FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- Freedom Team Salute honors students for their work.
About 50 volunteers gathered at Woodlawn Cemetery Saturday morning with rakes in hand and arrived early to clean up the cemetery, in honor of Veterans Day.
Volunteers included students from Fort Belvoir Elementary School; the Dale City/Prince William County chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., and the group's Top Teens; Belvoir Soldiers, parents and teachers. They came together to rake and bag leaves, clear debris, cut grass, and place flags at graves in honor of the veterans who are buried there. Two and a half hours and 100 bags of leaves and debris later, the cemetery was clean.
Sgt. Maj. Jeff Brown helped the volunteers plant a new tree because one had fallen down earlier in the year. Volunteers also build two commemorative benches during the cleanup.
Tuesday night at FBES, the Freedom Team Salute Program gave each volunteer a commendation package in recognition for their work.
The program exists to recognize the enduring bond between Soldiers, family, veterans and communities. It celebrates the sacrifices made by those who support America's Soldiers, honors the millions of Army veterans who have served and is a living connection to the ideals of duty, honor and patriotism.
Students were also honored for creating thank you cards for veterans. The cards were given to veterans who live in Washington, D.C. at the Armed Forces Retirement Home Nov. 5. Some veterans said they wanted to accept the cards on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans who did not receive the same appreciation.
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