As a Boy Scout in Mendham Troop 1, I, Ryan Takayama, am honoring those who have served our country for my Eagle Project by identifying veterans buried at Hilltop and St. Joseph’s Cemeteries. While flags are placed annually at veteran’s graves for Memorial Day, there is no formal map identifying or cataloguing veterans. Some graves have etchings indicating one’s service, others have weathered flag holders, and a few only receive a flag if someone knows of their service. Each year, there are fewer and fewer people involved with placing the flags who know where these resting places are. The goal of this Eagle Project is to remedy that.
To date, we, the Boy Scout volunteers in Troop 1, have catalogued over 325 veterans buried in Mendham, mapping their graves and compiling a database with their information. Using these resources, I plan on placing flag holders next to each veteran’s grave. With the map and flag holders, it will be very easy to identify veterans when placing flags on Memorial Day or other military holidays.
A key expense in bringing this project to fruition is purchasing flag holders. We have identified over 325 veterans so far and hope to purchase flag holders for these individuals, as well as fifty for future veterans who will be laid to rest in the coming years. The estimated cost of these flag holders is approximately $5,500. Regardless of whether flags are up in the cemeteries, these flag holders will serve to honor and remember veterans year-round. Any funds raised in excess of what is needed to purchase the flag holders will be given to this Eagle Scout Project's Beneficiary so they can continue honoring veterans.
Ideally, our goal is to complete this project prior to honoring our local veterans on Memorial Day (2021).
Thank you for your help and support!
UPDATE
Thank you to everyone who has donated and supported my project! Through its outreach to the community and local organizations, we have identified many new veterans buried at Hilltop and St. Joseph's Cemeteries that were not previously on the list. As a result, I am raising the target goal to $6,500 to ensure that we can properly honor all of our veterans.
UPDATE 2/20/2021
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated my Eagle Project! I am blown away by all of the support and encouragement from the community - thank you!! Between canvassing the cemeteries and help from the community and local organizations, we have identified almost 525 veterans buried in Mendham! 525!! To ensure that we can honor all of the veterans buried at Hilltop and St. Joseph's Cemeteries, I am raising the target fundraising goal to $7,000.
Please also note that due to GoFundMe age requirements, my mother, Christine Takayama, is listed as the beneficiary of this project on the GoFundMe page, which is solely for the purpose of purchasing the flag holders. Money raised is going towards purchasing flag holders for the veterans we have identified as well as an additional 50 for future veterans laid to rest. All additional flag holders and any money raised that exceeds the cost of the flag holders will be given to my project beneficiary, Councilman and veteran John Andrews, who is working to regenerate Mendham American Legion Post 315, ensuring that this important recognition of veterans continues beyond the timeframe of the project.
To date, we, the Boy Scout volunteers in Troop 1, have catalogued over 325 veterans buried in Mendham, mapping their graves and compiling a database with their information. Using these resources, I plan on placing flag holders next to each veteran’s grave. With the map and flag holders, it will be very easy to identify veterans when placing flags on Memorial Day or other military holidays.
A key expense in bringing this project to fruition is purchasing flag holders. We have identified over 325 veterans so far and hope to purchase flag holders for these individuals, as well as fifty for future veterans who will be laid to rest in the coming years. The estimated cost of these flag holders is approximately $5,500. Regardless of whether flags are up in the cemeteries, these flag holders will serve to honor and remember veterans year-round. Any funds raised in excess of what is needed to purchase the flag holders will be given to this Eagle Scout Project's Beneficiary so they can continue honoring veterans.
Ideally, our goal is to complete this project prior to honoring our local veterans on Memorial Day (2021).
Thank you for your help and support!
UPDATE
Thank you to everyone who has donated and supported my project! Through its outreach to the community and local organizations, we have identified many new veterans buried at Hilltop and St. Joseph's Cemeteries that were not previously on the list. As a result, I am raising the target goal to $6,500 to ensure that we can properly honor all of our veterans.
UPDATE 2/20/2021
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated my Eagle Project! I am blown away by all of the support and encouragement from the community - thank you!! Between canvassing the cemeteries and help from the community and local organizations, we have identified almost 525 veterans buried in Mendham! 525!! To ensure that we can honor all of the veterans buried at Hilltop and St. Joseph's Cemeteries, I am raising the target fundraising goal to $7,000.
Please also note that due to GoFundMe age requirements, my mother, Christine Takayama, is listed as the beneficiary of this project on the GoFundMe page, which is solely for the purpose of purchasing the flag holders. Money raised is going towards purchasing flag holders for the veterans we have identified as well as an additional 50 for future veterans laid to rest. All additional flag holders and any money raised that exceeds the cost of the flag holders will be given to my project beneficiary, Councilman and veteran John Andrews, who is working to regenerate Mendham American Legion Post 315, ensuring that this important recognition of veterans continues beyond the timeframe of the project.
Organizer and beneficiary
Christine Takayama
Beneficiary