Veteran Student Leads Brookdale Effort to Honor Forgotten Heroes

Brookdale Students Unite to Restore Veterans’ Graves in Powerful Day of Service and Remembrance

What began as one Brookdale student veteran’s deeply personal mission to honor forgotten heroes became a remarkable demonstration of leadership, compassion, and community service that united students, faculty, local businesses, and organizations from across Monmouth County.

Led by Brookdale student veteran Gavin McBride, more than 35 student volunteers representing over 10 Brookdale student clubs came together at Fair View Cemetery to clean, restore, and preserve the graves of veterans and military families buried throughout the historic 95-acre cemetery.

The large-scale volunteer effort brought together students from a wide range of backgrounds and academic disciplines, including members of the Physics and Astronomy Club, Veterans Club, Chemistry Society, Car Club, engineering students, cultural organizations, and other student groups that answered the call to serve. Students who may never have crossed paths in a classroom spent the day working side-by-side, learning local history, restoring gravesites, and building meaningful connections through service.

For McBride, a U.S. Army veteran who served with the 101st Airborne Division, the project carried profound meaning.

“As a veteran, I walk through cemeteries and sometimes see graves that look forgotten,” McBride said. “There was one veteran’s grave I came across where you could barely read the name anymore, and it broke my heart. I knew I wanted to do something about it.”

McBride, who will graduate from Brookdale with a mechanical engineering degree this spring before transferring to Rutgers University to study aerospace engineering, said the inspiration for the project also came from his late grandfather, Colin Casey, a proud Brookdale alumnus and community advocate who encouraged him to pursue higher education at the College.

“My grandfather spoke about Brookdale with such pride,” McBride said. “This project was also a way to honor him because community service was who he was.”

The undertaking quickly evolved into a major logistical operation that required months of planning, coordination, and outreach. McBride credited Brookdale faculty, advisors, fellow student leaders, community partners, and local businesses for helping transform the idea into reality.

Among those recognized by McBride was Professor Michelle Paci, advisor to the Physics and Astronomy Club, who encouraged him to pursue the project from the very beginning and helped guide his leadership development at Brookdale.

“Brookdale gave me the channel to really figure out who I am,” McBride said. “Michelle believed in me so much that I started taking chances on myself.”

McBride also praised student leaders including Adam Deinhardt, president of the Physics and Astronomy Club, along with Jennifer Liu and Jake Lair, who helped coordinate planning, logistics, scheduling, and event operations throughout the semester.

Additional recognition was given to Ailton Alayna of Brookdale’s Nectar Club, whom McBride described as “a catalyst” for helping expand the project and recruit additional student organizations across campus. Student leaders from multiple clubs helped spread the word by attending meetings, encouraging participation, and connecting volunteers to the effort.

The event also received significant support from the broader community.

Taliercio’s Gourmet Deli generously donated lunch for all volunteers, ensuring students were cared for throughout the physically demanding day of work. McBride noted that the business refused to accept payment for the donation, viewing the project as an important community effort worth supporting.

Specialized grave restoration materials were secured through outreach to the creator of D/2 Biological Solution, a preservation cleaner widely used for historic monuments and headstones. After hearing about the student-led initiative, the company helped provide discounted cleaning materials to support the restoration work.

Historical guidance, preservation expertise and flags were also provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution, including members of the Middletown chapter, who educated students on proper restoration techniques and shared the stories of Revolutionary War figures and military families buried at the cemetery.

Throughout the day, students carefully cleaned and restored headstones while learning about the lives connected to them. Among the stories shared was that of the Hubbard and Stillwell family, which included two Medal of Honor recipients and influential figures tied to Monmouth County’s early medical and military history.

For many volunteers, the experience became emotional and transformative.

McBride recalled students spending extra time restoring the grave of a seven-year-old child buried in the veterans’ section and others becoming so invested in the work that they nearly skipped lunch to continue cleaning gravesites.

“I think students gained a real perspective on life,” McBride said. “They were cleaning graves of people not much older than themselves. It gave them a deeper understanding of sacrifice, service, and community.”

What stood out most throughout the day was the sense of unity created among students from vastly different experiences and backgrounds.

“We had students from all walks of life working together,” McBride said. “People from different clubs, different majors, different beliefs. They came together and completed a common task. In today’s world, that really means something.”

The event lasted from morning through the afternoon, with some students choosing to remain even longer because they did not want the day to end. By the conclusion of the cleanup, many volunteers were already discussing plans to continue the project annually.

“To me, that means this was more than just community service hours,” McBride said. “It showed that people truly cared.”

In a time when communities can often feel divided or disconnected, the restoration project offered something hopeful: a reminder that service, empathy, and leadership still have the power to unite people around a shared purpose.

For one unforgettable Saturday in Middletown, Brookdale students did more than restore headstones. They restored stories, honored sacrifice, strengthened community ties, and demonstrated the lasting impact young people can make when they choose to serve something greater than themselves.