Military burial for forgotten veterans

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - It was a burial with military honors for 19 veterans and six military spouses at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery on Saturday.

The thing is, the people didn't die recently.

The remains were the unclaimed ashes of veterans, some of whom died years ago.

“We owe our lives to these people who supported our country, died for our country,” said Diane Luzier, who attended the service and accepted an American flag on behalf of the military families who couldn't be there for the veterans.

“I really cried hard, it was really tough," she said. "I didn't think I'd be so emotional."

These urns had been sitting in all sorts of different places, collecting dust, mostly forgotten. 

Kathy Church, with the Missing in America Project, said this was where they belonged. 

“We have found them in storage units, construction sites, in our last service in November," Church said. "A gentleman was found in a cleaning cart in a I-95 rest area in Mims."

Church’s group helped coordinate the funerals. 

“Our ultimate goal is to reunite them with their families, but if we can't do that, then we have permission to inter them in our national cemeteries,” she said.

This was the third such burial in Cape Canaveral. 

Luzier said it was her honor to take part. 

“That's wonderful," she said. "That's where the emotion comes in and the desire to help. Just a great feeling.”