Community comes together to bury forgotten veterans

American Legion Riders are pictured at the front of the line that leads the Honor Guard Soldiers to the ceremony stage. Their members, along with the Sons of the American Revolution Tucson Chapter form the flag line.
 

Sgt. Alfonso Franco and Staff Sgt. Jasmin Thompson, both assigned to the Fort Huachuca Honor Guard, U.S. Army Garrison, carry the remains of fallen Soldiers into Southern Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery. Saluting in the background is Rod Pieren, commander, Disabled American Veterans.
 

Motorcyclists had the opportunity to ride in the procession to the interment ceremony held at Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery. The group began their ride in Tucson. Local motorcyclists met at RV City in Huachuca City to get ready for the ride.
 

Liz Bartel, chaplain, with the Missing in America Project, salutes after she gives the final benediction with the Soldiers’ remains in their final resting places. MIAP spearheaded the interment service. They help locate, identify and bury unclaimed remains of American veterans and partner with private, state and federal organizations to make services like the one at Southern Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery happen.
 

Honor guard Soldiers gather by the hearse before the burial ceremony begins. American Heritage Hearse Service carried the cremains of 20 forgotten and unclaimed individual fallen Soldiers from Tucson to Sierra Vista for final interment. The vehicle is all custom-built, with the hearse modeled in a 19th Century Victorian style, and the motorcycle in front is a Harley Davidson Trike.
 

Honor Guards from Fort Huachuca; Davis Monthan Air Force Base; Navy Operational Support Center, Tucson; and the Marine Corps participate in the interment ceremony Wednesday. Their duties included escorting the Soldiers’ remains into the ceremony, folding and presenting the American flag and escorting the Soldiers to their final resting places inside Southern Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista.
 

Members of the Sons of the American Revolution Tucson Chapter wear military uniforms from different historic eras. They are one of many group participants in the interment ceremony held at Southern Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Sierras Vista.
 

Sgt. 1st Class D’Von Hughes and Tiana Hughes, 5, wait in front of the cemetery entrance to watch and salute the procession. Hughes is a member of Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of Arizona.