CINCINNATI — Jeff Herbert was walking through Walnut Hills Cemetery Sunday, where he and a team of volunteers were working to make sure every veteran laid to rest in Hamilton County was recognized during the Memorial Day weekend.
"This volunteer-led effort has been years in the making," he told WCPO. "The goal? To find every single gravesite in Hamilton County for veterans who served and died."
Herbert is also the treasurer of the Hamilton County Genealogical Society. Along with a group of volunteers, he is mapping out every veteran's gravesite.
They've located and digitally mapped 31,000 so far.
"On a weekend, nice day, you can walk along, identify a WWII veteran," he said. "Right next to it is a Korean War veteran. Take a picture of it. Go home; post-process it."
It's a time-consuming process.
"Walnut Hills (Cemetery) took about three weeks for one volunteer. Spring Grove (Cemetery) took a whole summer. That was last year," Herbert said.
"It's a great way to get 10,000 steps."
Each step is another closer toward ensuring every veteran's story will never be forgotten.
"It's important to recognize and remember the service they gave to our country and try to commemorate what they've done for us."
