PEORIA, Ill. – John Miller-Ross has potentially lofty, but completely admirable, goal.
After starting with his grandfather’s grave at Springdale Cemetery, Miller-Ross started a project to clean more soldiers’ grave stones at Springdale Cemetery.
“We’re trying to get all the veterans’ graves cleaned by Memorial Day,” Miller-Ross tells WMBD’s Craig Collins. “It’s a big task right now. There’s approximately anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 graves. Right now, I’m just currently working on Soldiers’ Hill.”
Miller-Ross says he needs help cleaning the grave stones. Because of the fragile nature, it can take as much as 45 minutes to clean one grave stone.
Through his “Honor Their Sacrifice” Facebook page, he’s hoping volunteers will come with him Saturday at 10:00 a.m. to do more cleaning.
Plus, Miller-Ross is giving each of the graves something else.
“I take a 15-inch piece of PVC, and I pound it into the ground,” said Miller-Ross. “Then, I put an eight-by-twelve American flag next to each stone. So, every veteran has a flag.”
Miller-Ross has received financial help in his endeavor from the Peoria Heights VFW post. You’re encouraged to go to the Facebook page here for more information, and to sign up.
