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Matthew Lucas, a bald man wearing glasses and a dark zip-up hoodie, holds a smartphone and uses GPS to document a grave site. Beside him, his wife Brenda Lucas, also wearing glasses and a matching dark hoodie, reviews printed research materials. They stand in a small rural Ohio cemetery surrounded by lush green trees in early spring. Several small American flags are planted in the grass around them, with aged and weathered headstones visible in the background. The image is a video still from Judy Woodruff's

Volunteers Matthew and Brenda Lucas document Revolutionary War veteran grave sites in Pickaway County, Ohio, as part of a statewide project to catalog all estimated 7,000 such graves. Since PBS NewsHour's visit in April, Matthew has marked more than 700 graves — the most of any volunteer in the state. Photo: PBS NewsHour

How One Community Honors the Graves of Revolutionary War Veterans

May 25, 2026

How One Community Honors the Graves of Revolutionary War Veterans

Somewhere in Ohio, a volunteer has driven more than 6,000 miles looking for the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers — and he's found over 700. As America turns 250, here's the story of the people preserving history one grave at a time.

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Memorial Day was first established in the aftermath of the Civil War, but has become a day to mark all those who died serving in the military. As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, Judy Woodruff reports on a local project to mark our revolutionary origins and the final resting places of some of the nation’s first veterans. It’s part of her series, America at a Crossroads.

View the transcript of the story.

NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?

Warm-Up Questions

  1. When was Memorial Day established?
  2. Who does Memorial Day honor?
  3. What does Matthew Lucas look for throughout the state of Ohio?
  4. Why is there a focus on local efforts to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S., according to John Dichtl?
  5. How does the work of the local historians contribute to the community long-term?

Essential Questions

In this segment, historian Krista Horrocks says, "Yes, you can go to an event. You can go to a reenactment. All that is super fun. But to be able to contribute and say, I helped make this project possible, I think that's really what engages people and why we have had so much interest from people who aren't typical historians."

  • Why do you think the focus of this and other America 250 projects is on local engagement?
  • How do you think focus on local history can contribute to the culture and economy of a community?

Media literacy: Why do you think this segment focuses largely on one individual volunteer in one state? How could you find out more about volunteering to help preserve local history in your community?

What Students Can Do

Learn ways you can get involved as part of America 250. First, check out volunteer opportunities on the federal government's America 250 website. You may want to focus on Education/Youth opportunities.

  • First, skim the opportunities and rank three possibilities that are most appealing to you. You might consider:
    • What would help meet needs in your community?
    • Which would you be most able to help with?
    • Which would be most fun or rewarding to you?
  • After you've made your list, compare as a class. Which possibilities are the most popular? What would be some next steps you can take to start getting involved?

Memorial Day Lesson Plans & Resources

Find new ways to discover the meaning of Memorial Day with your students using these free K-12 Memorial Day lesson plans & resources from Share My Lesson.

Find Lesson Plans on Memorial Day

Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.

PBS News Hour Classroom
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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