EL PASO, Texas - According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 107,000 homeless veterans in the United States. Two found homes in a symbolic sense when they were laid to rest at the Fort Bliss National Cemetery, July 22.
Thanks to the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program of El Paso, Texas, funeral home representatives in New Mexico and Texas, the VA and the local military, Dana Carr and Harold Lee Gibson, a Vietnam War-era Soldier and Marine respectively, received full military honors during their interment services.
Carr and Gibson both had passed as early as 2007 and their remains were in the custody of DoAfA+-a Ana County, N.M., as they awaited next-of-kin to step forward and claim their remains. Nobody came forward and they were to be buried in pauper's graves at St. Joseph Cemetery in Las Cruces, N.M., when Irene Valles, a member of the cemetery's committee, said she felt these veterans deserved more.
She contacted the program, a cooperative effort between many area and national organizations, which coordinated bringing the veterans' remains to El Paso, the funeral service, and their interment at the national cemetery.
If the sentiment of burying the former servicemembers with honor wasn't enough, dozens of area veterans and active-duty troops gathered at the cemetery to pay homage to Carr and Gibson, two men who are believed to have died alone.
"We honor you today because you deserve it," said Chaplain Sam Faraone, who serves El Paso-area police and fire departments and private organizations. "Thank you for investing those minutes, hours, and days to protect us and protect our freedom. Thank you for your service, having the will to sacrifice, and being a reminder to all of us today to be aware of our fellow human beings. On behalf of our society, I apologize that you died alone. You are not alone this day as we lay your remains."
Bill Perry, who served in the Army for 13 years and is a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 844, was there to send off Carr and Gibson, two men he literally never knew, but figuratively knew very well. He said he was there for them as a personal duty.
"I hope that in the chance that I'm ever in the situation that these men were in, someone does the same for me," said Perry. "We're all brothers and like the [Prisoners of War and Missing in Action] organization says, 'some gave all and all gave some.' It's an honor for someone to pay their last respects to a fallen brother."
Arthur Oscar Martinez, a Marine veteran and a member of the Lucio G. Moreno Vietnam Veterans Chapter 574, was also there to pay his respects to Carr and Gibson's memories, and said he felt honoring military service has become more commonplace in today's society due to our current time in history.
"Since we have two wars going on right now, I think people recognize our sacrifices more," said Martinez. "We have a new batch of veterans and we have a saying that says 'never again will a generation of veterans abandon another.'"
The bonds Marines make among each other may be the strongest throughout America's armed forces, and while he was also there to honor Carr, he said whether in life or in death, Gibson will always be his "brother."
"We all served during Vietnam," said Martinez. "We went to boot camp together, we went to war together. In the Corps we called ourselves 'comrades,' but here we're brothers and we always will be. He's not forgotten."
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