A group of about half-dozen veterans spent the weekend cleaning headstones and removing debris overgrowing a forgotten historic black cemetery.
About 50 veterans, including two "Buffalo Soldiers," are buried in Ross Cemetery, which was founded during segregation in the 1800s, according to KTVT.
"It makes you angry, but this is why we're here," historian Colin Kimball, who helped with cleanup efforts, told WFAA. "It's about honoring these men who did so much for their country."
Baine Brooks, a McKinney City Council member, is pushing to build a fence around the grounds to protect it from further desecration. He has created a GoFundMe page to fund the project.
The group cleaning headstones, Our Brothers’ Keepers, consists of members of Collin County veterans court and the American Legion. They said they will continue to help clean up the cemetery so others can appreciate it.
"These men would serve with the expectation they'd be afforded the same privileges as white folks at the time," Kimball said. "Unfortunately, that didn't happen and they were often forgotten."
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