HILLSDALE, Mich — A Michigander, who now lives in Florida, Matt Saxton, is a veteran who has been researching his genealogy for decades. "I just came across him and did a little bit of research and saw that headstone, and it kind of stuck with me," he says.
- Video shows the headstone of Eri Armstrong, a veteran who served in the War of 1812.
- Today, his distant nephew, Matt Saxton, has worked to replace his, once in disrepair, headstone.
- Greg and Dianne Paul stop by to weigh in on the importance of preserving veteran grave sites. WATCH.
That headstone was of a distant relative's, in disrepair. "His grave was left there. Over the ensuing 100+ years, somehow his headstone got broken," explains Saxton. He then got to work to replace the headstone for Eri Armstrong, who served in the War of 1812. He's laid to rest in a tiny roadside cemetery in Moscow. "Being a veteran myself, I always like to make sure that veterans are honored and taken care of like that," says Saxton.
Greg and Dianne Paul are involved with several local veteran organizations. Greg explains, "When you look at some of the stones and read the names on them and the dates, there's a history behind them and a story to each name." The Pauls say it's important to respect those who served. "We just don't want them to be forgotten," says Dianne. "During the War of 1812, that was really important at that time, and it made history. We kind of get separated from that if we don't remember it."
Greg, a veteran himself, says showing respect for headstones, like Eri Armstrong's helps serve as a reminder of what veterans did for our country. Greg explains, "It's a brotherhood, for me to respect all of these people, whether they served a long time or a little bit of time. Everybody gave a little bit," "Some gave all," Dianne adds.
Now, Eri Armstrong's memory lives on, with a new headstone, thanks to his distant nephew. "It's a victory," says Saxton. "There he is, all by himself, and the one thing that we have to remember this guy was completely demolished and broken. This is an opportunity for all of us to look at that and say 'Wow, there's a guy that served in the War of 1812. That's amazing.'"
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