A group of North Carolina veterans joined forces to organize and attend a Friday military funeral for a solider that had no family. Upon l...
A group of North Carolina veterans joined forces to organize and attend a Friday military funeral for a solider that had no family.
Upon learning that U.S. veteran Thomas Chapman passed away at the Asheville V.A. hospital last week and that his body went “unclaimed” by any kin, a group of local veterans sought to fill that void and honor Chapman by putting together and carrying out a proper military service, WLOS reported.
Those that laid the late Chapman to rest included members of the Haywood County-area Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) chapters. During his life, Chapman had no presence whatsoever in either chapter, according to the outlet.
One of the organizers, Paul Taylor, said that the fact that Chapman had no family to mourn his death was “sombering,” WLOS reported.
“I feel sorry for him that he didn’t have family, but it makes me feel honor that I’m able to give him honor on his way out,” Taylor said. “In the military, we provided for each other. We were the backstop for each other.”
Another North Carolina veteran, Rick Strubeck, connected to the service said that veterans look out for one another and that they “try to make sure all the veterans get what they deserve.”
The funeral was held last Friday at the State’s Veteran’s Cemetery located in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
The American flag that adorned Chapman’s coffin was subsequently donated to the cemetery to be used by families of fallen soldiers burying their loved ones.
WLOS did not specify which military branch Chapman served, the soldier’s age nor his cause of death.
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