In 2015, Commissioner George P. Bush of the Texas General Land Office started the Unaccompanied Veterans Program in an attempt to make sure no veteran is buried alone. This week, the program buried its hundredth veteran.
"I was floored to know that unaccompanied veterans — if they don't have relatives that claim their remains in Texas — are cremated and silently interred in one of our columbariums," Bush said. "So we created the Unaccompanied Veteran Program. At the time, we didn't think there would be too many eligible veterans, but this week we celebrated one hundred unaccompanied veterans who have been buried with full military distinct honors."
Hundreds attended the funerals of unaccompanied Army veteran Major Lee Shotwell and Navy veteran Ralph Ardith Fowler on Tuesday. Shotwell was laid to rest at The Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen. Fowler was buried at the Rio Grande Valley Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Mission.
RELATED: Texas Will Hold Two Unaccompanied Veteran Funerals Tuesday
Cmr. Bush attended Shotwell's funeral personally.
"I think my staff deserves a lot of the credit," said Bush. "We were presented with the idea in 2015 when I first got sworn into office to look at ways to honor our military veterans, especially those that are homeless, that have no relatives to claim their remains."
And, according to Bush, the military background of the members of staff has helped to drive the team forward.
"Most of our staff at VLB are military veterans, myself included and the entire board," Bush said. "And maybe it's just military training that teaches us that our fellow battle buddies should be entitled to a dignified burial with a military protocol."
RELATED: Once Again, Americans Show No Veteran Will Leave This Life Alone
Bush said that social media has played an important role in spreading the word both about funerals for unaccompanied veterans and uniting veterans with lost family members.
"Through this program, we have reunited families," Bush said. "My last time attending an unaccompanied veteran program we had relatives from the West Coast visit their relative who had just lost contact with his family."
But it's not just family members and veterans attending funerals — the civilian population has supported the program as well.
"What I'm really thrilled to see is not only the Patriot Guard Riders and Gold Star Families — folks you'd expect from the veteran community. It's school children, school groups, administrators, and teachers bringing in the next generation."
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Unaccompanied Veterans Program lays its 100th veteran to rest with military honors in Texas 1
Texas General Land Office
Unaccompanied Veterans Program lays its 100th veteran to rest with military honors in Texas 2
Texas General Land Office
Unaccompanied Veterans Program lays its 100th veteran to rest with military honors in Texas 3
Texas General Land Office
Unaccompanied Veterans Program lays its 100th veteran to rest with military honors in Texas 4
Texas General Land Office
