CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — An Eagle Scout candidate is honoring the veterans who served the country by digitizing records at a Corpus Christi cemetery.
Caleb Karnatsky and Troop 65 have digitized the records of 1,013 veterans laid to rest at Rose Hill Memorial Park, making it easier for families to find and honor their loved ones. Scouts and veterans came together during a flag-raising ceremony led by the troop to honor the names.
For Caleb, the project is personal. His great-great-grandfather was a World War I veteran and is buried at the cemetery.
"That helped gain the passion for it," Caleb said.
That passion helped Caleb lead his troop of about 20 scouts to document every single veteran grave in the cemetery.
"I'm really proud of all of the scouts stepping up," Caleb said.
"1,013," Caleb said.
Now those names are honored, not just in a database, but with a flag ceremony. Caleb said he does not want the community to lose the memory of those who served.
"We just don't learn. We lose things," Caleb said.
I walked with Caleb and his family to visit their grandfather's grave.
"My ancestor is buried here. I know where they're at. I can see the headstone," Kenneth Karnatsky said.
Navy veteran Dennis Markle said he is proud of the next generation stepping up.
"They're learning the legacy. They're learning what it's about," Markle said.
The veterans database will be live in two weeks on billiongraves.com, allowing people to find loved ones buried in the veterans section.
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