Veterans, law enforcement and civilians came together Thursday morning to honor the unclaimed remains of fallen soldiers as they traveled through Lubbock on their way to being laid to rest.
“These veterans we are taking up to San Antonio to the National Cemetery have been waiting for their military honors and what they deserve,” said Joel Carver of Missing in America.
The Patriot Guard Riders accompanied the procession, which began in Amarillo.
The Lubbock County Sheriff Honor Guard welcomed them into the county before handing the procession off to the Lubbock Police Department.
“Everyone that has come out to support, all the military organizations, the first responders, they have been a tremendous help and support,” said Carver.
Carver discovered these remains in Potter and Moore counties after they sat on the “shelves of counties and funeral homes and mortuaries for years,” he said.
One of the fallen soldiers went unclaimed for 15 years, he added.
While the weather added a difficult element to the 500-mile journey, Brenda Rowell, a member of the board of directors for Patriot Guard Riders said their “motivation is to get these gentlemen to their final resting place where they belong.”
The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, June 1 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.
