While many families visited loved ones at cemeteries on Veterans Day, Nashville resident Mickey Baltz has made it his personal mission to ensure that veterans who might otherwise go unrecognized receive proper care.

Five years of dedication

Baltz began his effort nearly five years ago, estimating that Calvary Cemetery off Lebanon Pike holds between 600 and 650 veterans’ graves. To date, he has cleaned roughly 340 of those sites.

“I walked this whole place and I counted what I thought was a good count on how many there are here,” Baltz said.

Learning the trade

The work started with cleaning his grandparents’ graves on the opposite side of the cemetery. Wanting to do the job right, Baltz turned to YouTube for guidance on proper headstone cleaning techniques.

Meticulous effort

Each grave can take 45 minutes to an hour to clean properly, and some require multiple cleanings. “Sometimes I clean it maybe three times,” Baltz explained.

In addition to cleaning, he has placed flags at each gravesite. Because flags need periodic replacement, he has provided between 800 and 900 flags across the cemetery.

“Can’t be enough flags out here, if you ask me,” he added.

Gratitude in action

For Baltz, the work is more than maintenance; it is an expression of gratitude. “Being thankful for the veterans, you think about what they gave up to serve the country. It’s nothing to come out here for a couple hours, even if it’s hot or cold or whatever. It’s something I enjoy doing,” he said. “It’s just powerful, cleaning those and knowing what they did for us.”

Baltz has no plans to stop until every veteran’s grave at Calvary Cemetery is tended. “I’m gonna get all these done in this cemetery,” he affirmed.

Original reporting: NewsChannel 5 WTVF (Scripps) – local — read the source article.