Welcome to By Memorial Day, where our mission is to honor the sacrifices of our veterans by providing reverent perpetual care for their gravesites, regardless of where they’re buried. Here, you can learn about our dedicated team, our inspiring story, and how you can join us in preserving the dignity of every veteran hero’s final resting place.
Discover the dedicated leadership driving our mission to provide reverent perpetual care for all veteran graves in America.
Navy veteran Trae Zipperer mowed his way through college on the G.I. Bill before earning the most coveted advanced degree in the world at Harvard Business School. A blue-collar MBA not afraid to get his hands dirty, Trae joined The ServiceMaster Company where his roles included venture capital, acquisitions, marketing, and P&L responsibilities. In 2001 he launched a sales coaching business resulting in a lucrative career as a real estate broker selling luxury waterfront properties in SW Florida.
While leading a community service initiative to restore historic cemeteries in and around Fort Myers, FL, Trae drove to a segregated African American city cemetery to see what needs existed there. Upon arrival he immediately recognized the iconic shapes of veteran headstones covered in disgraceful biological filth. Standing at the grave of an Army veteran of two world wars, Trae called the City of Fort Myers to seek permission to clean the sacred veteran headstones. The cemetery manager gave one lame excuse after another, but Trae wouldn’t take no for an answer. In a final attempt to make him go away, the City Clerk said to Trae, “Well, right now you’re trespassing.”
In response, Trae Zipperer founded By Memorial Day on November 11th, 2019. Since then, Trae has been on a mission to provide reverent perpetual care for the 84% of veteran graves in America that are not in a national cemetery. Traveling across America to document the condition of these veteran headstones and raise awareness, he has amassed over 5.6 million Views and more than 27 thousand Subscribers on his YouTube channel, They Face East. Trae’s efforts to rally resources and volunteers has resulted in national news stories and national television, including ABC’s #1 daytime talk show LIVE with Kelly and Ryan.
Explore the journey that led to the founding of By Memorial Day, a mission born from a deep respect for veterans and a drive to ensure their graves are maintained with the utmost reverence:
During a trip to the Gettysburg battlefield, Trae Zipperer wondered if any of his relatives had partaken in Pickett’s Charge. Intrigued by the idea of having relatives who fought in the Civil War, Trae began a journey of genealogical research and discovery. Starting in his home state of Florida, Trae traced his roots and found the names of many ancestors, many of whom were military veterans dating back to the Revolutionary War.
Determined to honor his ancestors, Trae embarked on a quest to visit every gravesite of his military relatives. As he traveled twelve thousand miles throughout Florida and the Southern states—ranging from municipal cemeteries to remote rural ones—Trae was struck by a disturbing pattern. The headstones of his ancestors, along with nearly every veteran not buried in a national cemetery, were covered in thick layers of biological growth, showing signs of neglect, abandonment, and indifference. Trae realized that the expectation for families to maintain perpetual care of their veterans’ headstones is unrealistic. Over time, families move, pass away, and unfortunately, memories fade. This pervasive neglect was a stark contrast to the pristine condition of headstones in national cemeteries, revealing a hidden crisis that demanded attention.
Trae noticed that every veteran headstone in national cemeteries was immaculate, maintained with perpetual care, while those buried outside national cemeteries were covered in a thick layer of biological filth. This realization led Trae to research who was responsible for the perpetual care of veteran graves in America. He discovered that the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) had a budget of $553,000,000 to care for veterans buried in national cemeteries but no budget or apparent desire to care for those not buried in national cemeteries. Further digging revealed that only 16% of all veterans are buried in national cemeteries, while 84% of veterans—whose families chose to bury them in their hometowns—are left without the same level of care.
Realizing that as time progresses, the family members who knew and cared for the graves of their deceased veterans also die, Trae understood that every dirty veteran headstone represents a person whose sacrifices have already been or will soon be forgotten. Trae contacted the National Cemetery Administration to highlight the disparity and obvious neglect of nearly every veteran gravesite in America. The NCA showed no interest in taking on the task of maintaining the millions of government-furnished veteran headstones the NCA had shipped out to nearly every hometown cemetery across America. City leaders showed no interest. County leaders showed no interest. State leaders had done nothing. So Trae Zipperer rolled up his sleeves and took matters into his own hands. Believing his fellow Americans would rally to this sacred obligation, Trae founded By Memorial Day on Veteran’s Day in 2019. He also started his YouTube channel, formerly known as “Honor Your DNA” and now “They Face East,” to raise top of mind awareness and teach every patriotic American how to respectfully care for a veteran’s grave. Despite reaching millions of Americans, some of whom have cleaned untold tens of thousands of headstones on their own accord, no government funding has been received, and the NCA has shown no interest in assisting.
Are you a patriotic American, corporation, or government entity that believes all veteran gravesites should look like the ones in Arlington? If so, here’s how you can help:
Your generous donation will help us provide perpetual care for veteran gravesites across America. By contributing, you’ll ensure that every veteran receives the honor and reverence they deserve, regardless of where they are buried. Together, we can transform neglected gravesites into hallowed grounds of reverent respect.
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Your grant can make a significant impact in ensuring perpetual care for veteran gravesites. By supporting By Memorial Day, you will help bridge the gap between national cemetery care and the millions of neglected veteran gravesites across the nation. Let’s work together to honor every veteran with the dignity and remembrance they deserve.
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Partner with us to show your corporate patriotism and support for our veterans. Your sponsorship will not only help maintain veteran gravesites but also demonstrate your commitment to honoring those who served. Join us in making a lasting impact on the lives of veterans and their families.
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Join our mission as a paid volunteer and receive compensation for your patriotic efforts. You’ll be on the front lines, ensuring that veteran gravesites are maintained with the same reverence as those in national cemeteries. Your dedication will help us achieve our dream of reverent perpetual care for every veteran grave.
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You can provide a (1) time sponsor of $129 or start up a monthly sponsorship of $11/month.
