Eagle Scout searched for Grafton’s veterans to build database

John Renzoni, Jr. combed through the grounds of Fairview Cemetery for his Eagle Scout project, cataloging veterans’ graves to make sure they were properly honored.

He finished that project back in March 2016, attained the rank of Eagle Scout as a member of Troop 107, but he never finished one final aspect — at the project’s conclusion, he needed to come before the Select Board to present them with a plaque and the results of his findings.

Time passed. The membership of the board members changed, Renzoni grew to adulthood.

“We heard many complaints about veterans in cemeteries not getting flags, of families who couldn’t find the graves,” said veteran Andy Sjoberg, who contacted Troop 107 roughly around 2013 to propose an Eagle Scout project: help the town’s veterans compile a database of veterans’ graves in the town’s cemeteries.

By the time Renzoni was ready for his Eagle bid, he was the fourth Boy Scout who tackled the extensive project. He searched for veterans in Fairview and the old Farnumville cemetery, noting birth days, death dates, and providing holders for flags.

“In the end, we documented over 300 veterans,” Renzoni said.

The full database will be given to the town’s veterans agent, to be updated when needed. There is also a GPS system, allowing searchers to pinpoint graves within 10 feet.

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