South Grand Prairie High School students clean historic headstones for Black veterans

GRAND PRAIRIE (CBSNewsTexas.com) - Some students at South Grand Prairie High School volunteered their time on Friday for a special Veterans Day gesture.

They placed U.S. flags at the headstones of veterans at Antioch Life Park Cemetery in Grand Prairie.

For years, civil rights leaders have been trying to bring more attention to a neglected burial ground for Black servicemen.

CBS News Texas first brought attention to the cemetery two years ago.

It had been neglected for decades with no money for maintenance and a stark contrast to DFW National Cemetery that sits on the opposite side of Mountain Creek Lake.

Dallas County Constable Eddie Brown wanted his young son to also be part of it.

"I wanted to let him know that there's individuals out here that deserve respect and fought for our country," says Eddie Brown, Dallas County Constable Precinct 4.

A fundraising campaign last year for new headstones at the unmarked graves of several veterans paid for some improvements.

But there are still so many other grave sites and markers of veterans that are at serious risk of either coming out of the ground or being covered up by it.

"Until people get in their heart, that all of these individuals serve their country at Antioch Life Park, that their sacrifices matter, I think then we'll start moving forward," says Angela Luckey, Grand Prairie NAACP President.

The VA has told caretakers of Antioch Life Park that it's up to federal and state lawmakers to approve the money.