Tuesday, September 4, 2012

St. Petersburg Woodworkers give veterans proper burials

Woodworkers give veterans proper burials
By Danny Valentine
Tampa Bay Times via The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Sep 2, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.

Tom Jones was disturbed.

As he sat in his Land O’Lakes home this spring, he listened to reports of a Florida veteran buried in a shallow grave in a cardboard box.

“It felt so disgraceful,” said Jones, a 64-year-old Army veteran.

He took it upon himself to ensure no veteran would ever again be buried in such a manner.

The amateur woodworker started crafting wooden urns.

The first two were simple, but well-made. He took them to his Tampa woodcrafting club, of which he is vice president, and to a club in St. Petersburg to enlist support.

Club members loved the idea. They have now made 17 boxes.

Jones hopes it is just the beginning.

“It’s our hope that we’ll get woodworking clubs around the country to do this,” he said.

Maintenance workers discovered Lawrence Davis Jr.’s remains this year after readjusting a headstone at the Florida National Cemetery near Bushnell.

News spread across the state and country, sparking outrage, the latest in a string of improper veteran burials.
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