Navy Veteran Deep Cleans Forgotten WWII Headstones | Deep Cleaned | Insider

[@metalcatmom5891]

This is very timely. I spoke with my mother last week and I'm about to become steward of my grandmother's brother's things and take over as caretaker of his grave. He was a medic in WWII, and killed by a sniper. He was 21 years old when he died. His death affected my grandmother her entire life and she told me lots about him and I feel like she would want me to do this, for them both.

[@rrosemccoy]

I know she would love it!!! My big sisters tombstone has gotten black on it, and we just placed my dads new tombstone by it. You can see the difference. She died in the 80s when she was 14. My mom and I are planning on doing something like this for her grave. I hope to keep doing it after she’s passed. My grandfather was a war hero too, and I know his and my grandmothers headstone needs cleaning. I always try to leave a penny on a vets headstone.

[@metalcatmom5891]

@rrosemccoy My Mom usually looks after MawMaw's, but I gave it a good scrubbing when my PawPaw died in 2021 before I made up the flowers for the vases before the graveside service. I should have taken an extra bucket and scrubed Henry's when I was there. As I am now officially the keeper of Henry's things including his purple heart and some letters he wrote my grandma, I'm going to have to set up a routine and help my Mom out more with MawMaw's and PawPaw's headstone since my aunt always flakes out on her and I'm going to be looking after Henry's stone.

[@rrosemccoy]

@@metalcatmom5891 Oh wow! I would definitely treasure those letters and the Purple Heart definitely.

[@EddieManning]

Kudos for your respect and rememberance for those veterans and their loved ones who suffered for our present freedoms. Shame on those who think otherwise.

[@CherrylMaree]

Thank you for your Service and for your continued kindness.

[@chrisnolan8157]

OUTSTANDING work, Trae! Proud to know and have worked with you on this project! Wishing you much continued success to educate people and show how veteran burials should be treated!

[@clamanceclamance]

These soldiers died at the age of 20-25. Such a young age to die.

[@Cooldude-ko7ps]

Some very close to their birthdays too. One had only turned 20 just 4 days before his death.

[@Iam-me]

Sad 😢

[@Mrunal.kulkarni]

I feel sorry for them😔

[@LaurenceOConnor-fg4dk]

Thanks for stating the obvious. Anything else obvious to say? Americans! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Brynoooooo]

@@LaurenceOConnor-fg4dk what do you mean “Americans” and this ain’t that obvious not a thing to laugh about

[@arr4512]

Trae - glad to see this video posted. I know you've been working hard to get your organization going and get more volunteers cleaning VA headstones. You inspired me! I've completed 77 headstones so far and have plans to continue. What you are doing is a wonderful thing, and I hope others join in!!

[@GratitudeGriot]

So much love and care shown to fellow veterans ❤🤍💙 my grandpa was a WW2 veteran. I would love to honor him in this way

[@oOignignoktOo1]

I'm very happy to see Trae is getting the recognition he deserves. His videos are very informative and helped me out immensely with starting my project of cleaning graves in my local area cemeteries that were long neglected and now look like stones in a respective and dignified condition.

[@sfoeric]

Thank you for what you do our fallen heroes.

[@mushyPeas602]

These graves should never be forgotten…

[@kreepykrawlyman]

Honestly these videos are so satisfying to watch

[@Solar_Is_Here]

Finally! Someone who doesn’t step on the grave!

[@johngjacobi]

Awesome. Hope this gets picked up on other socials. What a great Memorial Day weekend message.

[@itsjustbrandy4290]

I can't believe that one gravestone/site was just buried under overgrown shrubs.

[@robc.5745]

Thank you for this video and all your good work.A lot of folks forget about this or do it the wrong way which may ruin the stone ,You show the correct way.

[@elsao1690]

What a great thing to do. Thank you.

[@patashswackyweatheradventu3361]

You are awesome for doing this

[@DecanFrost]

You do good work sir, my deepest respects to you Trae.

[@RainebowEvee]

I'm glad how much thought this guy puts in to preserving the story of these veterans. If done incorrectly, the cleaning could irreversibly damage the headstone...

[@bigorangeatl]

Absolutely love this!! Respect Sir!🇺🇸

[@LividCoffee01]

Much respect 🫡

[@chilamilla]

God bless America. Every Veteran, thank you.

[@dstaff7373]

Respect 💯. That James Thomas Headstone🪦 Stuck out to me, only 4 days after his 20th Birthday He was Killed. R.I.P James Thomas Young Man he was...

[@jeepmega629]

I respect all the deep cleaners for cleaning all the stuff we use, but I especially respect this guy because he’s also preserving history.

[@luciusvorenus9445]

Outstanding, sir!

[@mangographics225]

Thank you for this! ❣️

[@thew0lf98]

Most folks don't know this but we all die twice. The first being our physical presence on this Earth and the latter being the memories in the people that we made an impression on while we were alive. When they're gone, that's it. That's why it's always been important to preserve any relics or reminders.

[@virginiawestcot3111]

Thank you ❤ God Bless

[@Unboundpuppet]

Have a blessed Memorial Day everyone!

[@barbarakosloski9260]

Congrats and thank you for respecting military personnel for their service to our country! Andrew Lumish, The Good Cemetarian, does the same in Florida. His website has everything you need to know about cleaning cemetery monuments, etc.

[@michelangeloplumbing4973]

This is GREAT !!! Needs to he shared.

[@teawithmarmalade]

You’re doing God’s work. This warms my historian heart.

[@LoyalSlime]

America, America, I gave my best to you. 🇺🇸

[@martini668]

Thanks for doing this

[@rgms573]

What nice guy, I wish him the best

[@adamkimberling6609]

We also need to get the word out that veterans graves are also in forgotten cemeteries that have become overgrown, buried itself, or the stone is unreadable. These forgotten cemeteries some of them are in the woods, some of them are forgotten Church cemeteries,

[@maryannecross4220]

Thank you sir 💖🇬🇧

[@kaycure8629]

Trae....I completed the Catholic cemetery in my town....all the upright veteran stones. Done in 3 summers. Now working on city cemetery right next door to the Catholic one. Lots and lots more veteran stones in there. Scattered all over. They are looking nice also.

[@beautifullybrilliant7542]

THANK YOU BOTH BROTHERS AND SISTERS FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING, TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR LIVES TO BE HONOURABLE, RESPECTFULLY CLEANING THE HEADSTONES OF OUR ANCESTORS. ONE O😮F WHICH HAPPENED TO BE MY GREAT-UNCLE MY GRANDMUM'S BROTHER ROBERT WHO WE NEVER ACTUALLY GOT HIS REMAINS BACK IN ORDER TO HAVE A PROPER BURIAL IN ORDER TO HONOUR HIM. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION AT THE AGE OF 19 ONLY TWO WEEKS INTO HIS FIRST TOUR OF DUTY IN THE PACIFIC THEATRE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HONOURABLE!

[@Jkapricorn]

why are you writing in all caps?

[@youlikedyourowncomment5151]

STOP YELLING!!!

[@beautifullybrilliant7542]

@@youlikedyourowncomment5151 First off I’m not yelling and second of all my phones on the fritz or at least my old one was so sometimes it would radically go to all caps btw You shouldn’t read so much into absolutely nothing

[@AMagicProduction]

God Bless These American Heroes

[@Kevin-wj4ed]

This man gave his life so people could be free again!!!!!!!!!

[@deettekearns9092]

Great story.

[@VulcanGunner]

Thank you, sir

[@theloneviking9145]

Thank you for this

[@hazelogrady2613]

Love this idea

[@Esportgamerseries25]

This is so sad, these soldiers are actually heroes.. it’s sad how most of them died are below 30 or barely above 19…

[@ohno_da_idiot3230]

that's great

[@CL-we8tn]

Thank you

[@markbooe205]

May God Bless You 😊

[@Splat654]

Would the same organism grow on ceramics (in glazing or without it) if i put it outside? And what time it take for these organisms to grow so they make a stone dirty? I mean how much years at least, or less? My bunny has hassed away, and i had an idea to make a ceramic gravestone for her resting place.

[@libertyvilleguy2903]

Glazed ceramic probably wouldn’t have any organic growth in it. Unglazed pottery might get some moss or lichen if it’s in the shade. Either way, it would take a couple years for it to develop.

[@peterhaustein]

awsome workk you do thk you

[@HanTheProphet]

People should just do this locally, it shouldn’t be up to this guy to remember those who fought for our freedoms

[@MaddysinLeigh]

So there’s a graveyard by my house and the previous owners were arrested for I think tax evasion or fraud or something but they hadnt been maintaining the graveyard. My parents went down on there bikes and cleaned up some of the gravestones. They didn’t go all out with cleaner or anything but they pulled the grass off of them and swept away the dirt. My dad is a navy vet and it pissed him off because some of the headstones were military. I wanna say one was a 18-20 yo kid that died in Afghanistan.

[@davidklott8050]

God bless you

[@MarkPreman]

Thank you so much, I’m heading over to clean my Uncle Mikes… 4:54 4:57

[@jennglow4647]

Cool 😀

[@flip3172]

Dope afff 🙏🙏

[@Amitdas-gk2it]

Interesting

[@sandywhite4042]

I wish there was more of you people. At every Cemetery. One of my mom family Cemetery. The stones are fall in their, flat stones and one is a Veterans. Every year she goes there not one AMERICAN FLAG ON THEIR STONES. She's asked why isn't her relatives ever have a flag. They'll get one and every year they don't .So in her car she has ALOT of the right size AMERICAN Flags for all there Graves. Now ,I've noticed, in my other families grave yard. Not one of my great Uncles and Great,Great fathers have a flag but,others do . They all served and one died over sea. My great Gramm never got his body. You do we talk to? Plus ,know I've found my blood grandfather, he doesn't have one and I'm his only living relatives Others in his Cemetery have them.

[@Nickfulcrium]

Every cemetery should have a cleaner paid by the government to make sure all government workers stones are cleaned

[@marlonlasisi8304]

🙏🏾

[@thefreshest2379]

Their stories might disappear but the effects of their lives will continue for a while.

[@galidroo]

Truth. Afghanistan is MUCH safer

[@acidwashedgenes9792]

He's the founder of memorial day

[@dertobbe1176]

Who plants bushes in front of A gravestone 🧐

[@resiliencewithin]

Emotional

[@boldjawad]

Why isn't their family members caring about their relative's grave??

[@ireallydontknow8616]

Some of the headstones are so old. They don't have family to take care of them any longer

[@metalcatmom5891]

I remember my great uncle because of my grandmother. He was 21 when he died. He had no children. I'm the last one who cares, and that is because of my grandmother. He died 40 years before I was born. Once I'm gone, I guess that will be the end for both of us as I do not have children.

[@kirankumarsukumar]

How do i donate to this cause ?

[@rawbacon]

The website is "By Memorial Day", you can donate there. If you're interested in donating your time there's information there too on how to clean graves......And his KZbin channel is called "Honor Your DNA".

[@mark314158]

I thought that The American Battle Monuments Commission took care of these graves?

[@26hurban]

How can I help this guy with his goal? Ok, I found out in the last 5 seconds of the video.

[@righteousone1]

When your own government doesn't care about the maintenance of your gravestone then you should understand the reality of your worth to the government.

[@davidjacobson6791]

So because the United States government doesn’t have an official department of Gravestone cleaning, they see no worth in human life specifically that of their own citizens? God you are almost as dense as the Headstones he’s cleaning.

[@drabberfrog]

Am I the only one who kinda thinks that this is a huge waste of time and resources? If that veteran is dead and all the people that knew them are dead then what's the point? Burying the dead in cemeteries is a huge waste of space which couid be used for something actually useful or just be undeveloped land for nature. The number of dead people never decreases so we're gonna have to get rid of these graves at some point or not bury anyone. Instead of donating your money or time so someone can polish a stone with grime on it why not use it to help the living, or in other words the people that actually currently still exist who could actually benefit from your generosity.

[@Splat654]

I understand your view, but i also think these can serve historical value. I am not American though.

[@andrewreynolds912]

I can understand, but as an American, letting the dead like this have bad graves is consider bad by many, not to mention the things that these families went through my great grandfather was in the navy and was a AA gunner during the battle of the coral sea so no it may seem like a waste but if you don't care then you basically don't care about other people who have gave their lives is very insensitive if you ask yourself thay

[@tronk5598]

this is the most braindead yank take ive ever read lmao

[@HandFromCoffin]

I don't think you meant to but you just created a straw man argument. You are wanting to discuss should we start creating more and burying less. The video is about cleaning and respecting CURRENT grave stones. Or.. you are arguing to dig up all the grave sites and put in some condos... But you made a straw man argument by saying isn't graves a huge waste of time and we shouldn't bury people from a video about cleaning current grave stones.

[@LuisMendoza-pp9qi]

Why not use PowerWashing?? It can remove Everything with zero effort and at a fraction of the time.... with NO chemicals

[@matrixcmitech]

Not a good idea. Historical preservationists DO NOT recommend it. Use the method demonstrated in this video.

[@LuisMendoza-pp9qi]

@@matrixcmitech but.... is just stone... is not going to erode as long as you use only water with NO abrasives, and you can clean a full tombstone in 3 minutes!!!👍

[@DavidNunezPNW]

This dude is riding fir US imperialism way too much

[@kalamari3288]

The US has done imperialist stuff. But really? You want to talk about this on a WWII video? I don’t think you should go there in the war we fought defensively against Nazis and fascists.

[@jasonb9562]

Cause WW2 was an imperialist war?

[@Alex-ug9wx]

Say you have no idea about the causes of US involvement in WW2.

[@baizawai]

​@@Alex-ug9wx He's supposedly an educated journalist who came here illegally and is proud of doing so. He doesn't care.