HARRISBURG, Pa. — Chris Marcheskie is an Army veteran who now runs the central Pennsylvania chapter of Team Rubicon, a national veteran-led disaster response organization.
The group, along with other volunteers from Home Depot, spent Martin Luther King Day giving back to fellow veterans, who gave the ultimate sacrifice, and are now laid to rest at the historic Midland Cemetery in Harrisburg.
“A lot of the veterans buried here, their families may not even know they’re buried here because they have gone covered and buried for years," said Marcheskie.
Stick by stick, volunteers uncovered names of African-American soldiers who fought for freedom through the years.
“We have veterans from the U.S. Colored Troops, which [fought] in the Civil War, we have those Buffalo soldiers," said Barbara Barksdale, founder and president of Friends of Midland Cemetery
That group has been working for years to restore the historic cemetery.
“It’s about making sure we’re doing service," said Barksdale, regarding the decision to have a clean-up on MLK Day. "Even though I usually am up here a lot, it’s great to see these people wanted to come and be supportive of what needs to be done with the restoration and preservation.”
Monday's clean-up was a group effort representing unity and transformation.
“The need to want to keep serving through your life never goes away and it means a lot to be able to serve in the community," added Marcheskie.
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