The Liberty Veterans Cemetery, located on Cold Spring Road, had seen better days up until recently. 

Cpl. Russell D. Sprague American Legion Post 109 Commander Helmut Wilhelm explained that parts of it were in rough shape, and that Post membership has greatly declined in recent decades, therefore it was a task they were unable to take on.

However, two local youth and aspiring Eagle Scouts  from Boy Scout Troop 1717, Roger Lynker III and Dylan Nichols, both led projects to address the situation, which Wilhelm was elated to hear.

Lynker, an eighth grader at Liberty Middle School, was approached by the cemetery association about rehabilitating the cemetery as an eagle scout project. After speaking with the association, Lynker decided that it was something he wanted to do “mainly to honor the veterans.” 

“A lot of parades and events [happen there]. I thought it’d look better if the graves were all aligned,” he said.

Lynker focused on the right side of the cemetery, which had around 180 flat stones of World War I and World War II veterans. Most of them were sunken in the ground to the point where you no longer read what they said. 

Fixing them was a task he couldn’t do alone. Around 38 people, including friends and family locally and as far as Saugerties and Hopewell, NJ, came to help on October 8 and 9, armed with tools and supplies.

They spent a total of 10 hours over both days, taking the stones out, cleaning and releveling them. By the end of the weekend they had rehabilitated 140 of 180 stones.

The gravel and soil was donated by John Burke, the cemetery’s caretaker.

“I’m very proud of everything that happened and everyone who came to help,” said Lynker. “I’m so thankfiul for the amazing turnout. I couldn’t have done it without the support of so many people.” 

While speaking with the cemetery association before completing his project, they informed Lynker that Soldiers Circle, located across the street, also needed to be redone.

Lynker’s family reached out to Liberty High School senior Dylan Nichols, who agreed to take on the task.

Nichols, who would like to study software engineering upon graduation in June, was assisted by fellow LHS students, scouts, as well as family and friends. Over two weekends (October 1-2, October 8-9) and 27 hours of work by Nichols, as well as about 125 man hours of labor by peers,  Soldiers Circle is good as new. They  reset graves, replaced the American Flag and painted the canon. 

“It felt great,” Nichols said of the effort. “It was an honor and a great project. I’m happy to have done it.” 

While the projects may have been gratifying for the two young men, their efforts have also touched local veterans.

“When I saw this as a veteran, I had tears in my eyes,” said Wilhelm. “A miracle happened at the Liberty Veterans Cemetery.” 

If you’re interested in scouting in Sullivan County, contact Nancy Esposito at 845-292-2683.