100 strangers recently attended a ceremony to honor two dead veterans in Tallahasee, Fla., after no family members came forward to claim their remains.
The ceremony took place on Monday in appreciation of the veterans—Glenn Dorsey, a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, and Mark Roy, a U.S. Army veteran—who had been considered “unclaimed” after no relatives, friends or legal representatives had said they were linked to the deceased men, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses the term “unclaimed veterans” to refer to situations where a next of kin or family member is known but cannot be located, and no other people are willing or able to take responsibility for burial arrangements.
When this happens, and the veteran’s estate lacks sufficient resources for funeral expenses, the VA works with funeral homes, local governments, veterans organizations and cemeteries to make sure veterans are laid to rest in a dignified manner.
In 2023, the VA estimated that veterans made up 20,298 of some 150,000 cases of unclaimed remains nationwide.
A Celebration of Lives
The 100 strangers, including local residents, law enforcement, and veteran groups gathered at Tallahasee National Cemetery with American flags and flags from each military division.
There was a gun salute and a bugle call was played.
“As sad as it is with the passing of comrades, we rejoice in the ability to offer honors and our final respect,” Chaplain Eric Smith told the Tallahassee Democrat. “We thank (God) for the gift of their life and for their service to our country and for the love they shared with their family and friends.”
“My dad, he was an Army veteran in Korea. My brother was Navy,” Patriot Guard rider Assistant State Captain Larry Tyndall told the local media outlet. “We met so many people that have served their country that people have no idea what they’ve gone through. And it’s our duty as U.S. citizens, I think, to honor those people for what they’ve done.”
Other ceremonies have taken place in recent months. In October 2025, hundreds of people gathered in Waukee, Iowa, to honor 13 unclaimed veterans and one military spouse.
Legislator Works to Identify ‘Unclaimed Veterans’
Some legislators have made efforts to better understand how many unclaimed dead Americans are veterans.
In May, Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) introduced the Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act to help the VA locate and collect the unclaimed remains of veterans. It would create a centralized system that helps the VA identify any unclaimed remains and ensure that veterans are laid to rest with the dignity, respect and military honors.
His bill would direct the Veterans Benefits Administration to implement a digital intake and identification system for unclaimed remains and match it against VA records to confirm when a deceased individual is a veteran.
“All veterans deserve to receive a military burial and recognition for their service to our nation,” Valadao said in a statement in May. “Unfortunately, when a deceased veteran has lost contact with their family—or has no next-of-kin at all—their unclaimed remains can sit on a funeral home shelf collecting dust for years.”
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