JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It was a very special Veterans Day for families with loved ones laid to rest in a once-forgotten cemetery at St. Nicolas Bethel Baptist Church in Spring Park.
Just three years ago, the graves of nine veterans and more than 40 civilians were buried beneath thick trees, overgrown brush and piles of debris. On Tuesday, that same cemetery stands as a sacred, historically recognized site — thanks, in large part, to one Army veteran who refused to let their memory fade.
“It broke my heart. Totally broke my heart,” said Army veteran Veronica Kight, recalling the first time she saw the neglected grounds.
Kight, who served 24 years in the Army, said the scene was devastating — especially knowing veterans, mothers, fathers and children had been left forgotten beneath the trash and weeds.
“I’m getting a little emotional now because I’m a veteran,” Kight said in an earlier interview with News4JAX. “I come out here and see the trash that’s over servicemen and women.”
The small African American cemetery is tucked behind apartment complexes off Phillips Highway, just north of Interstate 95. Some of the graves date back to the early 1900s, including that of Sean Leon Holland, whose family said he served in the Air Force.
Determined to restore the sacred ground, Kight rallied her church and community. With the help of her pastor and church members, they cleared away years of neglect — tree by tree, shovel by shovel.
Archaeologists from Gainesville later joined the effort, helping identify unmarked graves and document the site’s history.
That work led to a major milestone: the cemetery’s addition to the National Register of Historic Places in Jacksonville.
Now, each veteran and civilian buried there is honored with their name etched into a monument that stands proudly on the grounds. The monument bears a fitting title: “Gone but Not Forgotten.”
“The patriots have not been forgotten in this city or in this nation,” Kight said. “We want to make sure the next generation remembers. History should never be forgotten, because this is what our forefathers fought for. We continue to lay the foundation for the future, keeping the legacy, they built alive.”
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Kight said she and her church are still working to add more signage to mark the cemetery. But this Veterans Day, she said she finally feels peace, knowing that those who served are no longer forgotten.
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