Bronx veteran asks for help maintaining Memorial Grove ahead of spring season

Bronx resident and veteran Herb Barret says he stumbled upon Memorial Grove in 2006 while riding his bike.

News 12 Staff

Mar 11, 2021, 1:57 PM

Updated 1,363 days ago

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A Bronx veteran is asking for help in watching over and maintaining Memorial Grove in Van Cortlandt Park as spring cleaning is on the horizon. 
Memorial Grove honors local fallen soldiers who fought in World War II and has since expanded to include World War I and the Korean War. 
Bronx resident and veteran Herb Barret says he stumbled upon Memorial Grove in 2006 while riding his bike. 
He says he even helped spark a renovation in 2012 but says he needs more help. 
"It’s kind of embarrassing that we can’t get people here to volunteer on a steady basis,” said Barret. "These names are people that fought for you, to have this memorial, to have this park."
Barret turns 90 years old at the end of March and says he still rakes leaves, clears branches and makes sure each monument has a flag and flowers. 
He says he also helps plan the annual Veteran’s Day ceremony but is calling on the community and the Park Department for support in the future. 
Barret says the annual ceremony will be held on Nov. 7 this year and that it may be one of the last that he organizes. 
News 12 reached out to the Park Department which says it cleans litter daily, mows the lawn every two to three weeks during the growing season and has volunteer groups help with maintenance during the summer. 
The department also wishes Barret a happy birthday and says they appreciate all his services and look forward to continuing to work together.