On Memorial Day, let’s remember the thousands of unclaimed veterans not yet buried

Memorial Day is an opportunity to reflect on and honor those who gave their lives in the service of the U.S. Today, many Americans will visit the graves of the millions of soldiers buried in national cemeteries, including Fort Logan in Denver and Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. 

This year, while honoring those fallen service members, I encourage you to pause and think about another group of veterans – the unclaimed. 

An unclaimed veteran is a member of the military who has passed away without anyone coming to claim their remains. Unclaimed remains typically will then sit in a funeral home until someone comes to retrieve them – if someone ever comes to retrieve them. 

While there are countless unclaimed remains in funeral homes and mortuaries across Colorado, it is especially unfortunate that the remains of veterans go unclaimed and therefore are not properly buried.