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Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
300 people attend funeral of Springfield veteran with no known family
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — They didn't know him, and he didn't know them, but that didn't stop 300 people from attending a Vietnam veteran's funeral last week. Robert Neff died at the age of 79 with no known family. The public was invited to his funeral on Friday, and Central Illinois showed up in force. 'Every stone here is a story': Fallen veterans honored at Camp Butler during Memorial Day ceremony As Neff was laid to rest, hundreds of people attended the funeral service, including active duty servicemembers, veterans, Honor Guard members, Patriot Guard riders and civilians. 'This morning, when I got up, I would've been happy with 15 or 20 people,' said Jerry Curry of Curry Funeral Home. 'But the community just came out in droves, and it was a very humbling experience.' Every branch of the military was there to honor Neff. He is buried at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vietnam War veterans honored in Bourne after coming home to hate 50 years ago. 'Spat at.'
BOURNE — Seventy people stood at the rostrum at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne on Monday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. Most of those in attendance were veterans; a few served during the war itself. A handful of civilians attended the event. Winds snapped a row of 13 American flags held by members of the Patriot Guard. Speaker after speaker acknowledged the service and sacrifice of the millions of veterans who served during the Vietnam War but had terrible welcomes when they returned. 'I got spat at in the Port Authority,' John Gibbons said. The 74-year-old served in the Army from 1970 to 1974 and in the Coast Guard for 20 years. He carried a rifle in the honor guard from the Clark Haddad Post 188 American Legion. He carried his rifle with halting steps to the side of the podium where he stood for the hour-long ceremony. Brigadier General Christopher Faux, who is the executive director of Joint Base Cape Cod, called Vietnam veterans the least appreciated of any war heroes. The career military man reminded the crowd that servicemen and women prosecute wars that are declared by civilians. 'It all comes down to service, integrity and honor,' he said. U.S. Rep. William Keating, D-Massachusetts, called the anniversary an important one to remember. Three million served during the Vietnam War period, from 1958 when the first U.S. observers were sent to Vietnam, until 1975 when the last combat troops were pulled out. Fifty-eight thousand names of the dead are inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. Sixteen hundred are still missing in action. 'No words will ever be worthy of their service,' said Dennis Strock, a cemetery technician and retired U.S. Coast Guardsman. Denise Coffey writes about business, tourism and issues impacting the Cape's residents and visitors. Contact her at dcoffey@ . Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Bourne National Cemetery commemorates 50th anniversary of Vietnam War
