Another Group Doing Good Things
In 2011, a lady died in Washington state. Her name was Shirley McNaughton. She was 57.
Shirley McNaughton was a veteran. She’d served in the USAF for two years during the Vietnam War (1971-1973), and in the ANG for an additional two years thereafter. She was honorably discharged from the ANG as a Sergeant.
Unfortunately, at the time of death her surviving daughter had lost her job and did not have the money for a proper funeral. So Sgt. McNaughton’s remains were cremated (a local program funded that), then were placed in storage for a protracted period at the county coroner’s office.
Enter the Missing In America Project.
Per its website, the MIAP is organized to “to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of American veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations.” They learned of Sgt. McNaughton’s yet-to-be-interred cremains, and arranged for them to receive a proper military funeral.
However, the MIAP this year selected a limited number of cremains to be interred in Arlington vice local state or national cemeteries. (It’s unclear if this is a one-time event or something that MIAP does periodically.) Sgt. McNaughton’s remains were among the 6 sets of such cremains selected for that honor – one from each of the 5 military services, plus the cremains of a US Army “Buffalo Soldier” who’d served during World War I.
Sgt. McNaughton’s cremains will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on 1 September 2015. Her surviving family is currently attempting to raise the funds to allow them to attend her funeral via a GoFundMe site.
I don’t know much about MIAP, so I can’t recommend or endorse them. But FWIW: MIAP does post their financials on their website (2014 IRS Form 990). A quick look at that document leads me to believe they don’t seem to pay their corporate officers or waste a lot of money on fluff, either. And Guidestar seems to think well of them also.
So if you have a few spare dollars that you plan to donate to charity anyway, it might be worth your while to investigate them further. They do appear to be approved to receive donations under the Combined Federal Campaign – though that in and of itself is no guarantee they’re particularly well-run (caveat emptor). And what they’re doing is certainly IMO worth supporting.
Everyone deserves a proper burial. It’s great to see an organization dedicated to trying to make that happen for the unclaimed cremains of veterans.
. . .
(Material for this article was obtained from published reports – specifically, this article and this article.)
Category: Arlington National Cemetary, Blue Skies, Veterans Issues
Great story.
I am a lucky man, and can’t imagine having the burden of not being able to properly bury a loved one.
Good story and it also sounds like a great organization.
However, the “asshole” in me reared its ugly head concerning the family. (I’m not myself without a snickers bar). SGT McNaughton’s family all but let her be ignored for 4 years because of having no money, but when the possibility of a trip to DC and little press pops up, they can start a Go Fund Me site for some dough.
Sounds kinda selfish…
It does not cost that much to bury someone. I buried my mother in law a couple years ago, and it cost me about eight bucks at Lowes for a shovel. It is a lot harder digging a grave than what they make it look like on TV. The law in the state where I buried her cremains requires the container to be at least three feet down, but nobody came out to check.
Weekend, are you kidding ? It cost me and my children $35,000 to bury papa. Is that true about the laws in TEXAS?
Notice he did not mention the word “legal” Reminds me of a race car we bought once… we asked if the car was street legal and the owner said “I have tags on it right now”. When we heard the car coming from two miles away we figured out that if he could find a place for a coupla sheet metal screws, he would put tags on ANYTHING.
Just guessing here: They probably owed $$ for the cremation which had to be paid prior to their taking possession. Interesting that they have enough $$ to set up a “Give me $$” account, most likely with an electronic devise which was important enough to have in their possession, but not Mother’s cremains?
So may questions. Gonna give them the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.
Condolences out to the family. May they find peace finally. Good that this veteran will be resting in a much more appropriate place than in a coroner’s office.
I had no clue. New project to donate to. R.I.P. MA’AM
I am a member of 2 different organizations that works hand-in-hand with MIAP and it is an outstanding organization. Along with this organization, tere has been at least 75+ cremains given a proper military send off here in Washington state.
MIAP hit my radar a few years ago. They seem like a good and sincere group trying to help our Vets receive the proper respect and burial they deserve.
No idea about the family. Things happen. Don’t let the family detract from the Vet who deserves our Nation’s respect or MIAP
Just sent my first donation. Anyone know if Wounded Warriors is legit. I stopped donations to HELP THE CHILDREN IN OTHER COUNTRIES. US only except for Israeli.
IMHO, WWP doesn’t deserve any of your money, mine, or anyone else’s. They generously pay their top echelon nice six-figure salaries, they’ve given things to known posers, and they’ve taken an anti-2nd Amendment political stance.