It’s about more than remembering—it’s about doing something.

             Efforts to learn more about the Battery they portray found the reenacting members of the Second Minnesota searching for the graves of the men who first fought in the unit during the Civil War.  When a grave is found, the reenactors place a flag on the grave and take a photograph.

            The research was a wonderful way to learn and honor the men, but to the great dismay of the reenactors, not all of the graves of these veterans are marked.  It was something they could not let go unnoticed.

            Knowing the Veteran’s Administration will provide a military marker free of charge to any honorably discharged veteran, the members of the reenacting Battery have taken on the mission of placing a grave marker over every veteran they find who rests in an unmarked grave.

            Between 2002 and 2005, the group has placed 15 markers on graves of Battery men who had no marker.  Sometimes, money is a factor and a sponsor must be found to help with the cost of setting the stone.  The reenacting Battery is a 501 c (3) non profit organization and does not have a great deal of ready cash, so they often partner with a local veterans organization.  The VFW or American Legion in the area of the grave is contacted and asked to help pay for the cost of setting the stone in exchange for a dedication ceremony open to the public.  It has been a partnership that has benefits for both organizations and has touched the hearts of participants and guests alike. 

            Not all graves have been dedicated with the special ceremony and firing of honor volleys by the cannon.  There have been some cases where the ceremony was simply not practical and the stone was put in to remember and mark a veteran’s grave.

            As of the beginning of 2005, there are at least ten Battery veterans who still lie in unmarked graves, waiting for the proper paperwork—or in some cases, a partner who can help with the expenses—to allow a stone to be ordered and set.  It often takes a year or more to complete the process to get a gravestone set after finding the grave.

            Just finding the grave can be no small undertaking.  Members doing the research have been looking for a couple specific graves for over four years and still do not know where they are.  “But we haven’t given up,” said reenactor Vickie Wendel.  “We’re still looking and we will find them if at all possible.”