South Carolina American Legion Post 193 and its Legion Riders chapter ensure the state’s unclaimed veterans get a proper final send-off.
For more than 12 years, American Legion Post 193 in Chapin, S.C., has performed a critical role in ensuring that the unclaimed remains of veterans receive the proper final send-off they deserve. Members of the post’s American Legion Riders chapter provide an escort for the hearses carrying the remains to their final resting place at Fort Jackson National Cemetery; the post also arranges a dignified transfer of the remains, and for honor guards and military personnel to be on hand for the funeral to provide final respects.
Four times a year the post arranges for such funerals. One such effort last fall included more than a dozen remains that had stored in a warehouse.
And the most recent ceremony took place May 9, when the post handled providing full military honors for three unclaimed veterans: Sgt. Ronald Kautz, Spec. 5 Stanley Harris and Private 1st Class Rick Myers.
For each group of remains, Post 193 performs its due diligence, doing the necessary research to certify that the remains are honorably discharged veterans eligible for burial in Fort Jackson. The post also works with local businesses to provide the urns and nameplates for each veteran.
The program was started by current Post 193 Adjutant and Legion Rider Steve Goulet, who still spearheads the effort. Tom Yeoman, a past Post 193 first vice commander and the incoming Chapter 193 director, has taken on the No. 2 role.
“We’re kind of the statewide people for (arranging such funerals),” Yeoman said. “Steve started doing this because of the guy he is. He thought it was important. We started doing this as-needed, and it ended up being around once a quarter.”
The post works with South Carolina coroners, Fort Jackson and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to identify the veterans and then organize the funerals. Members of the South Carolina Patriot Guard, many of whom also are Legion Riders, provide a flag line at the funerals.
The post also works to bring in personnel to provide full military honors – members of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force participated May 9 – and utilizes the honor guard from American Legion Post 71 in North Augusta, S.C., to deliver a 21-gun salute.
“Post 71 is our go-to for the honor guard,” said Yeoman.
Yeoman said that while the post doesn’t care why a veteran’s remains go unclaimed, there could be multiple reasons. “It could be that they just outlived everybody in their family,” he said. “It could be that they came back from doing what the United States asked them to do, and saw or experienced things that no one should ever had to see or experience. It damaged them.
“But they did not do this to themselves. They did this in service to their country, and we can’t, and should not, turn our backs on them just because it’s a little messy or uncomfortable. It’s just the right thing to do.”
And that’s why Goulet, Yeoman and the rest of Post and Chapter 193 are so passionate about their program. “A lot of us in the Legion take it very seriously that we leave no man behind. I’m a retired Marine, and that’s just one of our ethos,” Yeoman said. “If they are previously unclaimed, we claim them. We are their family. They will not attend their final battle formation alone.”
- Riders