FORT KNOX, Ky. — Five representatives from the Directorate of Public Works and Directorate of Human Resources were recognized with the Civilian Service Achievement Medal Aug. 6 for their work in securing the Main Post Cemetery’s National Shrine status.
Two of the recipients, Dan Musel and Tracy Boorman, attended the presentation held at the Garrison monthly command and staff meeting. Three others, Niki Mills, Kenny Marcum and Tim Pohlman, were unable to attend for various reasons.
Fort Knox has become the first installation besides Arlington National Cemetery to earn the distinction three times.
“It's an honor and a privilege to be able to contribute to the maintenance and the upkeep and of Post Cemetery,” said Mills, manager of Cultural Resources and the new responsible official for the cemetery.
The cemetery first entered the national spotlight in 2016, under the authority of the Directorate of Human Resources.
“It was the only Army cemetery to earn the distinction when the standards were first implemented,” said Marcum, chief of the Fort Knox Casualty Assistance Center.
The Casualty Assistance Center, which falls under authority of DHR, was in charge of maintaining the cemetery. In 2021, the center’s staff earned a second National Shrine status for their work in maintaining and improving the hallowed ground.
All that changed in November 2023 when the Directorate of Public Works took control of the upkeep of the cemetery.
“They needed some help, so we created a [memorandum of understanding],” said Pohlman, chief of DPW’s Plans and Operations Branch.
Mills said that memorandum was created because the center, with greater casualty affairs responsibilities and fewer staff, could no longer maintain it.
“It was a manpower issue,” said Mills. “They just needed some help with it, and it made more sense because DPW manages all the funding, and we have the manpower. They’re still helping out on the human resources side for those who have family who have passed and want to be buried at the cemetery.”
Officials from the Office of Army Cemeteries in Arlington, Virginia visited Fort Knox June 3-5 to inspect the cemetery. At the conclusion, they granted the cemetery a superior rating for how well it has been maintained.
Mills said the task of ensuring that the cemetery was ready for inspection felt daunting, considering she, Musel and Pohlman had just over six months to get the job done.
“It was a little nerve wracking taking over in November and then in June having an inspection,” Mills said. “It really helped that it was already in a really good state. It just needed a few things to keep things moving forward, and we did that.”
One item that made a huge impact on the maintenance of the cemetery was an invention conjured up by Pohlman and Musel: an item Musel affectionately calls the Pohlman Puller.
Initially costing around $1,000, the puller requires only one person to lift the 240-pound headstones, suspend them while working on a grave, and reset them precisely when done. It can be effortlessly wheeled to each work site.
At Arlington, a two-person lift system is used, and the stones must be laid aside to perform the work.
“The puller uses scaffolding, a motorized pulley, straps and a drill to lift and reset the stones,” said Musel, chief of Environmental Management Division. “The inspectors were really impressed with it.”
Musel said they have invested approximately an additional $200 to tweak the system, which includes bigger wheels and thicker straps. The scaffolding can also hold a second pulley if they ever additional lift power.
Now that the cemetery has earned its third National Shrine status, Mills said she and the others are not resting on their laurels but continue to stay focused on the future.
“The turf is a big thing,” said Mills. “We’re always keeping an eye out for it. But we have great partners who do a fantastic job of maintaining that for us. And we’re always bumping and aligning headstones to make sure they meet the height and plum standards.
“We’re just fortunate to make sure the cemetery continues to move forward in the wonderful state it’s in.”
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Editor’s Note: Click on the following links for related stories: Main Post Cemetery achieves National Shrine status | Article | The United States Army and Fort Knox cemetery retains National Shrine Status, one of only two to hold title Army-wide | Article | The United States Army.
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