Jul 22, 2022 2 min read

I had the honor of being part of the escort on July 17 for the cremated remains of 15 unclaimed servicemen. The remains were for veterans who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. It’s sad to think the remains were sitting in a coroner’s office for a couple of decades.

Someone was talking about the red tape that you have to go through to do what is right and what these men have earned. There are more than 52,000 unclaimed service members’ cremated remains sitting in funeral homes or coroner’s offices waiting to be buried and they deserve to be treated with the respect that they have earned.

In some states the whole process to bury the remains can take 50 to 75 years, hoping a family member will come forward. During the service someone mentioned since these men didn’t have any family there to remember them we all became part of their family. Somewhere between 200 and 250 adopted family members attended the service and appreciated the opportunity to do so. The services in Greensburg and The National Cemetery Of The Alleghenies had the normal dignitaries plus many veterans groups that showed up on their motorcycles (about 125). The American Legion Riders, Combat Veterans, VFW Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, Blue Knight, and the Hog And Heroes Foundation had members from Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland, plus several groups. At the Cemetery Of The Alleghenies some flag lines were set up and it grew as the bikers got off the bikes.

These veterans finally received their long-overdue full military honors burial, complete with Taps and 21-gun salute. Our politicians need to make changes so our unclaimed veterans get the respect that they are owed and earned.

It was definitely a day that I will remember and a service that touched my heart.

Mark Holtkamp

Washington