Have you heard of The Missing in America Project ? For veterans whose remains went unclaimed, a final rest at Arlington

2015-09-02T09:07:37-04:00

They returned home after serving honorably on battlefields in Italy, France and Vietnam many years ago.

And when they died stateside, some, it seemed, couldn't rest in peace.

One veteran's remains went unclaimed more than three decades; the remains of another went missing for months after his death. A third veteran was estranged from family when she died, and no one arranged for her burial.

On Tuesday, six veterans who were largely anonymous in life and death were interred with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

"He's happy, and I think he would give me a big hug," said Andrew Pincsak of his cousin Richard Pincsak, a professor and Silver Star recipient who was shot down twice in Cambodia and died years later in 2014. "I think he knew he was dying and just before he died, he reached out to me and talked about this — he asked if I've ever been (to Arlington National Cemetery) before."

"He told me take care of it," said Andrew Pincsak, who said he planned to arrange a military burial. But he initially couldn't find his cousin's remains at local funeral homes and turned to Missing in America for help.

The burials were the culmination of an almost year-long search by the Missing in America Project, a national group dedicated to finding, identifying and interring the remains of unclaimed servicemembers.

Since 2006, the group has been to 1,857 funeral homes and found the unclaimed remains of more than 11,986 people. From that number, they identified 2,759 servicemembers and have interred 2,496 of them in cemeteries around the nation.

Sometimes, organizers said, people even call when they find urns in all sorts of places, such as the bed of a pickup truck and storage units. And in all sorts of containers: a plastic bag or a cardboard box, sometimes brown paper bags.

As the group headed to Arlington on Tuesday, it was as though their scores of motorcycles played their own tribute to the fallen: The guttural noise of exhaust hummed like a chorus.

During the ceremony, family members were presented with flags. And for those veterans who didn't have a relative present, volunteers stood in for loved ones.

"There's always this great satisfaction when they're put to rest," said Fred Salanti, co-founder of the project and a Vietnam veteran.

For Salanti, who lives in California and spearheaded a cross-country motorcycle ride to Virginia for Tuesday's burials, the trip was soul-cleansing.

"In some sense, there's a payback," Salanti said. "It's an honor thing — you're taking people that will never have something done for them."

Andrew Pincsak said he worried his cousin would end up in a Dumpster. The 49-year-old lives in Chicago, and after Richard Pincsak died, no one in the family could find him in the Eureka, Calif., funeral homes. After some research and phone calls to a mayor and a senator, Andrew Pincsak said he found out that a friend of Richard Pincsak's posed as a second cousin, cremated the remains and kept them. To get them back, he contacted the Missing in America Project.

Andrew Pincsak, who said his cousin was all about never quitting and "forging forward to do what's right and help other people," added that the ceremony felt like closure — "closure that people he didn't know are happy he served, (for) a government that didn't know him but know of him now and helped get him here, and family that was brought a little tighter together," he said.

Bill Holt, a volunteer with the project since 2008, said he's been to 150 burials for unclaimed veterans.

"They've given their lives for our country," he said. "I know they're not there physically, but spiritually, they are. And to be among that is just phenomenal."

Many of the volunteers and family members wore black at the ceremony. But volunteer Lula Lamb wore white.

Lamb, who lives in Richmond, Va., lost a stepson, Lt. Almar Fitzgerald, in Iraq in 2006.

When asked what her stepson would think of the ceremony and her soft sobbing, she said Fitzgerald would tell her: "Dry up those tears and smile."

"These individuals have finally reached their burial, and now they're at peace with their brothers and sisters," she said. "They're not in limbo anymore."

Then, as though on cue, the 57-year-old straightened her shoulders to look at the urns, which were tucked away inside a shady tent that overlooked six columbarium niches, where the remains would later be placed.

"They're tears of joy," she said. "Today's a good day."

http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/for-veterans-whose-remains-went-unclaimed-a-final-rest-at-arlington-1.365798

For veterans whose remains went unclaimed, a final rest at Arlington

They returned home after serving honorably on battlefields in Italy, France and Vietnam many years ago. And when they died stateside, some, it seemed, couldn't rest in peace.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Sep 2 at 2015 9:14 AM

2015-09-02T09:14:45-04:00

Awesome end for those veterans. Good story!

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Sep 2 at 2015 11:09 AM

2015-09-02T11:09:03-04:00

It is sad that they went unattended to for so long, but it is nice that they are finally at rest among Family

Response by SGT Scott Bell made Sep 2 at 2015 11:11 AM

2015-09-02T11:11:10-04:00

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Sep 2 at 2015 11:15 AM

2015-09-02T11:15:58-04:00

Until they all come home...

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Sep 2 at 2015 11:56 AM

2015-09-02T11:56:58-04:00

ALWAYS good knowing we take care of our own. No one does it better! Good post.

Response by PO2 Jonathan Scharff made Sep 2 at 2015 2:03 PM

2015-09-02T14:03:40-04:00

About once a month the Warriors Watch Riders over in Washington Crossing National Cemetery in PA attend a veterans burial for a vet that has been sitting on a shelf for many many years. Usually they just don't have any family or any family has already passed away. We always have several members present as well as the VFW and AL and a few other groups. There is also a small ceremonial service presence and sometimes even a bugler. It's nice to see these "forgotten" vets remembered and finally put to rest. I have always been honored to be present.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 2 at 2015 3:20 PM

2015-09-02T15:20:29-04:00

And it is not just at Arlington. As part of Patriot Guard Riders, I have participated in these ceremonies in State and National Cemeteries in NC, SC, and CO. Also a lot of private cemeteries when there is no family and/or Veterans' Cemetery nearby.