“If we ignore those of yesterday, who made an effort to promise us today, then we do not deserve a tomorrow.”
– Michael G Duchaney
In letters I wrote to Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey protesting the sale of
Thomas Kelly’s Medal of Honor
the Seed Was Planted
from the beginning
A good portion of my childhood was spent in a Legion or VFW and it was there I made some of my best memories. Veterans of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam would spoil me with snacks, drinks, or the occasional dollar.
Their happiness and sense of community is what I remember most now. As long as I can recall, I wanted to be in the Army and that espirit de corps I was privileged to experience would resonate with me.
restoring the past of veterans passed
The Mission
What started as a quiet hobby visiting notable military gravesites evolved into a calling to ensure their legacy lives on.
At Restoration is a unique project with a specific goal to advocate for our military deceased. It is a hybrid mix comprised of both my personal adventures and the intersecting stories I uncover and work to bring to light.
Here I will share the results from years of dedicated research as well as the highlights and information from my travels visiting the graves of some of our nation’s best.
You will also find ongoing projects and efforts to ensure the careful and proper identification, restoration, and preservation of the graves and stories of the men and women who wore the uniform.
My hopes are that highlighting these graves will entice you, the reader, to explore the history in your own backyard. And in doing so maybe even uncover a Soldier’s grave in need of At Restoration!
remember the past
Established 2020
For years I had been visiting cemeteries for my personal enjoyment. It wasn’t until 2019 when unsettling visits to three specific veteran graves formulated the idea for At Restoration.
Mount Moriah Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA
Western Cemetery, Baltimore, MD
"Oh my god! that man is 109?!"
This all started when one day I was walking around Arlington National Cemetery. I just happened to look over and see the incomplete inscription for Colonel Rives O. Booth. In my mind, this man’s wife pre-deceased him and he was still alive. The thought of a veteran’s headstone remaining unfinished never crossed my mind.
It is, after all, Arlington National Cemetery… Our Nation’s most hallowed ground and what is supposed to be the gold standard for how we honor our deceased veterans. There was a horrible feeling in my stomach when I learned later on Colonel Booth passed away in 1996.
"how can they just leave it like that?"
Here’s a little secret about me. I have loved presidential history since I was a child. I had no idea who Julius Peter Garesché was the day I came across his grave. That day, I was looking for the grave of Mary Surratt, one of the Lincoln Assassination Conspirators. The toppled obelisk belonging to Garesché caught my eye immediately when I saw the very sobering inscription: “Killed In The Battle of Murfreesboro.”
I hated seeing a fallen Soldier’s grave sit in such disrepair and for the next few weeks, I found myself at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington D.C. driving by his gravesite. I will never forget the day I went into the cemetery’s office to inquire about having the monument repaired. Even after offering to pay for the repairs myself, I was told only a next of kin can could make that decision.
"Tragic on so many levels"
If you’re a Civil War fan you understand the important roll the state of Pennsylvania played in assisting the Union effort. With the exception of New York, no other state provided more fighting men. So it makes sense its capital city of Harrisburg is home to the National Civil War Museum. What doesn’t make sense is the neglected grave of a Civil War General less than two miles down the road.
Although he would survive the war, including a stint at Richmond’s infamous Libby Prison, the loss of his wife and two sons would lead to Brevet General Robert McCoy’s suicide in 1891. Today ivy and vines have started to reclaim the family plot where it sits quietly void of so much as an American flag.
Restoring the past of veterans passed
I am honored to walk among the ghosts of giants. In the 3rd Infantry Division, names such as Audie Murphy, Paul Ray Smith, and Alwyn Cashe inspired me.
In the 26th Yankee Division, knowing I was a part of the same unit with whom my great-grandfather went to WWI Europe brings a sense of pride you cannot explain.
These are just some of the names in a long list of men and women who are so much more than a regurgitated citation or overlooked headstone!
