Twenty-five American veterans finally received proper burials on Saturday, after their cremated remains had gone unclaimed by relatives and others — even for decades.
After the playing of taps, the folding of flags and the singing of “God Bless America,” a mahogany urn for each veteran was placed inside a columbarium at the South Florida National Cemetery west of Lake Worth.
The burial with full military honors marked the 19th time unclaimed veterans were given a final resting place in Florida, said Kathy Church, coordinator for the state chapter of the Missing in America Project.
“These veterans signed the blank check and gave everything for us to have our freedom,” she told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “It’s the right thing to do.”
The names of each veteran were read aloud during the service, including 14 who served in the Army, five from the Air Force, four from the Navy and two who were Marines.
They served the nation during World War II, and wars in Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, as well as in peacetime. The veterans included 24 men and one woman.
One veteran’s remains had been unclaimed since 1975, and the others died in every decade to follow, Church said.
Army veteran Jeff Garten told WPEC-Ch. 12 that it was especially nice to see the tributes given after such a long time.
“You can imagine how long these veterans laid in a funeral home, house, even a garage” says Garten. “However, at least now they have been found and they are properly honored for their service.”
Church said there are a variety of reasons why the veterans’ remains were never buried until now. Some died poor, others died without any close relatives, and some whose family couldn’t be located.
For this ceremony, Missing in America Project-Florida was assisted by: Dignity Memorial’s Kraeer Funeral Home at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Pompano Beach; Broward Burial and Cremation in Fort Lauderdale; and the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department.
Motorcycle deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office led a procession to the cemetery.
Church said a similar service is planned at the cemetery in June, which would be the 10th such event. For more information, email Church at miapjax@yahoo.com.
All residents will be invited, keeping with the mission to “provide honor, respect and dignity to those who have served this country by securing a final resting place for these forgotten heroes.”
Material from WPEC-Ch. 12, a news partner of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, was used in this report.
mjfreeman@sun-sentinel.com, 561-243-6642 or Twitter @marcjfreeman