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More than 200 volunteers gathered at Alexandria National Cemetery on Sept. 11, cleaning every one of its 4,229 headstones as part of a National Day of Service honoring the nation’s fallen heroes and those lost in the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Working with VFW Post 609 and the veterans service organization Carry the Load, participants used only water and sponges to protect the historic markers from damage.

The cemetery, established by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, is one of the nation’s original national cemeteries. Many of those buried there served during the Civil War.

Ted Graham, deputy assistant secretary of war for reserve integration, said the setting reflected the courage of Americans who placed the country’s needs ahead of their own. He connected the sacrifice of Civil War service members with the bravery shown by ordinary people during and after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Speakers also included Christina Welch of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration and representatives from Carry the Load and VFW Post 609.

Col. Gerry Krueger, commander of VFW Post 609, said the annual effort answers the call for Americans to mark Sept. 11 through public service. Volunteers cleaned the markers, spoke the veterans’ names aloud and saluted them to show that their service had not been forgotten.

Participants included teams from the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and Actalent Engineering. The Peace Corps had offices in the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers when the attacks occurred.

“We’re here to honor those who served our country and show that America continues to give back,” Peace Corps Chief Financial Officer Paul Shea said.

Actalent volunteer Zach Sells cleaned headstones alongside his 4-year-old daughter, Ada. He said participating has become a company tradition.

The Alexandria gathering was part of a broader Carry the Load initiative to clean headstones and beautify more than 60 Veterans Affairs national cemeteries across the country.

The event was co-sponsored by the National Cemetery Administration, with VFW Post 609 serving as the local host. Danielle Applebee, a life member of the post and the region’s Carry the Load ambassador, coordinated and led the service day.

Graham thanked the volunteers for serving on the cemetery’s grounds and said Americans continue to give back in many different ways.