A tombstone cleaner who goes by the name The Good Cemeterian is brightening up these gloomy times by cleaning veterans’ gravestones. So, every November 11th, we commemorate the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. It is annually celebrated with parades and church services as a tribute to the military veterans, both the living and the deceased. But a man in Florida doesn’t only pay his respect to the fallen heroes on this particular day because he cleans and restores the final resting places of brave veterans who have been long forgotten.
Andrew Lumish also known as The Good Cemeterian owns a carpet and upholstery cleaning service in Tampa. His mission began when he visited a historic cemetery in Downtown Tampa because there he found old tombstones of veterans, mostly dilapidated and neglected for years. That’s when he decided to restore the old gravestones to honor the forgotten heroes and as a way to thank them for their sacrifices. Now, every Sunday, he spends his one day off working as a tombstone cleaner as he sets on restoring the decrepit monuments – one tombstone at a time.
This Man Cleans Veterans’ Tombstones
Using an environmentally friendly chemical solution and a soft-bristle brush, he scrubs away grime that has built-up over the years. When he’s done restoring a monument, Lumish doesn’t only bring the gravestone to its former glory but he also discovers something valuable about the person resting beneath it. By uncovering their names, dates of birth and death, he finds time to research about the deceased people. Lumish felt that the restoration project was also a way to remember the past and keep their memories alive and some of monuments even date back to the early 1900s.
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So, Lumish shares photos of the restored monuments on his Facebook and Instagram pages. He also includes stories about the forgotten heroes resting beneath the tombstones to remind people of their heroism and sacrifices.
“They were not considered heroes of their day… We hope the stories we tell enable people to honor these men and women for what they have sacrificed, recognize them as heroes, and appreciate the men and women serving our country today.”, he writes.
Lumish Also Includes Photos Of Some Of The People Resting Beneath Each Restored Monument
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Let’s Take A Look At Some More Amazing Tombstone Transformations
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So, you can help Lumish and his team carry out this noble project by donating to their charity here. Indeed, the best way to honor someone is by keeping their memories alive. And this project presents a great way to pay our respect to America’s greatest heroes. You can follow The Good Cemeterian on Instagram to see the tombstone cleaner in action.
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Transformations Like This One Are Amazing Because You Couldn’t Even See The Name Before
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Lastly, We Have This Newly Cleaned Tombstone And This Is Another One That Features A Photo Of The Veteran
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As you can see all of the tombstones now look amazing and now other people can visit the cemetery and read the names of brave veterans.