Missing in America Project buries 42 ‘unclaimed’ veterans in Texas and Florida
The Missing in America Project laid to rest 42 ‘unclaimed’ veterans in Texas and Florida.
The purpose of the Missing In America Project (MIAP) is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed, cremated remains of American veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations. To provide honor and respect to those who have served this country by securing a final resting place for these forgotten heroes.
The MIAP (EIN: 20-8408832) is a Federal recognized Non-Profit Veterans Organization for the identification, location, verification, and movement of Veterans and their Dependents.
Missing In America Link
The cremated remains of 17 unclaimed military veterans were buried Friday at a ceremony at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. (San Antonio Police Department)
By Robert Gearty | Fox News
Special burial ceremonies were held Friday and Saturday at two cemeteries in Texas and Florida for 42 veterans whose cremated remains were never claimed—in one case for 45 years.The burials with full military honors were organized by the nonprofit Missing in America Project and provided a fitting final tribute to those who may have died unclaimed by next of kin but who were still being remembered for their service to their country.
Friday’s event at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio was for 17 veterans whose cremated remains had been sitting unclaimed in a county courthouse in Abilene, Fox San Antonio reported.
“This ceremony is special for us,” said cemetery director Aubrey David, according to the station. “It’s the third year in a row that we’ve had the Missing in America Project in a ceremony to memorialize and give respect and dignified burials to these veterans.”
The burial featured a procession of Junior ROTC students walking in pairs–with one carrying the ashes of a veteran and the other carrying an American flag.
Saturday’s event at South Florida National Cemetery near Lake Worth was for 24 men and one woman who served in the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines during World War II, the wars in Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, and peacetime, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
The event included the playing of taps, the folding of flags and the singing of “God Bless America,” the paper reported.
“These veterans signed the blank check and gave everything for us to have our freedom,” said Kathy Church of Missing in America Project’s Florida chapter.
“It’s the right thing to do,” she added, according to the paper.
“Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.” Hondo
The entire article may be viewed here: Fox News
Category: Bravo Zulu, Military issues, Veterans Issues, We Remember
I did a bit of research and found this comment by a Jeff Garten…..
“You can imagine how long these veterans laid in a funeral home, house, even a garage,” Army veteran Jeff Garten, who attended the ceremony, told WPEC-TV. “However, at least now they have been found and they are properly honored for their service.”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/missing-in-america-project-buries-42-unclaimed-veterans-in-texas-and-florida
His name triggered my memory knowing that I had heard that name before. Turns out he is married to Ina Garten who is also known as the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network.
Also turns out that neither Jeff nor his Dad (Melvin) were slouches of any sort during their military service.
Jeff served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1972, holding the rank of Lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division and Captain and aide-de camp to the commanding general of the US Special Forces. In 1971 he was an advisor to the Royal Thai Army.
Melvin fought in World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam;and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1953 for his heroism in Korea’s Battle of Pork Chop Hill.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Garten
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/6965
https://nmajmh.org/education/individual-profiles/melvin-garten/
To the 42 brothers & sister in arms…rest in peace.
Hate to be first for this. Wow. Rest easy Gentlemen. Thank you for serving your country when so few would and did. May your rest be eternal and I hope you find the peace you might have lacked in life.
“Let no one weep for me or celebrate my funeral with mourning, for I still live as I pass to and fro through the mouths of men.” ~ Quintus Ennius, Roman Poet
That breaks my heart. Thanks for taking care of them.
Thanks for link. Exactly the type of organization I was looking for.
26Lima, this is not a plug for the charity, and I posted what I could from MIA’s home page and the Fox article. Please use due diligence when donating to this, or any other charity.
Tnx. I am more interested in the information they post.
Besides, I have fish hooks in my pockets.
Thanks to the Missing in America Project people for this. Kudos, also, to the ROTC Members for assisting. These young people will be our Military Leaders in the future and this gives an idea of what it is like to take care of the troops that you lead. “No one left behind.”
I wonder how many of these Vets had no family v the family just abandoned them v how many estranged themselves from family….Sad
Tried posting this several hours ago, but it never showed up.
I did a bit of research and found this comment by a Jeff Garten…..
“You can imagine how long these veterans laid in a funeral home, house, even a garage,” Army veteran Jeff Garten, who attended the ceremony, told WPEC-TV. “However, at least now they have been found and they are properly honored for their service.”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/missing-in-america-project-buries-42-unclaimed-veterans-in-texas-and-florida
His name triggered my memory knowing that I had heard that name before. Turns out he is married to Ina Garten who is also known as the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network.
Also turns out that neither Jeff nor his Dad (Melvin) were slouches of any sort during their military service.
Jeff served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1972, holding the rank of Lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division and Captain and aide-de camp to the commanding general of the US Special Forces. In 1971 he was an advisor to the Royal Thai Army.
Melvin fought in World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam;and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1953 for his heroism in Korea’s Battle of Pork Chop Hill.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Garten
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/6965
https://nmajmh.org/education/individual-profiles/melvin-garten/
To the 42 brothers & sister in arms…rest in peace.
Your comment went into moderation because the link count triggered the spam filters. Nature of the beast, sorry.
No problem, AW1Ed.
I thought it might have been because of the links thingy, but wasn’t sure.
Thanks for posting the post & and the explanation.
This is said, yes, but they did at least receive a proper funeral and burial. So kudos to the MIA Project for doing this.
Not sure if they check for veterans but watched a You Tube Video about unclaimed remains in LA County.
As you can guess a lot of them were Homeless. For all of them they consolidate their assets/ sell them and put it towards the cost of burial expenses.
If the body isn’t claimed within a certain amount of time they cremate them and store the ashes.
After that there is a two year storage limit. When that time passes they take a group of the remains and simply bury them altogether in an common plot with no distinguishing marker.
So sad I hope that doesn’t happened to me, but since I am 53 and single w no kids and most biological relatives passed on -It probably will happened.
Have a will in place with everything you’d like done written out, that way someone will know what you want when it comes time.