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    HHS master sergeants clean up cemetery

    HHS master sergeants clean up cemetery

    Photo By Master Gunnery Sgt. Jimmy Bention | Master Sgt. Robert W. Creps, station motor transportation chief, clears built-up small...... read more read more

    PAMPANGA, PHILIPPINES

    09.29.2011

    Story by Staff Sgt. Jimmy Bention 

    Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

    PAMPANGA, Philippines — Twice a year on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, Americans take time to remember the sacrifices of veterans who have died in battles throughout American history.

    Many ceremonies take place at different cemeteries around world where the fallen are buried.

    Unfortunately, there is one cemetery in the Philippines that is the final resting place for thousands of American service members that is not being maintained at the level it needs to be.

    A group of Marines from Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron in Iwakuni, Japan, visited Clark Veterans Cemetery in Pampanga, Philippines, Sept. 28 - Oct. 1 to provide some much-needed restorations.

    Clark Veterans Cemetery was established in 1948 following World War II to receive the remains of four earlier American military cemeteries that were being closed. The remains from the other cemeteries dated as far back as 1901. The Air Force maintained the cemetery from 1948-1991. Following the impact of the 1991 volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo and breakdown of the base’s agreement for U.S. forces to remain in the Philippines, there was no U.S. government provision made for long term care of the cemetery. After the last U.S. troops left in 1992, the cemetery was neglected and ash and weeds began to cover the grounds and headstones. What had been hallowed ground was left deserted and encroached by heavy vegetation.

    “In 1994, the people at VFW [Veterans of Foreign Wars] post 2485 decided something had to be done, and a volunteer effort was started to maintain the cemetery as best we could,” said John Gilbert, senior vice commander of VFW post 2485. “Over time we have managed to get it to a decent level, though it is not nearly what it should be. We do try to maintain some level of respect and dignity for those who came before us.”

    Though many people donate to the maintenance of the cemetery, the VFW is only able to hire a small staff of five to do the minimum upkeep.

    “We are actually still an active cemetery. We do about four burials a month of veterans not only from the local area but folks who have served here that have an Asian connection,” said Gilbert. “We raise
    about $2,000 a month and that is just enough to pay the employees and buy the equipment needed for the burials and do basic maintenance.”

    Hearing about the poor condition of the cemetery, some station
    Marines decided to take action to help out.

    “Somewhere around the first week of July, there was in article in Stars and Stripes about a cemetery that was being ran by veterans, but was not part of the national registry of graves, and they were looking for help,” said Master Sgt. James Wentling, Air Traffic Control staff non-commissioned officer in charge. I got with a group of my fellow master sergeants, and we decided that it was not right for service members who have given so much for their country to be interred in that state. So we got with the commanding officer and asked if we could go down there, volunteer our time and help turn the cemetery back into a place of honor.”

    This first trip was a test run in what hopes to be a recurring event.

    “We wanted to lay the ground work for future community relation projects out here at the cemetery,” said Master Sgt. Brian Kolbiaka, air field operations chief.

    “We wanted to make all the contacts and know what they had to work with equipment-wise. Coming here we didn’t know what they had and just thought it would be easier if us master sergeants came and set the stage for what we hope is a quarterly trip.”

    The cemetery has more than 8,600 graves and more than 20 acres of land, so the VFW was happy when the Marines called them and asked to lend a helping hand.

    “My staff is only able to do so much. We have a funeral or some other ceremony at least once a week so that takes one day out of their schedule,” said Gilbert. “The other days they have just enough time to keep up with the grass cutting and trimming around the headstones. So what I asked the Marines to do when they came out here was help with the outside of the fence.”

    The fence around the cemetery has only been up for a year, but over that time a lot of vegetation has grown around it.

    “I’ve seen throughout the Pacific theater what happens to places like this, I actually expected it to be worse than what it actually was, so I am extremely glad that I was able to come out here and lend a hand,” said Master Sgt. Todd Knueppel, station ordnance chief. I was also impressed with the knowledge that the VFW members had on the people who are buried there and where they fall in our history.”

    Even though the Marines were only able to stay for a couple days, the VFW members were truly thankful for what they were able to accomplish.

    “We do the best we can with what we have, so to get someone to come here and do something that makes a big difference and that is very special to us,” said Gilbert.

    Clark Veterans Cemetery Restoration Association is undergoing a major effort to bring government funding to the cemetery so that it can be maintained at a proper level for a U.S. military cemetery.

    Information on their efforts may be found at www.cvcra.org. Until federal funding is approved, the members of VFW 2485, along with the many people who donate their time and money, are truly doing their part to not only take care and remember these veterans on holidays, but every day.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 09.29.2011
    Date Posted: 10.13.2011 01:52
    Story ID: 78414
    Location: PAMPANGA, PH

    Web Views: 37
    Downloads: 0

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