DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF)- At least 300 people came to the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery to honor 21 former military service members who’s next of kin or loved ones could not be there. Douglas Maddox Assistant Cemetery Director said this ensures no veteran is buried alone. “I am continually overwhelmed with the amount of love and support of our veterans in the Dallas Fort Worth area,” said Maddox. “It’s humbling to see this many people take time out of their day to be there to pay final respects to those who fought for our freedom,” he said. Maddox said they had veterans from the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S Army, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. “Some of them served primarily during the Vietnam period. We had two veterans from Korea and one who served in the Persian Gulf War,” he said.
He said during this moment, cemetery staff becomes family to ensure each service member receives a special tribute. “It’s general practice during military honors to present a flag to a family member, if a family member is not there someone will stand in and accept that flag on their behalf…we had some of the family there that we were able to locate however vast majority weren’t available,” he said.
The veterans will be buried at the cemetery’s in ground cremation area, which is open to the public 365 days a year. Maddox said he’s honored to be able to provide a dignified place to be buried.
21 former military service members whose next of kin is unknown or loved ones cannot attend service are being buried at #DFWNationalCemetery. Hundreds of community members gather to pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed for our nation. @WBAP247NEWS @570KLIF pic.twitter.com/FamPkOkA9Q
— Katrina Boonzaier (@katrinaboonz) February 6, 2020
