Volunteers clean up Woodlawn Cemetery

Volunteers from Belvoir Elementary, Dale City/Prince William County Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction Inc. and its Top Teens; Belvoir soldiers, parents and teachers clean Woodlawn Cemetery on Nov. 7.

By: Julia LeDoux | Inside NoVA
Published: November 16, 2009

About 50 volunteers gathered at Woodlawn Cemetery Nov. 7, arriving early with rakes in hand to clean up the cemetery in honor of Veterans Day.
Volunteers included students from Fort Belvoir Elementary School; the Dale City/Prince William County chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction Inc. and the group’s Top Teens; Belvoir soldiers, parents and teachers.
They came together to rake and bag leaves, clear debris, cut grass, and place flags at graves in honor of the veterans who are buried there. Two and a half hours and 100 bags of leaves and debris later, the cemetery was clean.
Sgt. Maj. Jeff Brown helped the volunteers plant a new tree because one had fallen earlier in the year. Volunteers also build two commemorative benches during the cleanup.
Tuesday night at FBES, the Freedom Team Salute Program gave each volunteer a commendation package in recognition for their work.
The program exists to recognize the enduring bond between soldiers, family, veterans and communities. It celebrates the sacrifices made by those who support America’s soldiers, honors the millions of Army veterans who have served and is a living connection to the ideals of duty, honor and patriotism.
Students were also honored for creating thank you cards for veterans. The cards were given to veterans who live in Washington, D.C. at the Armed Forces Retirement Home Nov. 5. Some said they wanted to accept the cards on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans who did not receive the same appreciation.
Other volunteers also cleaned and made minor repairs to Belvoir Chapel, Woodlawn Chapel and the Religious Education Center. The cleaned and scrubbed, raked and weeded, nailed and glued.
“Fort Belvoir has some great volunteers. The volunteer effort brought the various [religious] congregations together. This is just one of the many ways our great volunteers show their pride in our facilities and support fantastic programs,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) James King.
He estimated the volunteer effort saved the government about $5,000.
The clean-up occurs semi-annually, usually in the spring and fall.

Volunteers clean up Woodlawn Cemetery

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