COLORADO SPRINGS — Two unclaimed military veterans were laid to rest at Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs on Wednesday. It's a part of the nationwide Missing In America Project, which helps find, identify, and bury the unclaimed remains of American veterans. This project is working to make sure none of America's heroes are forgotten.
Several veterans organizations came together to honor Army Sergeant Robert Hunt and Joseph Gibbs, who served two years in the United States Navy from 1967 to 1969 during the Vietnam War. Sergeant Hunt served in the Army from 1977 to 1980.
The former Post Commander for American Legion Post 5, Keith LaMee attended the ceremony. Like many others in attendance, LaMee is a veteran, who served in the United States Army.
“It's a chance to say, 'look, we appreciate the service you gave to our country,' and it could've been in peacetime or in war, but people are still lost even at peacetime,” LaMee said.
Veterans from the Pikes Peak Marine Corps League, Veteran Affairs, and other groups in Southern Colorado were at the committal service. Mary Koepp is a Volunteer Chaplain at Pikes Peak National Cemetery and is also a Chaplain in her longtime hometown of Fountain. She gave the homily during Wednesday’s service.
“These soldiers, sailors, Marines, and Air Force came in to serve and everyone who signs on the line knows in the back of their head that they're signing a commitment to sacrifice,” Koepp said.
Neither Hunt nor Gibbs was claimed by family or friends, but Keith LaMee said he came to show support on behalf of their military family.
“There's always a link between active duty and veterans that we won't forget each other, and it doesn't matter what branch of service around you we call. We might scrobble amongst ourselves, but if that's just the nature of family,” LaMee said.
Koepp said there are thousands of unclaimed veterans' remains across the country. The Missing in America Project works with organizations nationwide to try to identify veterans' remains and give them a proper burial.
“With a mission of locate, identify, inter to get those folks out of the closet and off the shelf and into the ground with full military honors as determined that they are eligible as veterans,” Koepp said.
During the ceremony, members of the United States Army folded two American flags. They then presented the flags to a chaplain from Falcon. He accepted the flags in place of family members. They also played taps and the honor guard did a three-volley gun salute to give the two men a proper burial with military honors.
“It was a very dignified ceremony with the Honor Bell being here,” LaMee said.
The Honor Bell is a one-thousand pound bell made out of bronze. It rotates between services at Fort Logan in Denver and Pikes Peak National Cemetery. Larry Peterson is a leader of the Honor Bell team. He also sits on the Honor Bell's Board of Directors.
“You ring a bell for joy and you toll the bell for sorrow,” Peterson said.
The final salute to the veterans’, Hunter and Gibbs, was the seven tolls from the Honor Bell. There are seven stars on the bell. Peterson said they represent the cycle of a veteran's life.
“It starts when you take the oath to serve, camaraderie and service, patriotism for country, respect, dignity and honor. Then the final toll is the gold race star is the value of the veteran's life,” Peterson said.
LaMee said active military duty and veterans have a responsibility to help lay their brothers and arms to rest.
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