More than 100 volunteers turned out Sept. 11 at Alexandria National Cemetery to participate in a Patriot Day of Service to honor and remember the nation’s heroes on the anniversary of those lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The volunteers worked in partnership with VFW Post 609 and Carry the Load, a Veterans Service organization, to clean the more than 4,000 headstones located in the cemetery.

“Every year on Patriot Day, Americans are asked to treat the day as an opportunity to do some sort of national public service,” said Col. Gerry Krueger, Commander of VFW Post 609. “Our way of doing that is to join with Carry the Load and the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs to honor several thousand military veterans who have served our country honorably. We do this by cleaning their tombstones, saying their names out loud, and saluting them, to assure them their service to our country is not forgotten.”

Part of Carry the Load’s mission is to “honor and remember the service and sacrifice of our military, veterans, first responders, and their families. That’s why on Patriot Day, we encourage all Americans to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who served and those who were called to serve due to the events on September 11, 2001.”

The event kicked off with remarks by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration representative Danny Devine, local VFW Post 609 member and Carry the Load ambassador Danielle Applegate, and AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith.

“This is a way to honor the sacrifice of those we have loved and lost,” said Applegate, who is also the chair of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. “We say their names so they are not forgotten.”

Alexandria National Cemetery is one of the original national cemeteries founded by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. The historic nature of the headstones means that only a sponge and water are used to clean the headstones so as to not cause any damage.

Patriot Day volunteers partnered with Carry the Load to help clean headstones and beautify more 60 VA National Cemeteries across the nation. All 4,229 headstones were cleaned as part of the efforts in Alexandria.

The event is co-sponsored by the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration with local VFW Post 609 serving as host.

“Today is a special day for our nation,” said volunteer Alexandra Gal. “It’s a great cause and gives me the chance to stop and reflect.”