Topeka veterans group restores hundreds of headstones

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) have cleaned and maintained more than 1,500 headstones in and around Shawnee County.

Members of SUVCW's Topeka chapter, Old Abe Camp No.16, are descendants of men who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Revenue Cutter Service during the Civil War. They honor the history of the Civil War and those who served by focusing on education and the preservation of its memorials and monuments.

"Over the summer we (SUVCW) meet at local cemeteries to reset and clean CW Veterans headstones," Jerry Reiman, Graves Registration and Civil War Memorials Officer for SUVCW, told 27 News. "We meet once a month in Topeka to discuss CW topics, and we also work with Veterans Affairs to order stones for those who have none."

Since 2022, Reiman and the group have cleaned more than 1,500 headstones across seven local cemeteries, primarily focusing on soldiers of the Civil War. Furthermore, every Memorial Day the group performs a memorial service at the Topeka Cemetery to honor the veterans, complete with an Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps performing music of the time period.

By the end of the war, almost 28,000 veterans returned or immigrated to Kansas, more than 20,000 of which have registered burials in the state. But an unknown amount were buried in mass graves, or simply never received a headstone. Although it may not be possible to give all of these service members the honor they deserve, Reiman and SUVCW are doing whatever they can to make sure they are not forgotten.

If you are interested in joining SUVCW or attending one of their monthly meetings, you can checkout their website or Facebook group.

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