Honoring forgotten veterans: Fort Vancouver’s DAR chapter works to document, memorialize veterans who vanished

Marks Stevens folds a California 71st Regiment flag during a 2024 ceremony honoring a Civil War veteran named Blandaman Smith with a new headstone at Brush Prairie Cemetery. (The Columbian files)

The Fort Vancouver chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s cemetery committee convened a work party at Brush Prairie Cemetery on a recent Saturday. (James Rexroad/for The Columbian)

Julie Byler of Vancouver, a member of the Fort Vancouver chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s cemetery committee, scrubs the grave marker of the J.E. Messenger family at Brush Prairie Cemetery during a recent work party.

Fort Vancouver chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s cemetery committee member Janet Critchfield never knew U.S. Army Pvt. Harold J. Marsh, but she worked to research the details of his life and get a proper military headstone installed for him at Brush Prairie Cemetery — almost 90 years after his death. (James Rexroad/for The Columbian)

Bryan Carlson scrubs the headstone of a veteran at Brush Prairie Cemetery during an October work party organized by the Cemetery Committee of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Fort Vancouver chapter. (James Rexroad/for The Columbian)

Katherine MacArthur-Krall, left, and Lorie Hoffman scrub the grave marker for Sgt. Fred Campbell, a World War II veteran, at Brush Prairie Cemetery during a recent work party. (James Rexroad for The Columbian)

Fort Vancouver chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s cemetery committee member Janet Critchfield never knew U.S. Army Pvt. Harold J. Marsh, but she worked to research the details of his life and get a proper military headstone installed for him at Brush Prairie Cemetery — almost 90 years after his death. (James Rexroad/for The Columbian)

Fort Vancouver chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s cemetery committee member Ruth Morgan works to clean veterans’ grave markers at Brush Prairie Cemetery with her granddaughters, Sarah Liou, center, and Cora Liou, right. (Photos by James Rexroad for The Columbian)

Fort Vancouver chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s cemetery committee member Peri Muhich scrubs the headstone of a World War I veteran named Nye N. Rambo at Brush Prairie Cemetery. (James Rexroad for The Columbian)

The grave marker of World War I veteran Fred J. Campbell gets a good scrubbing during a recent work party at Brush Prairie Cemetery. (James Rexroad/for The Columbian)

“We have placed 13 headstones at Brush Prairie and we figure it’s been about 2000 hours of work,” said Peri Muhich, member of the Fort Vancouver chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s cemetery committee. “Our little committee has a budget of about $60 per year.” (James Rexroad/for The Columbian)