Bodies of unclaimed Army vets get military burials

2/28/2011
ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT — The bodies of two unclaimed U.S. Army veterans held at the Wayne County morgue in Detroit will receive free military burials.

Anthony Bullock and William Roland Jr. were to be laid to rest Monday in Holly's Great Lakes National Cemetery as part of the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program.

Services will include flag presentation and gun salute.

The program has provided nearly 1,000 free burials for homeless and indigent veterans in 35 cities since 2000. Wayne County and funeral homes in the program's network are covering the costs.

County Executive Robert Ficano says "military veterans deserve our deepest respect and gratitude in life and death."

Investigators were unable to find any relatives after the 58-year-old Bullock and 78-year-old Roland died of heart disease in their Detroit homes.