Veterans Laid to Rest with Honors at Quantico National Cemetery

by Amanda Causey Baity | Photos by Missing in America Project

Triangle, Va.- Tuesday May 3rd, 2016 the unclaimed remains of 12 veterans were laid to rest at Quantico National Cemetery. The ceremony was coordinated by the Missing in America Project (MIAP).

The mission of MIAP is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of American veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations. They provide honor and respect to those who have served this country by securing a final resting place to forgotten heroes.

12 veterans were honored at the interment service, some of them have been unclaimed for over 25 years. In some cases, veterans lost touch with family because they were homeless when they died and were suffering from PTS or traumatic brain injuries. Some veterans told family members before they died that they did not want a funeral. Sometimes, family members forgot to retrieve the remains or died. The process of getting access to these cremains, verifying military service, researching and contacting closest known relatives and then planning the ceremony is very challenging and time consuming.

The 12 veterans included in Tuesday’s ceremony :

MAJ Robert M Jurgens 1917-1981, US Army, WWII
YNC Lester Brady Perkins,1920-1997, US Navy, WWII/Korea
SFC Paul Otis Pugh, 1922-1979, US Army, WWII/Korea/Vietnam
MMC Carl Scott Thomas, 1930-1989, US Navy, Korea/Vietnam
DS1 Mark Cary Haynes, 1954-2015, US Navy
TD1 Bennett Horn, Jr., 1921-1986, US Navy, Korea/Vietnam
AOM George Waite Jaynes, 1933-2015, US Navy, Korea
AMM1 Robert Harris lloyd,1923-1978, US Navy, WWII
SGT Raymond H. Samberg, 1929-2010, US Army, Korea
ADJAN Ernest James Joseph Auman, 1948-1987, US Navy, Vietnam
PFC Kenneth Arthur Jolemore, Jr., 1956-2015, US Army
PV2 Danny Scott Cross, 1957-2016, US Army, Vietnam

Brigitte Corbin, Region 8 and Virginia State Coordinator for the Missing in America Project praised MIAP volunteers, some travelling as far as New Jersey to attend. “Thank you to each and everyone of you that attended and helped bring 12 Veterans home.”  stated Corbin.

Members of the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office also participated in the ceremony. Three of the unclaimed cremains were from Prince William. “We were honored to be supported by the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office.” stated Forrest Lingenfelter Virginia’s Assistant State Coordinator for MIAP.

“We were supported by the Army Honor Guard, Ft Belvoir, and the Marine Honor Guard, Quantico.” Lingenfelter said. “One of my biggest blessings is to be a part of an organization that works to locate, verify eligibility and see to the interment with honors of those veterans and their eligible dependents that are unclaimed. I am so proud to be a member of the Missing In America Project.”

To find out more information about the Missing in America Project you can visit their website at www.miap.us.