Homeless Veteran Buried With Full Military Honors

[babylonsister]

http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfapr09/nf041109-6.htm

Homeless Veteran Buried With Full Military Honor

Reporter: Abby Barnett


The Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program makes sure all veterans are buried with honor - even if they're like Larry Cook, alone and homeless.

Cook was struck by a car on Saturday, February 28, when trying to cross West Street in Wichita. Nearly one month later, he died from his injuries.

In an attempt to learn more about this man, Resthaven Mortuary and Cemetery contacted the local VFW.
That's when they discovered Cook was a Marine in Vietnam. He was critically wounded while deployed, and has been receiving disability assistance from the local VFW ever since.

Learning of Cook's service to our country, the cemetery contacted Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program. The federally assisted program honors deceased men and women who served their country, but die without a home or known family. It's an assistance organization making sure every veteran receives an honorable final farewell.

So, for the eighth time, those with the local branch of this organization gathered a group together to salute the soldier and the service he gave.

"Caring is the bottom line of the whole thing," said Mike 'Doc' Carter. "Even though we may not know them personally, we know where they've been and what they have been through. We know that they do deserve a proper military funeral and we want to give that because they deserve it. They earned it."

Video here:
http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/42694292.html#

Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program website here:
http://www.dignitymemorial.com/DignityMemorial/HomelessVets.aspx?id=COR

[pleah]

1. K&R To bad he had to die to get some respect.

:( Glad to hear there is such a program out there.

[file83]

5. Exactly. Why are humans so afraid of honoring people while they are alive?

Probably because there is no funding for it. :(

That, and, we honor the dead because it makes us feel better about treating them so badly while they were alive.

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. K&R

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Remember that "West Wing" episode?

Toby had donated an overcoat to charity, and a homeless man was wearing it when he died. Toby's card was in the pocket, and he got all involved in tracking down the man's family. In the end, since the man was a veteran, Toby arranged for a military burial at Arlington.

Man, life imitating art kills me...............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfOfUtkbiHQ

[old mark]

4. An old friend who served in 2nd Marine Division in Vietnam died

of cancer complicated by alcoholism and drug use. He was unemployable toward the end of his life, lived in a basement apartment supported by his parents. He was in Vietnam for a year and a half, tried to get on with life but could never emotionally get away from his experiences there.
I thank you for this post and for the link for the Dignity site. I have added it to my Favorites and will contribute to it.

Evidently as we Vietnam era vets grow older, it becomes clear that the war never ended for many of us. And we have many new vets yet to come.

Thanks again for the kind and sympathetic post.

mark

[BlancheSplanchnik]

6. I wish they put more energy into caring while homeless vets are alive....

like, how about supports before they become homeless? Some have been disabled emotionally as well as physically, and certainly they need dignified care (which we all deserve, by the way).

There are also those who are perfectly capable, but have been laid off, can't find work, etc. I get the impression that many workers being laid off are Vietnam generation, near retirement--the company wants to save money and cans 'em just before pension time. This happened to my hun and other guys I know; it enrages me (and enlightens me to an issue I wasn't aware of before)

I'm sorry it sounds unappreciative of me, but a 21 gun salute at your funeral to show respect, after there's been no respectful help to regain your dignity while alive...