Detroit, Michigan – Starting this last October, dozens of students from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School have volunteered to act as pallbearers to veterans without families, providing the men with a final moment of dignity. In an article at the school’s website:
As Veterans Day approaches, some junior and senior students at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy will provide a much needed service for veterans without family members present at death: they’ll serve as pallbearers to ensure these men and women who served their country in military service receive the honor and dignity they deserve at death.
The idea originated from student discussions on how to serve the community, and since creating the pallbearer program, more than 50 students have signed up.
Previously, U of D Jesuit students travelled to St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, which runs a similar program, to gather information and to train. Students received additional training from A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Directors, with the goal of starting the pallbearer program in October.
Their first outreach occurred on October 20th when six students put three unclaimed veterans at the Great Lakes National Cemetery to rest.
“The men we honored today put their lives on the line for our country and now they deserve our dignity and service in return,” senior student Leonard Froehlich, one of the pallbearers, said. “We honor these service members by being with them…and that in itself is a privilege.”
The work these teens are doing by providing the veterans who served this country with a dignified funeral service is more than admirable. Now we just need to get the adults running this country to give them some dignity during life as well. While the economic gap widens, and apathy abounds, the future generations are once again left to pick up the pieces of our shattered society.
This Article (Teens Create Pallbearer Program for Homeless Vets) is a free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and AnonHQ.com.
Sources:
Good News Network. Oct 29, 2015. (http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/teens-create-pallbearer-program-to-carry-homeless-vets-in-final-hour/)
