A run-down cemetery in Gulfport is getting a little help from good Samaritans, but they say it’s not enough. 

Thousands of veterans are buried at Lincoln Cemetery, but there have been ongoing problems for years to keep in maintained.

Edward Kinsley spent part of his weekend at Lincoln cemetery cleaning.

“I mean, I’ve picked up liquor bottles, Gatorade bottles, everything else,” Kinsley said.

The Gulfport resident said he started coming to the cemetery after hearing about the ongoing struggles to improve the grounds.

“So I took a ride down here and I was appalled," Kinsely said. "I was appalled. Our veterans are buried in trash. This gravestone here is broken in half. And this is a Korea War veteran.”

The cemetery holds the graves of more than 6,000 African-American veterans, including those who served in the Civil War.

City officials said the cemetery is operated by a man who has since moved out of state, leaving the maintenance to volunteers and good Samaritans.

"This is disgraceful for our American veterans," Kinsley said. "And I’m a retired Coast Guard veteran myself. I’m doing this on my own to respect our own."

Earlier this year, a St. Petersburg church tried to work with the operator to transfer the cemetery, but it hasn’t been successful.

City officials said they only have money in the budget for mowing, and they've also had failed attempts to get the operator to turn over the grounds.

Michael Fridovich, Councilman of Ward 4 in Gulfport, said the city has tried to get the operator “to accept his responsibility as the owner of Lincoln Cemetery,” but that he “has done nothing he has promised to do - i.e. relinquish the documents of Lincoln Cemetery to a new owner.”

Fridovich also said, “We as a city do not take lightly the disrespect the owner has shown to the Afro-American community that have loved ones buried there, but have few options other then what we have been doing.”

In the meantime, the cemetery continues to rack up code enforcement liens.  

“When you have veterans’ graves open and their caskets are exposed, something needs to be done,” said Kinsley.

Bay News 9 attempted to contact the operator of the cemetery, who city officials say now lives in Georgia, and we were unable to reach him for comment.