Life Scout leads Eagle project to restore Civil War veterans’ headstones at Bluff City Cemetery

While many teenagers spend their weekends at home playing games, Life Scout Alex Hernandez of Troop 32 in West Dundee of the Three Fires Council took on a remarkable challenge.

Leading a team of 50 Scouts and volunteers, Alex organized an Eagle Scout Project that benefited the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Bluff City Cemetery.

On April 13 at the Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin, the team raised, reset, and cleaned 13 Civil War veterans’ headstones. They also scrubbed and washed an additional 27 headstones.

Alex highlighted the project’s importance, noting that many of these veterans lack family members to maintain their graves. While the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs maintains graves in federal VA cemeteries, they do not perform basic maintenance in local cemeteries, making initiatives like Alex’s crucial.

Alex expressed his motivation, saying, “It is up to the rest of us to honor their service to our country.”

He also shared a poignant discovery, mentioning, “One of the graves contains the remains of a soldier who was 15 at the outbreak of the Civil War, which is younger than I am!”

From proposal to planning and completion, the project required 315-man hours. Its impact extends beyond the physical restoration, preserving, protecting, and honoring the legacy of Civil War veterans.

Alex expressed gratitude, stating, “I would like to thank every person who came out on a beautiful Saturday to spend their time working on this worthy and notable project, as all veterans deserve our respect and honor for serving our country.”

Members of Camp #2 Phillip Sheridan Camp, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, expressed deep appreciation for Alex and the volunteers’ work, recognizing the importance of honoring soldiers who preserved the Union and our country.