Viewfinder: Hartland Veterans Faithfully Tend to Soldiers' Graves

We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them. — Francis A. Walker

Doug Kuhn hopes that American soldiers are never shunned as they were when he and his fellow soldiers returned from the Vietnam War.

“The way the veterans were treated after they got back from Vietnam was a sin as far as I was concerned. That’s kind of what’s got me involved in all of this,” said Kuhn, commander of American Legion Post 415.

For more than four years, Kuhn has made the trek to both in Hartland and Gardner Cemetery in Tyrone Township to inspect the grave sites and replace all of the flags on the veterans’ graves with new ones. Fellow Vietnam veteran Leo Bard has helped him for the past two years. They along with other post members take care of all the Hartland area cemeteries before Memorial Day. The annual upkeep is needed because flags are either stolen or succumb to the elements.

On Sunday morning, the duo inspected all of the flag markers and replaced them. Markers in need of repair are fixed on the spot. Each year they keep a flag count for both cemeteries, so they know the minimum amount of flags needed for the following year. Kuhn and Bard always take a few extra flags for any new graves. All of the old flags are properly taken care of once they are removed from the cemeteries.

“We collect all of the old flags and dispose of them correctly by burning them. The township will accept used and old flags as well, which they give to us to dispose of,” Bard said.

Kuhn is passionate about paying respect to the American soldiers.

“I was accused of being a baby killer when I came back," he said. "When I went down to Lawrence Tech (University) to enroll they didn’t want me. I don’t want to ever see that happen again to a veteran.

“The war may be unpopular but that’s not the veteran’s fault. It was a political decision that was made — but the veterans will stand by their country right or wrong. Hopefully, they’re in the right. … We vote, too.”