DES MOINES, Iowa — On Memorial Day, cemeteries fill with American flags and other tributes to the men and women who paid the ultimate price while serving our country.
But until this year, nine men buried at Pinehill Cemetary in Des Moines went without any star-spangled salutes. They were among 71 souls who went unclaimed in the city, ultimately buried together in a plot at Pinehill.
For years, the plot remained untouched until a group of volunteers began looking into the lives of the deceased.
"We don't really know any of these individuals, we don't know what led to their remains being unclaimed," said volunteer Mike Rowley. "We found of the 71, at least nine of them are veterans. So the next step was to document and prove to the VA that they were veterans."
So far, the group has received VA approval for eight of the nine veterans.
Work is still underway to secure the final headstone for John Keller.
World War I veterans include George Andrews, James Collins, and Felix Schneelock. The World War II veterans include Paul Harvey, Frederick Eastwood, Cranston Pool, Rover Ivie, and Frank Heino.
"What we do know is that when they were asked to serve, or they volunteered to serve, that they did serve and in most cases that really made our potential for a better life more possible," Rowley said. "There's an old quote, that there's three phases of death. The first is when life leaves the body. And the second is when you're interned for the final time. And the last is the last time your name is spoken. And for these eight individuals, it's easier to speak their name if you can walk by and see the stone there."