On a rainy winter day in
Portland, Ore., veterans, active-duty military personnel, local leaders and
community members gathered to honor the life and service of Navy Chief Petty
Officer Stevenson Roy. Few of those in attendance knew Roy. He passed away with
no family and no
place to call home.
Despite Roy’s challenges in
life, the Dignity Memorial® Homeless Veterans Burial Program made sure his
service to his country was remembered with full military honors. Roy, who
served in the Navy, was the 1,000th veteran to be served by this program.
Without assistance from the
Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program and similar efforts, Roy and the
scores of America’s forgotten veterans who pass away without a home, money and family
would risk burial in pauper’s
graves, without services or military honors.
Since its inception in 2000, the program
has provided qualified homeless veterans with honorable burials in VA or state
cemeteries. The program is a cooperative effort among Dignity Memorial funeral,
cremation and cemetery service providers, local medical examiners and coroners,
VA, VFW and other veterans advocates.
The Dignity Memorial network is a proud
partner of VFW. It has assisted, free of charge, thousands of VFW members
secure VA burial benefits through local funeral homes.
Dignity Memorial funeral providers also
offer a free, informative brochure called 10 Important Facts About Your VA
Burial Benefits.
To learn more about
the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program, click here.