[Louisiana Cemeteries] Washington Parish Bogalusa Cemetery - Clean Up Project
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- Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:54:58 -0700 (PDT)
Washington Parish Bogalusa Cemetery Clean Up Project - Save Bogalusa
An Uneasy Peace: At Bogalusa Cemetery, soldiers’ graves are being overgrown
http://www.gobogalusa.com/articles/2009/04/06/news/doc49da0fd293052463947317.txt
By Jacob Brooks
The Daily News
Published/Last Modified on Monday, April 6, 2009 10:12 AM CDT
Several of the veterans’ headstones at Bogalusa Cemetery are slowly being
overrun by grass. Some can barely be seen, if at all, and sinkholes cause
others to lean awkwardly. Pieces of tattered American flags are strewn about,
long past their prime. The flagpole at the head of the veteran’s plot stands
barren.
That’s the scene Bogalusa resident Wendy Williams saw while taking a walk
through the city cemetery about two weeks ago. She’s decided to do something
about it.
“I want to fix it up and mark each grave with a flag,” said Williams, president
of the non-profit group Project: Save Bogalusa.
A fragment of the American flag is seen in the veteran’s plot at Bogalusa
Cemetery.
(Use arrows above to view more photos)
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Williams already has a plan to fix the plot that contains 30 or more veterans,
most from World War II, and she even has a completion date for the mission: May
16, Armed Forces Day.
She’s asking individuals and organizations in the community for help. “We are
working in conjunction with Mr. (Edward) Buckley with VFW and the City of
Bogalusa on this project. I have made a request for two local funeral homes to
participate, and have got a call in to the State of Louisiana Rayburn
Correctional Institute... they hopefully can provide some inmates for labor,”
Williams wrote in a recent e-mail.
She has scheduled two community workdays: April 18 and May 2, from 8 a.m. to 3
p.m. both days. She’s asking anyone who wants to help to simply show up at the
cemetery during those times.
Williams said she also has spoken to U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, who has pledged
his support.
Buckley said the Bogalusa chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars did a similar
community project for the veteran’s plot in 1999, even erecting the VFW sign
that can still be seen on the site. The local VFW, however, is no longer
active, he said, adding the city is responsible for the maintenance of the
cemetery.
City officials did not immediately return phone calls for this story.
Williams said when she saw the state of the veteran’s plot, she had to act.
“My grandfather is a veteran,” she said, adding the veterans buried at Bogalusa
Cemetery deserve better.
For more information, call Williams at (985) 516-2005.
permalink Posted Apr 9, 2009 9:23 am - [delete]
wiki_master
wiki_master re: Washington Parish Bogalusa Cemetery Clean Up Project -
Save Bogalusa
EXCERPT COMMENTS FROM ARTICLE
R. DAVID SHOWS wrote on Apr 6, 2009 7:34 PM:
" THE CONDITION OF THESE HEADSTONES IN THE VETERANS PLOT IS A DISGRACE. THE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY DESERVE MUCH BETTER TREATMENT THAN THEIR
GRAVES HAVE BEEN GIVEN. "
Bob Lawrence wrote on Apr 6, 2009 2:30 PM:
" Mayor C. P. Verger and I, in 1981, took up each of the headstones in the
older veterans plot and, one by one, raised them up and filled under to level.
Both army veterans (Verger was also Col. Verger), we decided to change several
things to improve the plot. We put up a light (now inoperative) to illuminate
the Flag so it would fly day and night, realligned all the stones, and resodded
some parts. Legion Post 24 has always done a wonderful job with the little
Flags. It can all easily be done again. "
END EXCERPT
permalink Posted Apr 9, 2009 9:28 am - [delete]
wiki_master
wiki_master re: Washington Parish Bogalusa Cemetery Clean Up Project -
Save Bogalusa
Contacted: Louisiana Cemetery Board
April 9, 2009
Is the Bogalusa Cemetery under the jurisdiction of the City of Bogalusa for
maintenance issues? There is an effort underway to clean up this cemetery, as
many Veteran graves are unkept. Documented by, The Daily News author Jacob
Brooks with photographs.
http://www.gobogalusa.com/articles/2009/04/06/news/doc49da0fd293052463947317.txt
Comments:
R. DAVID SHOWS wrote on Apr 6, 2009 7:34 PM:
" THE CONDITION OF THESE HEADSTONES IN THE VETERANS PLOT IS A DISGRACE. THE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY DESERVE MUCH BETTER TREATMENT THAN THEIR
GRAVES HAVE BEEN GIVEN. "
Bob Lawrence wrote on Apr 6, 2009 2:30 PM:
" Mayor C. P. Verger and I, in 1981, took up each of the headstones in the
older veterans plot and, one by one, raised them up and filled under to level.
Both army veterans (Verger was also Col. Verger), we decided to change several
things to improve the plot. We put up a light (now inoperative) to illuminate
the Flag so it would fly day and night, realligned all the stones, and resodded
some parts. Legion Post 24 has always done a wonderful job with the little
Flags. It can all easily be done again. "
If the City of Bogalusa is responsible for this cemeterys upkeep, please
strongly encourage their ongoing participation in the future!
Bogalusa Cemetery
Anthony Fiorenzia Drive
Bogalusa, LA 70429
985-732-6213
Washington Parish, LA
Police Jury
P.O. Box 607
Parish Courthouse Building
Franklinton, LA 70438-0607
Sincerely,
Louisiana Cemeteries
louisianacemeteries@xxxxxxxxx
permalink Posted Apr 9, 2009 9:45 am - [delete]
wiki_master
wiki_master re: Washington Parish Bogalusa Cemetery Clean Up Project -
Save Bogalusa
RE: Internet Contact Form
Monday, April 13, 2009 6:47 AM
From:
"Lucy McCann" <lmccann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Add sender to Contacts
To:
louisianacemeteries@xxxxxxxxx
Cc:
SeidemannR@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yes, our records indicate the Bogalusa Cemetery is owned and operated by the
City of Bogalusa.
-----Original Message-----
From: louisianacemeteries@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:louisianacemeteries@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 11:43 AM
To: lmccann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Internet Contact Form
Is the Bogalusa Cemetery under the jurisdiction of the City of Bogalusa for
maintenance issues? There is an effort underway to clean up this cemetery, as
many Veteran graves are unkept. Documented by, The Daily News author Jacob
Brooks with photographs.
http://www.gobogalusa.com/articles/2009/04/06/news/doc49da0fd293052463947317.txt
Comments:
R. DAVID SHOWS wrote on Apr 6, 2009 7:34 PM:
" THE CONDITION OF THESE HEADSTONES IN THE VETERANS PLOT IS A DISGRACE. THE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY DESERVE MUCH BETTER TREATMENT THAN THEIR
GRAVES HAVE BEEN GIVEN. "
Bob Lawrence wrote on Apr 6, 2009 2:30 PM:
" Mayor C. P. Verger and I, in 1981, took up each of the headstones in the
older veterans plot and, one by one, raised them up and filled under to level.
Both army veterans (Verger was also Col. Verger), we decided to change several
things to improve the plot. We put up a light (now inoperative) to illuminate
the Flag so it would fly day and night, realligned all the stones, and resodded
some parts. Legion Post 24 has always done a wonderful job with the little
Flags. It can all easily be done again. "
If the City of Bogalusa is responsible for this cemeterys upkeep, please
strongly encourage their ongoing participation in the future!
Bogalusa Cemetery
Anthony Fiorenzia Drive
Bogalusa, LA 70429
985-732-6213
Washington Parish, LA
Police Jury
P.O. Box 607
Parish Courthouse Building
Franklinton, LA 70438-0607
Sincerely,
Louisiana Cemeteries
louisianacemeteries@xxxxxxxxx
Phone: (985)839-7825
Louisiana Cemeteries
louisianacemeteries@xxxxxxxxx
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE NEWS STORY
BogalusaCemetery04062008 - photos of 6 unkept veterans headstones (repair?)
BogalusaCemeteryb04062009 - (VFW sign of readable veteran)
BogalusaCemeteryc04062009 - (unkept conditions include flag desecration)
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