{"id":61664,"date":"2019-01-20T17:36:17","date_gmt":"2019-01-20T17:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:14:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:14:42","slug":"unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/","title":{"rendered":"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MEMPHIS, Tenn. \u2014 When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded with military precision, there were no family members there to receive them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, the banners were passed, hand-to-hand, through the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some mourners wept as they clutched the flags briefly. Others kissed them. But the three veterans laid to rest on a rainy Memphis morning were strangers to most of those who gathered to honor their memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2018\/11\/28\/hundreds-rally-for-funeral-of-vietnam-veteran-who-died-with-few-known-family-members\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ARM-funeral-1.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Hundreds rally for funeral of Vietnam veteran who died with few known family members<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A Vietnam War veteran with few known family members was buried at Omaha National Cemetery in Nebraska on Tuesday, flanked by hundreds of attendees who had never met him.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The service was part of a national effort by funeral homes, medical examiners, state and federal veterans&#8217; affairs departments, and local veterans&#8217; groups to pay final respects to members of the military whose bodies were not claimed by any relatives. Since 2000, Dignity Memorial and other funeral homes in more than 30 cities have organized about 3,000 funerals for soldiers, sailors and Marines who died alone, but still deserved a dignified funeral and burial, said Jeff Berry, Dignity&#8217;s general manager in Knoxville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soldiers Arnold M. Klechka, 71, and Wesley Russell, 76, and Marine Charles B. Fox, 60, were laid to rest in a service attended by about 700 people at West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Memphis on Thursday. There was a gun salute, and a bagpiper played \u201cAmazing Grace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778762989.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-102547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778762989.jpg.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778762989.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778762989.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778762989.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778762989.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778762989.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this Jan. 17, 2019, photo, a flag draped coffin is moved during a funeral for three Memphis veterans, Wesley Russell, 76, Arnold Klechka, 71, Charles Fox, 60, who died this past fall and whose remains were unclaimed in Memphis, Tenn. (Karen Pulfer Focht\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But none of them had family members present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amelia Callicott did show up. She wept during the service, thinking of her late father and husband, who both served in the military. Callicott said she learned about the service through friends and Facebook. She felt a duty to honor the men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It touched my heart when no one came to claim these gentlemen, these soldiers, because they fought for our freedom,&#8221; said Callicott, 69. &#8220;Any serviceman, they&#8217;re just like family to me, and I just can&#8217;t see laying them to rest without going and seeing their final moments, to say goodbye.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Organizing the funerals, which are fairly commonplace in Tennessee, requires a lot of teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/military-honor\/salute-veterans\/2019\/01\/14\/man-achieves-goal-to-bury-the-father-he-never-knew-a-world-war-ii-veteran-with-military-honors\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19014005099738.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Man achieves goal to bury the father he never knew, a World War II veteran, with military honors<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Having waited 64 years for the reunion, Rex Beach struggled to leave his father&#039;s casket when the time came.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Berry said the process usually begins with county medical examiners or local coroners, who contact state or national veterans&#8217; cemeteries with names of people whose bodies have gone unclaimed. They typically were either homeless or had no surviving relatives to claim them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And some have had surviving family members who did not want to claim them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cemeteries determine whether the service members were honorably discharged. If they were, medical examiners or the cemeteries then contact Dignity, which is owned by Service Corporation International, or one of its partner funeral homes. A funeral director then sets up the memorial service, and the funeral home covers the cost, Berry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cemetery directors can file claims with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for grave markers or placards for columbariums, according to the Tennessee Department of Veterans&#8217; Services. The VA also gives money to individuals or entities that provide burials, caskets and transportation to cemeteries for unclaimed deceased vets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2764\" height=\"1948\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778567338.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-102550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778567338.jpg.jpg 2764w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778567338.jpg.jpg?resize=300,211 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778567338.jpg.jpg?resize=768,541 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778567338.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,722 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778567338.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1083 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778567338.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1443 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2764px) 100vw, 2764px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this Jan. 17, 2019, photo, two elderly veterans were among the last to arrive at a service to bury three Memphis veterans who died this past fall and whose remains were unclaimed in Memphis, Tenn. The veterans were buried at the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery with honors. (Karen Pulfer Focht\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Memorial services are publicized through news outlets, veterans&#8217; groups like the American Legion, or social media. Honor Guard and other active military members attend, but it&#8217;s the strangers who come out of respect for the military and the dead who bring dignity to the occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A service for unclaimed veterans is planned in the coming weeks at East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery in Knoxville, Berry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Most of the time, it&#8217;s folks that had no knowledge of the person in life,&#8221; Berry said. &#8220;One thing I&#8217;ve learned in working with the veterans is that they are a tight knit group. They really support each other. It&#8217;s like a band of brothers or sisters.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/01\/13\/daughters-plea-draws-50000-birthday-cards-for-us-navy-veteran\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19012848934364.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Daughter\u2019s plea draws 50,000 birthday cards for World War II veteran<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">When Sue Morse requested on Facebook that friends send her father well-wishes for his Dec. 30 birthday, she expected maybe 160 cards.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the Memphis ceremony, funeral director Gary Taylor thanked those who showed up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, he spoke directly to the caskets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cToday, we salute you,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cToday we all claim you as our own.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded with military precision, there were no family members there to receive them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":102546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":10,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,93,10,12,25,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2995,3089],"class_list":["post-61664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-military-honor","category-news","category-newsletters","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"PHSN33AH3ZENZIEOBMR42T7PWI","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers - Marine Corps Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded with military precision, there were no family members there to receive them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded with military precision, there were no family members there to receive them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marine Corps Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-20T17:36:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T13:14:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Adrian Sainz, The Associated Press, Karen Pulfer Focht, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Adrian Sainz, The Associated Press, Karen Pulfer Focht, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2019-01-20T17:36:17+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T13:14:42+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 714,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP19018778656192.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"Military Honor\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Veterans\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers - Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP19018778656192.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2019-01-20T17:36:17+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T13:14:42+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded with military precision, there were no family members there to receive them.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP19018778656192.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP19018778656192.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/2019\\\/01\\\/20\\\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Military Honor\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/military-honor\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"military-honor\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Marine Corps - Independent News For Marines | Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/marine-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/marine-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Marine Corps Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers - Marine Corps Times","description":"When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded with military precision, there were no family members there to receive them.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers","og_description":"When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded with military precision, there were no family members there to receive them.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/","og_site_name":"Marine Corps Times","article_published_time":"2019-01-20T17:36:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T13:14:42+00:00","author":"Adrian Sainz, The Associated Press, Karen Pulfer Focht, The Associated Press","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Adrian Sainz, The Associated Press, Karen Pulfer Focht, The Associated Press","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers","datePublished":"2019-01-20T17:36:17+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T13:14:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/"},"wordCount":714,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778656192.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Home","Middle Column","Military Honor","News","Newsletters","Veterans"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/","name":"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers - Marine Corps Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778656192.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2019-01-20T17:36:17+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T13:14:42+00:00","description":"When the flags were removed from the caskets and folded with military precision, there were no family members there to receive them.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778656192.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778656192.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/2019\/01\/20\/unclaimed-veterans-buried-with-dignity-thanks-to-strangers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Military Honor","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/military-honor\/","ad_zone":"military-honor"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Unclaimed veterans buried with dignity, thanks to strangers"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","name":"Marine Corps Times","description":"Marine Corps - Independent News For Marines | Marine Corps Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization","name":"Marine Corps Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/marine-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/marine-logo-white.png","caption":"Marine Corps Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Marine Corps Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19018778656192.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61664"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61676,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61664\/revisions\/61676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61664"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=61664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}