KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — For David Hart, a veteran who buried his daughter at Killeen City Cemetery in 1987, and Cathy Bozio, who has friends—including veterans—resting there, the sight of overgrown grass and unkempt grounds on Memorial Day was unacceptable.
Taking to social media, they shared images of the poor conditions, sparking widespread attention from fellow residents. Days later, city personnel arrived to clean up the cemetery, but Hart and Bozio remain skeptical that the care will continue.
“The difference is from day to night,” Hart said of the sudden improvements. “You’d come out here, and the grass would be as tall as your knee or higher. Some reach up waist high.”
Bozio recalled how visitors from as far as New York struggled to locate their loved ones’ graves. “I know somebody who tried to come visit his mom recently and couldn’t find her grave. Like, that is ridiculous,” she said.
Despite the cleanup effort, both residents believe it should never have reached this point—especially for a site meant to honor the memories of those who’ve passed. “This is how a cemetery should look right now. You’d come out here for Memorial Day, or even before Memorial Day, and it’d look like a pasture—for cows,” Hart said.
Bozio shared that her mother reached out directly to Mayor Debbie Nash-King and other city council members but received no response.
Hart, frustrated by the city’s handling of the cemetery, pointed out the double standard in city enforcement. “The city has strict rules and punishments for residents who fail to keep their personal grass unkempt,” he said. “Why isn’t the same standard applied here?”
Killeen officials deny that the cleanup was a response to social media outcry, instead saying it was previously scheduled as part of routine maintenance. However, when asked for clarity on the cemetery’s cleaning schedule, Parks and Recreation Head Antonio Murphy did not respond.
Even after the cleanup, Hart and Bozio aren’t convinced that long-term maintenance will improve.
“I personally think, in the next six months, they’ll keep it up—but after that, they’re going to slack off some,” Hart said.
Bozio hopes the community will stay vigilant and hold the city accountable. “At this point, I’m hoping the residents of Killeen keep an eye on it, and if it starts getting like it was, call them out again.”
