BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Five Michigan veterans whose remains have gone unclaimed will get full military burials on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at the Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, which is near Battle Creek.

Thanks to the work of Sparrow Forensic Pathology, we have their names and some information about these veterans to release to the public.

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Sparrow Forensic Pathology is the Medical Examiner for seven counties in Michigan: Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Livingston and Shiawassee.

Michelle Fox, Chief Investigator for the Medical Examiner’s office and Supervisor at Sparrow Forensic Pathology and Office of Decedent Affairs, told Michigan News Source that the office is responsible for anyone who is unclaimed or abandoned by their family. When that happens, her office applies to the state to have counties pay for their cremation and then the cremains go back to her office. They keep the cremains until their final disposition. In the case of individuals and those who don’t meet the criteria to have burial at the veteran cemetery, they are laid to rest on All Souls Day which is a day of prayer and remembrance on November 2nd.

When they have the remains of a veteran, they apply to the National Cemetery Administration through the V.A. to get them interred at a veteran cemetery. The last time they did this was two years ago.

Fox said about the veterans, “We’re glad to be able to honor them and provide a respectful internment and final resting place for those who have served our country and our residents.”

Four of the veterans had served in the Navy and one in the Army. They were all “honorably discharged from their military service and will be laid to rest with honors” according to Corey Alexander, Sr. Media Relations Specialist at Sparrow Health System.

Those honors are listed as including a rifle salute, playing of taps, folding of the flag and presentation of the flag to the next-of-kin if there is one. The Fort Custer National Cemetery has five different honor guard squads (a different squad each day of the week) who will perform the rifle salute and playing of taps.

So who are the five veterans who we owe our thanks to and who will be buried and honored on Thursday?

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Walter Lee Warden – Navy

QMSA (QUARTERMASTER SEAMAN APPRENTICE)

Warden was a 65-year-old Ingham County resident who died in October 2021 of injuries related to a fall. He was estranged from his family. Warden was a Vietnam veteran, according to his sister, Dawn Salvador who posted some information on an obituary site. Unfortunately, it looks like she wasn’t able to obtain the needed funds to claim his remains and pay for his cremation.

Michael Arthur Thomas – Navy

EM3 ELECTRICIAN’S MATE PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS

Thomas was a 72-year-old male with no living relatives who died a natural death at a nursing facility in Eaton County in April 2022.

Mark Alan Hurst – Navy

DATA SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS

Hurst was a 61-year-old Ingham County resident who died in December 2021 at home after succumbing to a COVID 19 infection. He has no living relatives, but was loved by many friends. According to Michelle Fox, he has a very good friend who she is hoping will be able to make it to Thursday’s service. After a conversation with a past employer, Michigan News Source is reasonably confident that this is the LinkedIn profile for Hurst.

Larry Duane Heins – Army

SP5 (Specialist 5)

Heins was a 74-year-old male who died at home in December 2021 after battling lung cancer. He was predeceased by his parents who adopted him as an only child with no additional relatives identified.

Mervin William Timon – Navy

SN (SEAMAN)

Timon was an 84-year-old resident of Isabella County who died of a natural death at home. He was estranged from his family.

Across the country in Washington, 99 veterans will be laid to rest at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery on November 16th. According to Yahoo Finance, Missing in America Project (MIAP) has partnered with others to make sure these veterans who have gone unclaimed for decades will get a proper burial with full military honors. It will be the largest burial in MIAP history. The veterans served in the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Army Air Forces, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines during the Spanish American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam and non-war specific periods. The veterans include two sets of brothers and also a father and son.

There is a quote you can find on the internet by an unknown person who has articulately stated how America can and does honor their active and fallen soldiers with the words “We don’t know them all but we owe them all.”