Thirty-one U.S. military veterans received full military honors Thursday at the South Florida National Cemetery in Boynton Beach. Some served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
First responders volunteered to take part in a procession for the veterans, and fellow veterans came forward to help carry out the services. Kristina Gonzalez of Fred Hunter’s Funeral Home said the final salute was long overdue. She said the funeral home does not try to determine why the remains went unclaimed, whether for financial or other reasons.
Steve Mutti of the Christian Motorcycle Association of Fort Lauderdale and Kathy Church, Florida coordinator of the Missing in America Project, also helped arrange the service. Mutti said the men served the country faithfully and deserve a proper burial.
The Missing in America Project is a nationwide nonprofit founded in 2007 by retired U.S. Army Maj. Fred Salanti. Church said volunteer genealogists work to fill in missing information about veterans so their families or service records can be located.
