NILES, Mich. (WTHR) – A funeral home in Niles, Michigan is making sure a Vietnam veteran is laid to rest with the respect that he deserves.
Brown Funeral Home asked the community to join them for the burial of Wayne Wilson, a Vietnam veteran who has no living relatives – and without hesitation, hundreds of people came out to honor him.
In an announcement to the community, Brown Funeral Home said:
"Mr. Wayne Wilson was a heroic soldier for our country, becoming wounded in the Vietnam War. Wayne was proud of his country and proud of his city. Every year, Wayne was the first person at Silverbrook Cemetery for the annual Memorial Day Parade."
Wilson's friends and neighbors reached out to the funeral home to plan this graveside service, which took place Wednesday at Silverbrook Cemetery.
"Being a veteran, he sacrificed years of his life, could've been his life for our country, and it's the least we can do," Brown Funeral Home intern Drew Mikel told WNDU. "Wilson was an American hero who deserves our respect, even after death. If we could just come out and show him that he is loved, even though he doesn't have family."
The U.S. Army and the American Legion Post 51 provided full military honors.
Veteran motorcycle groups were called to join the procession, and individuals from across the country attended or send flowers.
