S.C. funeral home to honor unclaimed veteran

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - A South Carolina funeral home is asking people to come to the funeral of a 75-year-old Navy veteran who has no family to claim him.

Caughman Harman Funeral Home said the funeral for Petty Officer Third Class James Miske will be 10 a.m. Friday at Fort Jackson National Cemetery near Columbia. A procession will begin at 9:30 AM leaving from Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. Escorts will be provided by the Richland County Sheirffs Office and the Patriot Guard Riders.

The funeral home says the Vietnam veteran died May 26.

Miske was born in Chicago in 1944 and served in the United States Navy from 1965 until 1967 in the Vietnam War and received a National Defense Service Medal and a Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Star, the funeral home said in a statement.

Miske was not homeless when he died, but no family members could be found. So the funeral home is offering services with full military honors under a program supported by its parent company that gives every veteran a proper burial.

“The Dignity Memorial Homeless Veteran Program’s mission is to insure that every Unclaimed Veteran is provided with their Final Salute,” a post on the funeral home’s Facebook page states. “We ask the community to please consider joining us to serve as Petty Officer Third Class James Miske’s family.”

Last month, two other unclaimed veterans were buried with honors at Fort Jackson National Cemetery.

Good Morning, I hope this finds everyone well. I am reaching out yet again to inform our community that there is a...
Posted by Caughman-Harman Funeral Home - Chapin Chapel on Thursday, June 6, 2019