Barrington High School sophomore Michael Oliveira has been placing flags on the graves of veterans buried in the town’s cemeteries every Memorial Day with fellow members of Boy Scout Troop 2.  

Each time, he felt bothered by the fact that the scouts might have overlooked some graves when searching for the names of those who served. Consequently, when it came time to choose his Eagle Scout project this winter, Michael approached the Barrington Cemetery Commission with the idea of updating their database and updating their map.

On a recent school vacation day, Michael gathered 16 fellow scouts from Troop 2 Barrington and tackled the ambitious cataloguing process.  

“By ensuring that the database is correct and updated, veterans will get the respect they deserve,” said Michael, adding that charting ancestral history has become a recent hobby of many people and with the new map, people searching for information about their family members will now have more accurate information.  

By dividing the cemetery into grids, Michael had his fellow scouts systematically searching for markings indicative of military service. Flags already on graves were noted, as were graves that lacked proper distinction.  Among those graves uncovered was that of a civil war soldier whose marker was covered by encroaching grass.  The day’s discoveries were both educational and eye-opening for the scouts who participated.  

Prince’s Hill Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 100 deceased servicemen.

“This cemetery was first established in 1728 and is the final resting place of some of Barrington's earliest settlers,” said Susan L. Taylor, chairperson of the Barrington Cemetery Commission. “It's a good example of the historic value of early New England burial grounds and, with the addition of four later grants of land, has become the beautiful landmark it is today. 

“We're very pleased to have been part of this prospective Eagle Scout's project who, recognizing the importance of honoring our veterans through the centuries, used 21st century technology to record and locate veterans' final resting places in Prince's Hill cemetery. Thank you Michael Oliveira for taking on this important project."

A community service project that is planned, executed and its impact measured, is just one of many rigorous requirements needed to achieve Eagle Scout status. Michael has been in the Boy Scouts since 2013 and has previously completed 25 merit badges. Once the mapping project is complete, Michael will face a board of review where his leadership skills will be tested. 

Since the inception of the Eagle Scout award in 1912, only six percent of eligible Scouts have earned Scouting’s highest honor.

Troop 2 Barrington, is the oldest troop in the Narragansett Council of Boy Scouts, narragansettbsa.org.  

Led by Scout Master Wade Ogden, the scouts meet Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. at Barrington Congregational Church during the academic year and welcome boys from throughout the community to participate in team-building, leadership and value development activities.