Dozens came together at the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown to give a long overdue thank you to five men and one woman who served our country but were never laid to rest with full military honors.
On Friday, the state hosted a traditional military funeral for six Connecticut veterans.
Dozens came together at the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown to give a long overdue thank you to five men and one woman who served our country but were never laid to rest with full military honors.
The cremated remains of these veterans have been in funeral homes for years. Others, decades.
"We thank and memorialize Wilfred, Robert, Michael, Joseph, Bernice and Roland," said John Carragher, with the Connecticut Department of Veteran Affairs.
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Two of the veterans were a married couple who served in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1945 to 1946. Private Roland H. Record and Sgt. Bernice Greenstreet Record passed away in 1998 and 2007, respectively.
Years later, on Friday Nov. 3, 2023, they were given a proper salute and resting place.
"This can happen for a variety of reasons," said Lionel Lessard, president of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association. "After a cremation, a memorial service or funeral service, sometimes the family or friends do not return to claim their loved ones. It's not very common, but it does happen."
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The State Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) and the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA) are making sure veterans get the recognition and final farewell they deserve.
Friday's military funeral ceremony was the ninth one of its kind in Connecticut since 2009.
According to the CFDA, that was the year Connecticut became the first state in the country to establish new protocols to identify unclaimed cremated remains of veterans.
"The veterans are the backbone of our country, and we have to honor these veterans who have given their whole lives," Vietnam veteran Gerald Augustine said.
Augustine was one of several vets who showed his support. This month, he plans to travel to Vietnam for the first time since he fought there.
Also in attendance were numerous Patriot Guard Riders.
"We stand in honor for the whole ceremony. It's just an honor to be here," Judy Lehosky of Bozrah said.
An honor and a commitment from the state to never forget.
