The passing of Robert Krause, a homeless and unclaimed Marine, was a tragic reminder of the sacrifices made by our nation’s veterans. But thanks to a group of ”biker veterans,” Krause was given a dignified farewell.
Krause, who served in the Marine Corps in the 1950s, passed away without any surviving relatives or a place to call home. This meant that he would be laid to rest without any recognition, joining the thousands of homeless veterans who die alone each year.
However, Marine Corps and US Army veteran Nick Morales, along with other members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, refused to let Krause be buried without a proper tribute. They believe that every veteran, regardless of their circumstances, deserves a funeral with dignity.
According to Fox13, Morales and his fellow riders escorted Krause’s hearse from the James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa to the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. This act of respect and honor was a small gesture to show their appreciation for Krause’s service to his country.
David Allen, a member of the biker club, was moved to action after learning that a dozen or more veterans pass away unclaimed each year in the Tampa Bay area alone. He believes that it is their duty as fellow veterans to ensure that no one is laid to rest without someone present to honor their memory.
“Our motto is ‘vets helping vets,’” said Morales. “We’re not going to let any vet go to their final resting place by themselves. We all have a common bond of service – our service, what we’ve done for our country. And regardless of what we’ve done after our service, we still have that bond.”
The Florida National Cemetery holds a group service for indigent and unclaimed veterans every quarter, but they also welcome individual services, as reported by Fox13. This is a small but meaningful way to honor those who have served our country and ensure that they are not forgotten.
Sadly, Krause is not the only homeless veteran to die alone. In fact, the military has a term for it: “unclaimed veteran.” Another veteran, Lieutenant Richard Butterfield, also passed away without any family or friends to claim his body. But thanks to the “Homeless Veterans Burial Program,” over 100 people attended his service at the Georgia National Cemetery, as reported by Alive11 News.
Butterfield, who served in Vietnam from 1960 to 1968, was honorably discharged from the Marines. After that, he disappeared and lived a life of homelessness and isolation. But on the day of his funeral, he was surrounded by his brothers in arms, who came to pay their respects and honor his memory.
Today, we may not know the names or stories of all the homeless veterans who have passed away, but we can honor their service and sacrifice by ensuring that they are not forgotten. Thanks to the efforts of biker veterans like Nick Morales and David Allen, these heroes are given the dignified farewell they deserve.
