COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — A planned dedication in Iowa for military headstones for 36 Civil War veterans who have been buried in unmarked graves for a century will be taking place in May.
This is being done with the help of Colonel William H. Kinsman Camp #23, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, of Atlantic, IA, and the Veterans Administration.
The public is invited to attend the event.
See the full press release below:
"The circular area around the Kinsman Monument in Council Bluffs' Fairview Cemetery has a large number of Civil War veterans buried there. Thirty-five of these “Boys in Blue” have rested there for over a century in many cases with no marker to mark their last resting place. Several other unmarked graves are also there, but the exact location of the resting places of those interred there has been lost over the years.
That sad state of affairs will be remedied on Saturday, May 14. Individuals who were integral to the project include Lisa Rex of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Chris Harriman who secured headstones and worked with the VA, Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War Roy Linn and his wife Linda who conducted research, and other individuals committed to recognizing the veterans. 35 of the veterans now have new military headstones, as well as a single stone dedicated to the men whose graves could not be positively identified.
The dedication for these 36 stones will take place at the Kinsman Monument in Fairview Cemetery on Saturday, May 14 at 2 p.m. The Keynote speaker will be Steve Gates, an active scholar and presenter of Civil War studies. Other dignitaries will include Mayor Matt Walsh and Department Commander Dennis Sasse representing the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
The public is cordially invited to attend.
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was founded in 1883 by the G. A. R. One of S. U.V. C. W.'s ongoing projects is to locate the resting places of all Civil War veterans, and to see them properly marked and recorded."
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
