Town of Trenton, WI – To mark Memorial Day 2022, Washington County and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) are collaborating to gather data at over 7000 Veteran gravesites throughout the County. In a partnership with the Washington County Veterans Service Office, Washington County Parks Department, and BSA, the geocache project provides a public portal to help locate veteran burial sites throughout the County, using name and service period. In addition, there is an opportunity for families and volunteers to place flags and wreaths on the graves of their loved ones in honor of Memorial Day.
“I applaud the volunteers and scouts for their outstanding efforts to memorialize our nation’s veterans. It is our civic responsibility to teach our children about the service and sacrifice our veterans have made for us, and this partnership by the County and the Boy Scouts provides an ideal opportunity for us to have an important conversation with our kids about duty and honor,” said County Executive Josh Schoemann.
As part of the initiative, and in exchange for their participation in the Veteran Geo-cache Project, scouts and volunteers will camp overnight on designated weekends at Sandy Knoll County Park.
In 2019, an endowment was created to ensure permanent funding for the remembrance of veterans each Memorial Day in Washington County. The placing of flags at gravesites costs approximately $6,000 annually.
“I am proud of this program. It fosters a sense of service and pride in Our Great Community. This is our strength, and we must instill this strength of service – above self – in all who come after us,” concluded Schoemann.
For additional information about the Veteran Geo-cache Project, contact Kurt Rusch, Washington County Veterans Service Office; [email protected]; 262-335-4457.
