Operation Dignity: More than 250 attend service in Hempfield for unclaimed cremains of 15 veterans

When U.S. Army veteran Randy Baker heard about Friday’s memorial service honoring the unclaimed cremains of 15 veterans stored at the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office — some for as long as 29 years — he felt compelled to be there.

“I wanted to pay my respects. I don’t know what the exact circumstances were, but it’s taken too long for these men to be properly laid to rest,” said Baker, of Ligonier.

Baker was joined by his wife, Jessica, and father, Randy Sr., of Pittsburgh.

“This is long past due,” Jessica added.

Coroner Tim Carson arranged the hourlong military memorial service termed “Operation Dignity” at Hempfield Park. It was attended by more than 250 people, some of whom traveled from as far as Maryland, Ohio and Virginia.

After the service, a vehicle procession — with several motorcycle organizations including the Patriot Guard and state police — took the cremains to the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Washington County, where they were interred.

The project began in January when Carson took over as coroner and was shown a storage room at the Hempfield office with boxes containing the cremains of 57 people who were unclaimed by family and friends.

Over the past seven months, Carson and his staff have been working with Clyde “Tex” Taylor of the Missing in America nonprofit, which works to identify and inter the unclaimed cremains of American veterans.

After months of research, Carson — who said he didn’t feel storing the cremains on a cement floor of a storage room was proper — was able to confirm 15 were veterans. He began planning the service and interment.

“Here are 15 citizens that enlisted, and lived by the code of ‘no one left behind.’ Unfortunately, this code wasn’t honored for them when they returned home from serving,” said Ken King, VFW District 27 commander, whose group encompasses all of Westmoreland County.

King was among several speakers.

“When they passed, they were forgotten by families, neighbors and friends. No one came for them,” he said.

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King said he was proud to be among those finally honoring the veterans.

“I am proud to be part of this day — where we show our proper respect and make things right. Today, we acknowledge them and respect their sacrifice and their dedication to our country to do the right thing and love for their fellow service member,” King said.

Carson said the service and interment showed the veterans were part of a larger family who honored them.

“We are joining them by making ourselves part of their extended family,” Carson said. “We shout by our being present, ‘You counted. You were important. Your service helped. You shall not be forgotten.’ ”

He urged those in attendance to support veterans’ groups that assist those fighting homelessness and mental health issues.

Joe Schwarz, a motorcyclist from Leesburg, Va., was among 16 members of the Maryland-based motorcycle nonprofit Hogs and Heroes Foundation, which supports families of public safety and military members.

“One of our members is originally from Western Pennsylvania, and we decided to drive up here to be part of it,” Schwarz said. “I’m glad to be here and see these men were honored and to be part of it. But I’m also sad that it took so long.”

Pantalone Funeral Home in Greensburg kept the cremains after they were identified and were part of the service and procession to the National Cemetery.

Carson is working with Stone & Co. in Hempfield and an area technical school to construct a small mausoleum-type space to house the other cremains, plus any similar cases handled by the office in the future. The structure would be located in Potter’s Field behind the Westmoreland County Prison in Hempfield.