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The Samuel Doak Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Chairman Barbara Baker presented the Community Service Award to J. Channing Greene Saturday, at the DAR meeting held at the Davy Crockett Restaurant in Morristown.

Letters recommending this award were written by Dakota Carmichael and Jason Henry.

Carmichael is the President of the Col. Robert McFarland Chapter of the Tennessee Society Sons of the Revolution. He is also the Secretary of the State Society of the SOR. In addition, he has a Facebook page called the “Old History Project.” Henry is the Secretary of the McFarland Chapter, Sons of the Revolution, and a member of the State of Franklin, Sons of the American Revolution.

Greene is a member of the McFarland Chapter of the Sons of the Revolution and serves as the Monuments and Cemeteries Chairperson. But his work in cleaning and restoring gravestones and cemeteries has been a long-time effort before joining the SOR.

“Greene has tackled a great many cemeteries, including Roadman Cemetery, Old St. Paul Cemetery, and Old Russellville Cemetery, places that had been heavily overgrown, mostly by himself, but usually with a hand or two joining in,” Carmichael said. “He takes excellent care not to damage any headstones while working, and those that were previously damaged, he repairs them, and even puts them back up. He has also been working with Graham Perry, the director of the historic cemeteries program at the Tennessee Historical Commission, to get these lost and forgotten cemeteries named and marked, and has gotten countless cemeteries marked as historical.

Greene works wherever there is a cemetery in need of cleaning.

“He’s been just about all over Northeast Tennessee, just having a good old time along the way. He does all of this without asking anyone for a dime,” Carmichael said.

“Upon getting to know Channing, I found out that he has made it his mission to rescue and rediscover multiple cemeteries that in some cases have been lost to time,” Henry said. “I have worked with Channing on recovering and improving the Morristown Cemetery, Bent Creek Cemetery, Roadman Cemetery, McFarland Cemetery, Russellville Cemetery, and several others. He operates his 501c mainly out of his cemetery restoration CERT van. He clears trees, debris, and uses Endurance Biological Cleaner to clean the stones and monuments. We also have repaired or added fences, and on a regular basis Channing adds new cemetery signs. He is tireless in his efforts to bring dignity and respect to our veterans and ancestors through extensive cemetery restoration.”

Greene, a native of Whitesburg, was one of five people across Tennessee recognized in 2025 with a Certificate of Merit by the Tennessee Historical Commission.

Greene works for Tennessee Historic Graveyard Preservation and Conservation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cleaning and maintaining neglected cemeteries. THGPC uses D/2 biological solution, approved for use on government monuments, to gently clean headstones. This is used at national cemeteries to clean veterans’ headstones.

In a story in the May, 31, 2025 edition of the Citizen Tribune, Greene explained about his mission to preserve and protect cemetery markers.

“It is imperative that only a safe cleaner is used to move the debris,” Greene said. “D/2 biological solution is considered to be gentle on the stones, but tough on biological stains and discoloration. It is effective on marble, granite, limestone, brownstone, travertine, masonry, terra cotta, concrete, wood, stucco and other architectural surfaces, including monuments, sculptures and headstones.”

Their team removes brush, overgrowth, weeds and grass to restore the cemetery grounds. Veterans’ graves are also marked with small flags to honor their service.

According to Greene’s blog, many families established their own cemeteries near their homes or communities. As the years passed, some families died out while others moved away.

Several generations later, there are cemeteries that are left unattended that have fallen victim to the passage of time. These cemeteries are covered with brush, weeds and vines. In some instances, large trees have grown up in the cemeteries causing headstones to shift.

These headstones have also fallen victim to bacterial growth, such as algae, lichen, moss, mold and mildew. Dirt, debris, bird droppings and pollen can also affect a headstone’s appearance. These can appear as slimy patches or discolored spots on the headstone and can even make it difficult to read the information on the stone.

Greene donates his time to clean the cemeteries and has spent his own money on fuel, flags for veterans’ graves, cleaner and equipment. Those who want to donate money and items may go to www.tennesseegraveyard.com.