Eagle Scout project restores veterans’ graves at historic Udina Cemetery

Ten veterans’ headstones at historic Udina Cemetery are standing straighter and cleaner thanks to an Eagle Scout service project led by AJ Early, a Life Scout with Troop 46 in Lily Lake.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, Early led volunteers in a four-hour project to clean, lift, reset, and straighten 10 headstones marking the graves of Civil War veterans and one Spanish-American War veteran.

Over decades, many of the stones had tilted, shifted, or sunk into the ground. Volunteers carefully excavated around the markers, lifted and repositioned them, established stable bases, leveled and straightened the stones, and cleaned the historic markers at the cemetery on Plank Road.

Early chose the project as part of his work toward earning Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout.

“I chose this project because I wanted to do something that would last and show respect for the veterans who served our country,” Early said. “These headstones represent real people who served and sacrificed. Straightening and cleaning their headstones is one way we can make sure they are remembered.”

Early received plenty of help. Volunteers included family and friends, members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 2 of Aurora, and several of Early’s friends from the Hampshire High School football team.

Several players traded football gear for shovels, levels, and other tools and spent part of their Saturday helping their friend honor veterans.

Matt Clark, a member of Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 2, coordinated the Camp’s participation with Early and helped provide guidance for the cemetery preservation work.

“One of the things that impressed me most was the support AJ received,” Clark said. “His family was here, his friends were here, members of our Camp were here, and a great group of his friends from the Hampshire football team came out to work.

“The football players had just celebrated a big win over Prairie Ridge the night before, so the mood was great,” Clark said. “They could have spent Saturday relaxing after the game, but instead they came out to support their friend and worked hard for four hours. That says a lot about AJ, the friendships he has built, and the young men who showed up for him.”

Members of Sheridan Camp No. 2 shared experience and guidance on safely working with historic veteran grave markers. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is a congressionally chartered organization dedicated to preserving the history and memory of Union Civil War veterans.

For Early, seeing the transformation of the veterans’ graves — and seeing so many people come together to accomplish it — made the project especially meaningful.

“At the beginning of the day, some of these headstones were leaning or had sunk into the ground, and by the end we could actually see what we had accomplished together,” Early said. “It meant a lot to me that so many people were willing to give up their Saturday to help with my project. I think it became meaningful for all of us because we weren’t just moving and cleaning stones — we were taking care of the graves of veterans who served our country and making sure they are remembered.”

The project required more than physical labor. As the Eagle Scout candidate, Early planned the project, organized volunteers, coordinated materials, assigned responsibilities, and led the work.

Four hours after the volunteers arrived, 10 veterans’ headstones stood cleaned and straight once again at Udina Cemetery.

The project brought together student-athletes, family members, friends, and Civil War preservation volunteers for a common purpose: ensuring that the veterans buried at Udina Cemetery are not forgotten