Vets seek repair of abandoned Philippine cemetery

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- American war veterans in the Philippines are urging the U.S. Congress to pass a bill that would require Washington to repair and maintain a cemetery north of Manila where the graves of thousands of American servicemen and dependents have been covered in ash since a gigantic 1991 volcanic eruption.

The head of an American veterans' group, Retired Army 1st Sgt. John Gilbert, said Wednesday that the neglect of Clark Veterans Cemetery north of Manila is a disgrace to the memory of more than 8,000 U.S. servicemen and their dependents who are buried there.

The cemetery has been covered in ash and weeds since the eruption of Mount Pinatubo forced the U.S. Air Force to abandon Clark Air Force Base. U.S. veterans have struggled to maintain the cemetery through donations.

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