On Friday ten forgotten Nevada veterans received their final rights at the Veterans Cemetery in Fernley. It's part of the ongoing "Missing in Nevada" project spearheaded by the Northern Nevada Veterans Coalition.
The final procession for these veterans began in Sparks on Friday afternoon. The motorcade continued east for a cruise through downtown Fernley. Residents lined the sidewalk to show their support.
"It's a great place to live; I've been here 30 years," said Fernley Mayor Roy Edgington. "We've got the cemetery up here and for as long as I've been here we've supported it, so its good to see us come out."
From Main Street, it was just a short distance to the cemetery for a service with full military honors for these men that had been all but forgotten - some sitting on funeral home shelves for decades.
"It's really hard for me to fathom being left on a shelf," said Tom Draughon of the Northern Nevada Veterans Coalition. "One of these individuals has been there since 1974 and three since 1976. That's a long time to be forgotten."
Forgotten until today. A crowd gathered to hear these names read one last time.
"We're all the family that these veterans have right now," Draughon said.
"Nobody's here because they had to be here," said Rep. Mark Amodei. "They're here because people got together and said we're not going to let this go the way it was."
These veterans fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
"When they heard the call they left their homes and families with an abiding faith in God and country and flag," Draughon said."
Finally, they are home.
"This hallowed place is for remembering lives lived well," Draughon said. "Here, every monument tells a story of a life given in service to others."
It's a place to always be remembered. And there are many more to follow.
"Those of us in the coalition, we haven't forgotten," Draughon said. "And we will not rest until we can say there are no forgotten veterans in the state of Nevada.
The Missing in Nevada Project has laid 130 forgotten veterans to rest so far.
