DOVER, Del.- A hidden gravesite is sparking curiosity this Memorial Day and now one man is leading efforts to honor what may be forgotten veterans.
Located next to Silver Lake Park, the Whatcoat Cemetery is well-known, but about 50 yards away, another cluster of headstones lies largely unnoticed. Many of these headstones are overgrown with grass, and some are so old that their inscriptions are unreadable.
Chaz Wood, who rides his Harley motorcycle through the area weekly, has taken an interest in these hidden graves. He believes they belong to an older Black veterans' cemetery.
Some headstones clearly indicate military service, with inscriptions such as "Private Pioneer" and infantry numbers.
One grave that particularly caught Wood's attention belongs to Robert America, born in 1859.
Wood's curiosity about Mr. America has become a personal project for him and his friends.
"I saw that name and said, America? Someone named America that served our country and no one really knows about it," Wood questions. "It has become homework to find out his history."
Research through the Delaware Public Archives provided more information about Robert America.
According to federal census records, he lived on South West Street in Dover. Marriage records indicate he wed Lydia Anderson in 1885, and census documents confirm he was a veteran.
Although details about America's military service and rank remain elusive, Wood has placed American flags on all the graves in the area. As a Marine Corps veteran himself, Wood feels a personal connection to these gravesites.
"They may be a little forgotten, but I don't want them to feel forgotten, especially today," Wood said.
This Memorial Day, efforts to remember Robert America and other veterans highlight the importance of honoring all who have served.