Hundreds participate in headstone cleaning at Vicksburg National Cemetery

Around 300 volunteers gathered at the Vicksburg National Military Park on Saturday to participate in a monumental headstone cleaning event.

(Photo by David Day)

Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park, the official non-profit partner of the Vicksburg National Military Park, organized the event to clean and restore the 18,000 veteran headstones in the Vicksburg National Cemetery.

Volunteer registration for the headstone cleaning began at 8 a.m. Saturday (Photo by David Day)

Located within Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg National Cemetery is the final resting place for over 18,000 U.S. veterans, 17,000 of those being Union Civil War soldiers, a number unmatched by any other National Cemetery.

Participants observed a moment of silence for the 18,000 soldiers buried here. (Photo by David Day)

Working alongside NPS preservation staff and Park Rangers, volunteers utilized a special cleaning solution to return each historic veteran headstone to its brilliant white color just in time for Memorial Day.

(Photo by David Day)

This event is supported in partnership with D2, the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, Cemetery Preservation Supply, the American Battlefield Trust’s Park Day 2022, and The Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign. With special sponsorship in honor of John L. Nau, III in recognition of his many efforts for historic preservation at Vicksburg National Military Park.