Couple Works to Claim Veterans’ Remains
By Deborah Wolfe
The Lake Today
Published: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 11:19 AM CDT
On a frigid day in January 2008, the mournful cry of bagpipes carried the comforting melody of “Amazing Grace” across the crisp, winter air. Aside from the corps of bagpipers, an array of dignitaries, military veterans and compassionate citizens stood by as a color guard raised their firearms in a 21 gun salute to six of our nation's deceased warriors.
The ceremony and fanfare honoring our fallen heroes was not held on behalf of fresh-faced young soldiers, sacrificed to any current conflict. Instead, the remains of these soldiers had languished for decades among the dusty storage shelves of a Missouri funeral home.
Major Gen. King E. Sidwell could barely restrain his emotion as he addressed those gathered to pay tribute.
“We have an opportunity today to honor six souls who cried out,” Sidwell said, “and I want to express my personal gratitude.”
Much of this gratitude is due to a group of dedicated individuals who strived to rectify a wrong that has taken place over the course of more than a century. Redding, Calif., veteran Frank Salanti founded the Missing in America Project (MIAP) in 2005 in an effort to retrieve, identify and properly inter the unclaimed remains of military veterans.
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