It’s a major cleanup project in a Tarrant County cemetery, helping unearth history. It is also assisting others with a better future for themselves by overcoming past mistakes.

The New Trinity Cemetery in Haltom City is filled with history. In the late 1800s, it was the only place African Americans could be buried.  It’s now the final resting place of over 450 veterans, Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen, and more.

Over the years, it has been neglected and overgrown until now.

“Through the efforts of the sheriff’s department, our count is up to 492 veterans because we find more when they clean it up,” American Legion Post 655 commander Chad Page said. “I have no doubt we’ll go over 500 before this is over.”

They are being assisted in the clean-up by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office labor detail.  These are men and women who chose to work in the labor detail to work off their sentences instead of spending time in jail.  It benefits the community and those in the program.

“We teach these guys life lessons,” Officer Kelly Jenkins with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office said. “You know how many people in our program grew up in apartments and they’ve never had a house. So, we teach them how to mow. We teach them how to weed. We teach them carpentry. We teach them how to paint. We teach them so much more life skills that they get to take home. But also, we give them that chance to not spend their time inside of a jail cell. It releases the numbers in the jail. It lowers them, but it also gives them a chance to be at home with their families.”

The labor detail gives the participants a second chance to get their lives on the right path.

Their work is also helping uncover lost history that will be honored by the American Legion post and others.

It’s something they can hang their hat on with pride.

“We’ve uncovered at least 10 graves of veterans who will get that honor that they deserve,” Jenkins said. “They will get their geotag. They will get their Wreath Across America. They will get their memorial flag. Their families will know that they’re here. And it’s just these guys alone. They feel the accomplishment and the pride with everything that we do.”

The cleanup is a joint effort that also involved New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association, and Skills City USA.