I’ve written before about the Missing In America Project (MIAP). (So had Jonn, but I apparently had forgotten his earlier article when I wrote mine.)
MIAP IMO certainly seems to be an organization doing good things. And I apparently missed the fact that they recently “done good” once again.
This time, MIAP’s good work occurred in Utah. They were instrumental in arranging the interment of 22 unclaimed veterans’ cremains at Utah Veterans Memorial Park. The oldest remains in that group had been unclaimed since 1996.
The number of unclaimed veterans for which MIAP has arranged a dignified burial is now approaching 2,500. Unfortunately, MIAP also estimates that there are roughly 400,000 unclaimed veterans’ cremains nationwide – so their work is far from done.
My previous article gives links a bit more information about MIAP, including a link to last year’s IRS 990 and what Guidestar has to say about them. FWIW: my impression from looking at those is that they’re actually using their limited resources well. CFC also allows them to participate.
Kudos to the group, and may they keep on finding – and arranging internment of – unclaimed veterans ‘ remains.
Everyone deserves a proper burial. Kudos to MIAP for seeing that these 22 vets received exactly that.
Rest Well….
SO MANY? Why don’t family members, great great grandsons and daughters donate DNA? Simple solution for major problem…so how do we start this up? Is there a DNA site via the Military? They should of set it up once DNA was discovered in England via the murder of a child.
If every vet donated a buck and family donated their DNA, all those not yet identified will finally be laid to rest. It’s something that needs to be looked into. ANYONE, where do I start?
Friend: these 22 were not unidentified. Their identities were known.
Rather, these 22 were unclaimed after death and their cremains were in storage as a result. That happens sometimes; some outlive immediate family, some become estranged, and some choose to “disappear” while living and their families don’t know they’ve died.
What MIAP did here was to determine these 22 sets of unclaimed cremains were veterans, then arrange for their cremains to receive a proper interment.