Florida Man Spends His Only Day Off Cleaning Tombstones Of Forgotten Veterans

Jul 12, 2018 by apost team

Andrew Lumish is dedicated to showing his respect for forgotten veterans by taking care of old tombstones that have fallen in disarray. This good “Cemeterian,” as many call him, takes time from his life to clean off the many forgotten tombstones of veterans in the Tampa Bay area.

Andrew works for a carpet and upholstery cleaning business in Tampa, Florida. These images are one example of the many graves that Andrew has cleaned off when he gets a day off from work.

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Andrew exercises the same vigor when it comes to cleaning tombstones as he does to run his business. He uses water to rinse the tombstones first. He then uses D/2, a chemical compound used for cleaning. He scrubs off years of dirt, mold, and decay.

This is a tombstone from the late 1800s that you couldn’t even read before Andrew got to it. It used to be nearly pitch-black and now it is as clean as if it was brand new-even though it is well over 100 years old!

Stones that are used for tombstones can absorb and hold onto large amounts of moisture during and after storms, causing algae and moss to grow. But after Andrew is done with them, they glow brightly in the night, making the cemetery look like it is daytime.

Andrew has actually studied the proper way to clean off gravestones. He uses the same exact chemicals and techniques that every United States national cemetery does when they clean their tombstones. He says that it may take three months to completely restore a gravestone.

Andrew heads to the cemeteries with his wife who is there to support and help him anyway that he needs. Andrew also posts before and after pictures of his work on his Facebook page, gaining him a large number of followers who praise him for his work.

Andrew always provides a brief description of the person whose tombstone he has restored. He researches the person to learn more about their life and death in order to honor them even years later.

Andrew does not have any connection to any of the people whose graves he has restored. He only knows what he does through research. He has spent more than five years working on this endeavor with no plans to stop. He does not want the people to be forgotten.

The Department of Veteran Affairs honored Andrew for his work. Not only have they acknowledged and appreciated his service, so have many of the families of the deceased. Andrew receives regular calls from families who cannot maintain their loved one’s gravestones and appreciate everything Andrew is doing for them.

Andrew is very proud that he has the ability to clean and restore tombstones of fallen veterans. He wishes that his work will spread awareness for those who may have been forgotten. He is a true inspiration to all of us and we continue to applaud his amazing work!

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