Members of the American Legion Post 206 are finding a distinct way to honor the legacy of those who have passed this Memorial Day. They are in the process of cleaning the headstones for service members buried at the Evergreen Washelli Cemetery in North Seattle.
Volunteer Jordan Houghton says it’s part of an effort to remind people of the real purpose for Memorial Day.
“We wanted to refocus it and make it more about what it is; which is a remembrance for those that have passed or were lost in the conflicts that we've had,” Houghton explained.
The group is pressure washing thousands of headstones and will go back and use special cleaning products on the more severely stained markers. It's a project the group started last month and plan to make a regular event.
“A lot of people have been here, and it's important to give that reverence to the folks here,” Houghton said. “You get to see all these stories as you read the headstones, as your cleaning them, we found one down there that was an Irish doctor who served in World War II.”
It’s hard work, but Houghton said he and other volunteers feel a special connection.
“I would say it's a therapeutic connection” he described. “There's something about cleaning these stones and making them nice again, just kind of seeing where our history has been in terms of war.”
