A Vietnam war veteran succeeded in his mission of memorializing war veterans buried in a Lakeland cemetery.
- Kenny Weberman started online campaign to raise funds for memorial
- Memorial constructed at Griffin Cemetery for $3,100
- Cemetery houses graves of 52 veterans
On Thursday, Kenny Weberman unveiled the new memorial at Griffin Cemetery, located on Sleepy Hill Road near Kathleen Road. It featured symbols for each branch of the military and listed the names of every war veteran in the cemetery.
Weberman decided the cemetery needed a memorial back in October, after walking through it and realizing it housed the graves of 52 war veterans, who fought in wars as far back in history as the Civil War.
"To me this is remarkable. It's just remarkable," said Kenny Weberman, while looking at the grave of Russell John Williford. "Three wars, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.”
Weberman was able to pay for the construction of the memorial through an online donation campaign. He said Sweet Dreams Memorial constructed it for $3,100.
“This is the best thing I've done in my life,” said Weberman. "It takes my breath away. It's my legacy. I left a legacy behind."
One of the donors was Andrew Lumish, also known as “The Good Cemeterian.” He’s known across the country for helping to restore graves in Bay area cemeteries.
“It’s perfect. It’s beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for anything better," said Lumish. "When it was unveiled, I hadn’t seen it beforehand. It exceeded my expectations.”