DALLAS — Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery will host a funeral service Thursday morning for 21 military veterans whose next of kin cannot be found or whose extended families cannot attend their service.
On average DFW National Cemetery holds services for 40 individuals in this situation each year.
“Every veteran with honorable service has earned the right to be interred in a national cemetery and has paid the price by their service to this great nation,” said cemetery director Larry Williams in a written statement.
Williams invites the community to also pay tribute to those veterans.
"It simply is the right thing for us to do," he said.
The memorial service includes military funeral honors with the playing of “Taps” and the presentation of a folded American flag.
Veterans are always buried with a "proper tribute" at the cemetery, according to Wiliams.
"No veteran is buried alone," he said. "We become their family in that moment."
Those being laid to rest served in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. They served in the Korea, Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars.
The memorial service is at 11:30 a.m. at Shelter C at the cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway.
The veterans are:
- Carl Hunt, Army (Vietnam)
- Jon Ulrey, Marine Corps, 1958
- Michael Mattox, Air Force (Vietnam)
- Christopher Kirk, Navy, (Vietnam)
- Jose Mireles, Army, '79-'82
- David Butler, Army (Vietnam)
- Howard Wright, Army (Vietnam)
- David Hocutt, Army (Vietnam)
- Mark Parra, Marine Corps (Vietnam)
- Dennis Baker, Air Force, (Vietnam/Persian Gulf)
- James McCormick, Army (Vietnam)
- John Burford, Army (Vietnam)
- Hal Thomas, Marine Corps (Vietnam)
- Arthur Matts, Army (Korea)
- Kenneth Floyd, Air Force (Korea)
- Scotty Priddy, Army (Vietnam)
- Russell Williams, Army (Vietnam)
- Kenneth Embree, Air Force (Vietnam)
- Rufus Griffin, Army (Vietnam)
- Brian Kirkbride, Army (Vietnam)
- Roger Middleton, Army '76 - '83
If you can help locate family for those whose next of kind have not be found by Veterans Affairs, email Kevin Reece at kreece@wfaa.com
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