Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, “Old Guard”, place flags on each grave in Arlington Cemetery.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
The local chapter 1071 from Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) paid their respects on Saturday of the weekend of Memorial Day to nineteen members of the United States Army deceased, whose remains were found unclaimed in Fairmount Cemetery, in Denver, Colorado , reported 9news.com.
The exciting ceremony was shared in a video on Twitter:
In the shadows of devotion lies honor. A silhouette of respect unfurled over time.
And like a shadow, what you do here on earth will always stay with you, even when you no longer are.
🎥: @ FGainesPhotog # 9News pic.twitter .com / PAS6Kv9u 12– Jaleesa Irizarry (@JaleesaReports ) May 29, 2021
The chapter 1071 of VVA, based in the Denver area, made an inventory of more than 800 cremations at bandonadas in 2015. It was determined that more than 100 of those remains were from military veterans.
The group continued their efforts over the years and found the ashes of nineteen veterans in Fairmount Cemetery.
“The sad part is that nobody knows why they were not claimed, why they were abandoned,” said the Vietnam veteran Owen Oliver. “There is no explanation for that and it is sad. So it’s encouraging to have a ceremony like this to close the circle. ”
Saturday morning, Dozens of veterans gathered at the Fairmount Cemetery Event Center and paid their respects to the 19 fallen men. The deceased belonged to the army and died in wars, but they had one thing in common, were no longer forgotten .
“It is very exciting and rewarding to be part of something like this”, said Jim Topkoff , member of the Chapter 1071 of VVA. “Well, when you realize how important our people are in this country, there is no substitute.”
The remains of the nineteen veterans were placed in wooden urns carved with the military branch to which each belonged.
The identification plates were also nailed to the boxes, so that the names of these men are now always remembered.
The chapter 1071 from VVA provided 9News with a list of the 19 service members, their classifications, military branch, war in which they were fought, date of birth and date of death.
Tsgt Air Force Korea / Vietnam
5/9 / 1929 – 3/4 / 1999
PFC Army WWI
4/16 / 1894 – two/10 / 1983
The Memorial Day is a U.S. holiday, observed on the last Monday in May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the United States Army.
The Memorial Day on 2020 will be held on Monday 31 from May.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years after the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.
Many Americans celebrate Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family reunions and participating in parades.
Unofficially, the Memorial Day holiday marks the beginning of the summer season.
