Aquinas Academy student receives award for Eagle Scout project honoring veterans

All it took was a visit to a cemetery near Sam Everson’s home to spark an idea for his Eagle Scout project. The project would lead him to receive an award for his efforts.

In addition to attaining Eagle Scout rank, Everson received the Sons of the American Revolution Bronze Good Citizenship Medal for building a veterans’ memorial at Glade Run Cemetery. The award recognizes individuals for their “noteworthy achievements to their community,” according to a press release from Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh, where Everson is a junior.

“It was a really exciting moment for me,” Everson said. “I never thought I would be receiving as many awards and commendations as I have.”

The 17-year-old said he knew there were veterans buried at Glade Run Cemetery, and after a conversation with his fencing coach and Eagle Scout advisor, John Carroll, Everson wanted to pursue constructing a veterans’ memorial at the cemetery. 

The project — started in April 2019 — took a year and a half to finish. The most challenging part, Everson said, was finding the names of the veterans buried there, the war they each fought in and validating the information.

“The cemetery is so old they don’t have proper records for them,” he said. “For some, we didn’t know if they were veterans.”

Eric Schultz, one of the cemetery’s board of trustees, was hired three years ago to help keep things organized including looking into the number of veterans buried there. When Everson approached the cemetery about the project, it was perfect timing, Schultz said.

“Sam was a blessing coming along,” he said.

Everson’s original idea was to have a couple of monuments dedicated to veterans. As he became more invested, the project grew bigger and branched out to honoring all the veterans in the cemetery.

Researching names, fundraising for a display and staying within budget were a few of the obstacles he faced.

Despite the challenges, Everson said, it was all worth it.

“It was a process, and there were some bumps along the way, but it was an incredibly rewarding experience,” he said.

Everson and various local community groups and organizations were able to raise $1,560 to build the memorial in July. The memorial features a roof and patio floor placed in the cemetery. Visitors are able to see a board displaying 125 veterans’ names with the oldest veteran being Robert Thompson who fought in the Revolutionary War, Carroll said.

Carroll credits Everson’s flexibility and adaptability for the project’s success.

“He learned how to interact with numerous community groups and organizations at an adult level to bring it to a successful conclusion,” Carroll said.

Schultz described Everson’s talent as “unbelievable.”

“He did an excellent job on presenting what he wanted to accomplish,” Schultz said.

A veterans memorial dedication was held in September last year to honor all the veterans recognized. The program featured a 21-gun salute, a speech from Everson, a bagpipe performance and more.

“I drive by it and see people looking at it,” Everson said. “It makes me really proud of what I accomplished.”