the kit and instructions how to use it
You’re an asset to the veteran community. Thank you so much.
Wow, what a good guy to love and appreciate our veterans!!!
I have been working on my family memorials this week - my father was in WWII, Omaha Beach landing. His marker talks about his life after the war (he was an educator, husband and father), but a veteran he remains (and many others are the same I am sure). Thank you for what you do ❤️. I tried Barry’s kit and it worked fine, but the vinegar, salt, flour combo was great!
Freedom is important for every human on the planet, regardless of race, religion, gender. No one should say they value freedom, while simultaneously attempting to control the freedom of any other human. Honor our Veterans who fought and sometimes died for the absolute freedom of all.
Amen.
I always did love walking around a cemetery, I was calming to me and I tried to find the oldest stone and the newest stone. Maybe I’ll start doing this too.
Thank you for these videos. I live about 350 miles from where my family, including my father who served in Vietnam, is buried. My next visit home, my husband and I are planning to go clean Daddy's marker, as well as my other family buried there. I've let it go too long.
I've been doing this for so many years I've lost track of how long I've been doing it lol I've probably been to over half dozen cemeteries,clean family's places up put flowers 💐 on there sites, water othe people's flowers 💐 in the cemeteries with 3 50ft hoses. It's really satisfying to do this for people, ive even recently fixed someone's concrete urn on there family's grave...
God bless you and your family.
Thank you for doing this. It is important. I hail from England. I have lived in the United States for 50 years now. I always visit the grave sites of loved ones when I visit the UK. And tidy up graves as needed. Pleased to say, this has inspired other British relatives to do likewise..
What a wonderful thing you're doing,brought tears to my eyes. I just got back from cleaning off my Dad's flat stone.Gof continue to bless you
It's truly a great feeling to know there are people like you in the world who care deeply enough to honor your dad with a respectable grave marker. Neglected veteran headstones doesn't mean people don't care, they just don't know. That's why I'm so confident we're going to get all the veteran headstones cleaned once word gets around.
Is it safe to add Vinegar and salt, to restore the original color? Thanks!
@@sheilahtaylor3005 I live on saltwater and know that salt corrodes metal, so I would never apply salt to a metal grave marker. I think restoring a bronze veteran grave marker is beyond the scope of what a Volunteer should take upon themselves to do. I would just wash and rinse with clean water. Eventually, I plan to produce a video about how to restore a bronze grave marker, but I don't know when that might happen.
@@theyfaceeast thank you DO much, I was nervous about using the salt. I will WAIT for your video, however long it takes. I trust you. My Dad was a ww ll vet. Thanks
@@theyfaceeast noted and will follow your instructions. Thanks again
That’s satisfying! Thanks for doing this! What a great service!
Thank you for doing this, Trae! I clean grave markers, too, and I always learn from your videos. Currently making sure family members have markers for their graves, starting with two great-uncles who were WW1 heroes. One has already been placed and the other one is in process. Like the PVC pipe flag holder idea. Will imitate!
I love what you are doing with making sure family members have markers for their graves. I've found several unmarked veteran graves despite the fact veteran headstones are furnished by the National Cemetery Administration free of charge. Someone who cares has to complete the application and make sure the stone is placed at the veteran's grave. I recently ordered a headstone for a family member who died a Prisoner of War in Louisville, KY in 1863. He was lost to our family for 157 years.
The PVC flag idea is nice but many cemeteries prohibit "planting" anything in the ground as the cemeteries' lawn mowing equipment would get damaged and/or the PVC pipe/flag would get destroyed. Urns are okay because the mowers go around them. Thank you for cleaning these veterans' grave stones.
I love the work you are doing. Thank you so much for your dedication. I have always wanted to do this, but the cleaner is expensive. I can’t afford it. Thank you for your time and hard work to give respect to our veterans.
WOW YOUR ONE A KIND TRULY NONE LIKE YOU, EVEN THEIR OWN FAMILY DOESN'T CARE, YOUR A INCREDIBLE PERSON!!!
Thank you for this! All of my grandpas were veterans, and only 2 of them are buried right here where I live. Their graves look JUST like this and I've been so afraid to try and clean them because I don't want to make them worse. Thank you for this, when the weather cools down [i'm in las vegas] I'll have to try this out on them!