For 110 years, the historic Soldiers & Sailors Veterans Memorial has greeted visitors to the Flushing Cemetery. Flushing has always been a patriotic town and many veterans … from the civil war onward … are buried in the cemetery. Every Memorial Day, community services are held there to commemorate the sacrifices made by veterans.

The towering statue of a civil war soldier is the centerpiece of the cemetery. Like many old soldiers, he looks good from a distance, but up close he showed the ravages of aging. When spring 2016 arrived, the concrete steps and base of the statue showed more damage from the winter’s cold. That’s when John Howe took action.

The Memorial guards the heritage of our country. We want it to stand for another 110 years so our children’s children will remember the sacrifices made,” Howe said. “It’s important that future generations can appreciate what’s been done to preserve our freedom.”

Read the full article about veterans from the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.