Veterans' section of cemetery rededicated

Tonya Papanikolas reportingA special dedication ceremony was held today at the veterans section of the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Until recently, the veterans' graves at this cemetery were sinking, tilting, and some were broken. But after a KSL report exposed the conditions, a construction company stepped in to make the repairs.

The gravestones now sit in straight rows, they're all cemented, and they're the same height. Now that they are a fitting tribute to the veterans, veterans' officials wanted to rededicate the site.

It was a very special rededication ceremony today for a lot of people, including family members of those who are buried here, and also veterans.

Comparing the gravesites to what they looked like before, people were very proud. Many veterans attended the service, and plaques were given to Onyx Construction, the company that donated over $200,000 to get this project going. Several subcontractors were also recognized today for all the work that they put in to fix these graves.

The gravesites were dedicated with a prayer. They also received a Native-American blessing over the new site, and Onyx Construction said their donation was a small way to say "thank you."

"A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to the United States of America for an amount ‘up to and including my life,'" said Craig Moyse, CEO of Onyx Construction.

Before the renovation, the headstones were tilting, sinking, and many of them were broken. They had marks all over them, and, in many cases, family members could not even read the names and the wars that these people fought in.

Now there is certainly a big difference in their appearance, and many people were very proud to be a part of this.

E-mail: tpapanikolas@ksl.com

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