Military Funeral Ceremony For 8 U.S. Veterans' Unclaimed Remains

Middletown CT

23 September, 2021

7:34 AM

Description

ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, CT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND CT FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSN. WILL CONDUCT FINAL MILITARY HONORS FOR EIGHT VETERANS' UNCLAIMED CREMATED REMAINS AT THE STATE VETERANS CEMETERY IN MIDDLETOWN! The Connecticut State Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association, Inc. (CFDA) will hold a military funeral ceremony for eight U.S. veterans' unclaimed cremated remains, including veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Friday, October 1 (rain or shine) at 10:30 a.m. at the State Veterans Cemetery 317 Bow La. in Middletown. DVA Commissioner Thomas J. Saadi will lead the ceremony which will be supported by the directors of various Funeral Homes from across the State. In attendance will be local, State and Federal Officials and members of Veterans Organizations. Commissioner Saadi, CFDA President David W. MacDonald, and other dignitaries will deliver remarks during the ceremony that will include the posthumous presentation of Connecticut Wartime Service Medals. Masks are strongly encouraged even though the event is outdoors. At 9:40 a.m., the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Patriot Guard Riders will escort four CFDA hearses containing the cremains of the eight Veterans from the DVA Rocky Hill Campus to the Veterans Cemetery in Middletown. This is the seventh such ceremony hosted by the DVA in coordination with the CFDA since 2009 when Connecticut established new protocols to identify unclaimed cremated remains of honorably discharged U.S. veterans in Connecticut funeral homes with the goal of providing them a dignified burial with full military honors. The veterans to be honored (in alphabetical order):1) Victor Herbert Anderson, U.S. Marines/Korean War, August 4, 1933 - November 1, 2018, died in Seymour, CT2) Orville K. Davis, U.S. Army/World War II, May 10, 1923 - November 5, 1993, died in Southington, CT;3) Stephen Yoder Forrester, U.S. Army/Vietnam War, February 7, 1946 - November 29, 1972, died in Branford, CT;4) Joseph P. Galipeau, U.S. Army/World War II, March 23,1929 - October 29, 2001, died in Southington, CT;5) Lawrence W. Jordan, U.S. Army/World War I, October 10, 1898 - August 5, 1976, died in Branford, CT;6) Bernard Joseph Lafleur, U.S. Navy/World War II, November 30, 1925 - March 17, 2007, died in Southington, CT;7) George Dalton Parker, U.S. Navy/World War II, October 30, 1916 – September 10, 1984, died in Hartford, CT; and😎 Lawrence Earl Tefft, U.S. Coast Guard-Merchant Marine/World War II, July 14, 1927 - February 9, 1998, died in Fort Lauderdale, FL.TIMELINE OF EVENTS:9:40 AM – Departure of Funeral Procession of four hearses with police motorcycle escort from CT Dept. of Veterans Affairs Campus, 287 West St. in Rocky Hill.10:00 AM – Approximate arrival of Funeral Procession at State Veterans Cemetery, 317 Bow La. in Middletown.10:30 AM – Military Funeral Ceremony at the State Veterans Cemetery. From American Legion Post 75 Facebook Page