Naperville veteran wants to repair, replace graves of fallen servicemembers

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) – A woman in west suburban Naperville is committed to preserving the legacies of veterans and took a month-long journey to honor local heroes.

Staci Boyer has never met the fallen servicemembers or veterans, some who died decades ago, but she won’t let their service or sacrifice fade from memory.

Staci Boyer

Last Memorial Day reminded Boyer of her mission, one she started months ago at Naperville Cemetery.

“Those that died to protect our freedoms, and that’s what we’re here celebrating,” Boyer said. “That’s what Memorial Day is really all about.”

She leads the local VFW and visits the cemetery often. They come out there every year on Memorial Day and place flags on all of the veterans’ graves. The seasons have taken their toll on the stone grave markers that have weathered and worn out.

“Some of these graves have been here for a really long time,” she said.

Some were missing altogether.

“It made me sad,” Boyer said. “I wanted them to have more than a flag on a pile of dirt.”

Each flag would be placed at the grave of a fallen servicemember or veteran. Some graves were in need of some “TLC,” she said. Some of the servicemembers were buried in the Land of Lincoln, even before Honest Abe was president.

Boyer doesn’t want their names or their service forgotten, so she’s hatched a plan.

“My heart’s warming up because these things are happening,” she said.

Boyer figured the community could raise enough money to repair or replace headstones. She said she’s gotten seven businesses and organizations to adopt graves of fallen heroes.

Rod Hiltz can barely make out the letters on his uncle’s grave anymore: “Edward W. Hiltz. World War I veteran.”

“It would be nice to read because this guy was only one of seven from Naperville that died in France,” Hiltz said of his uncle. He wishes he could protect his uncle’s headstone like he does his uniform, though he never met him.

“I would’ve liked to have seen him sometime in my life, but it never happened,” Hiltz said.

Hiltz said he joined the Army, inspired by his uncle’s story.

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