Clark Vetrans Cemetry not forgotten

Whilst not a strictly aviation related matter, this cemetery is located withing the Clark Freeport and a push is on to have it restored to honer the memories of those who served and rest there ..

The following is from Dennis Wright, CEO of Peregrine, a major locator and developer within the Clark Freeport Zone ..

Peregrine, in collabo ration with the local VFW Post 2485, have joined forces to try to restore the Clark Veterans Cemetery just inside the main gate. We would like to ask for your support. I am sure most of you are aware the cemetery exists, but few probably are aware of its history, and what is wrong with how it is maintained today. The web site we created has its history that you will find most interesting.

If we are successful, this cemetery would be restored to its respected and venerable setting, and clearly accent the entrance way to Clark, so there are aesthetic benefits to also doing the right thing. What follows is the text of an email we are sending to many other colleagues and friends, to ask them to sign

up as a Champion, essentially lending their name of their support. We would like to ask each of you to do the same. There are both American and Filipino’s buried there in addition to a handful of other nationals, and they deserve a proper resting place. Please take a few minutes and read the below, go on line and help us by registering as a Champion on the www.cvcra.org web site.

We need your help. We

formed a not for profit organization to help restore the Clark Veterans Cemetery, which has over 2,200 veterans and Filipino Scouts buried there. The cemetery fell through the cracks after the USAF left and the bases were transferred to the Philippines. Since 1992, the cemetery has not received any federal funds to support it. In 1994, the local VFW Post 2485, embarrassed by the deplorable condition of the cemetery after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, adopted it. A group of veterans in the local Angeles VFW Post 2485 took it upon themselves to volunteer their time and effort to maintain

and manage the cemetery because neither the US or Philippine government agreed to do so. The local VFW Post 2485 to this day solely administers and maintains the cemetery through voluntary efforts and support. They also administer to the 3 – 4 active burials that are occurring each and every month. Since 1994 only US veterans have been buried there, including two who died in Iraq.

Their commendable efforts have worked as a stop gap for over 16 years, however the cemetery needs much more, it needs to be transitioned to the ABMC, VA or another agency of the US Government. We formed the not for profit about a month ago, you may recognize many of the prominent Board of Director members, and the growing number of Champions who are going on line to register their support. Former Philippine-American and USN Captain Ike Puzon, has volunteered his time to help us lobby for legislative change, but we need to show numbers, we need the voices of lar

ge numbers of people demanding that the cemetery be picked up under a federal agency and maintained to the level of respect and decorum our veterans are entitled to. Attached to this email is a snapshot of but one WWII veteran buried at Clark. You can go on line at www.cvcra.org and get a full picture of the campaign, its present condition, those buried there now and what we must

do to right a wrong.

I want to ask you to get the word out to your respective memberships and networks and ask each and every one of them to do something quite simple:

1. First, log in at www.cvcra.org, review the mandate and challenge
2. Click on the Champions tab or How Can I Help icon and sign up as a Champion (It will literally take no more than one minute to register as a Champion)

We are not asking for money, we are not asking for volunteers, we are only asking people to let their voices be heard by registering to demonstrate their support and to help us convey to congress that our veterans and their sacrifices should never be forgotten. We need numbers, we need individuals to go in and register.

LET NO VET BE FORGOTTEN!