On September 24, a crisp fall breeze swirled throughout Kearny’s Arlington Cemetery. That afternoon, the New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs held a rededication ceremony for Soldier’s Circle, a visually stunning grouping of 754 headstones, each belonging to veterans who served our country in conflicts from the Civil War to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The rededication ceremony was the final step of an extensive, multi-year restoration of Soldier’s Circle itself. Over the years, many of the headstones had become damaged or discolored, with the inscriptions on some becoming almost entirely illegible. With funds from the New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs, the hallowed ground was respectfully rehabilitated over the course of several years. The project was spearheaded by members of the local community, most notably Doreen Van Horn-Bloomer, President of the Hudson County Genealogical and Historical Society.

“I started the Soldier's Circle project seven years ago when a gentleman in Washington State asked if I could take a photo of his ancestor’s headstone to include in a book he was writing,” recalled Bloomer. “The headstones were as black as night, unreadable, weathered, many were broken or missing. I was appalled when I saw this, and that began my quest to have the Circle returned to a proper and respectable state.”

The restoration process involved the temporary removal of headstones, after which the ground was leveled and space filled with gravel footing. Once the upgrades were complete, all headstones were replaced at their original locations. This modification will prevent the headstones from sinking into the ground in the future. The total cost of the renovations was $800,000.

The rededication ceremony included Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Vincent Solomeno, Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Esther Chucaralao, local and county officials, veteran leaders, and speakers that included Kearny Mayor Carol Jean Doyle and Van Horn-Bloomer, whose passion for the project was clear to everyone as she teared up while speaking about how proud she was to see the Soldier’s Circle’s full restoration come to fruition. A wreath presentation, led by U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Walter R. Nall, former Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs and whose leadership enabled funding for the project, concluded the ceremony, which was followed by a reception at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1302.

For more photos of the ceremony, click here.