Public invited to funeral of Veteran without next of kin on Sept. 5

RACINE COUNTY — The public is invited to attend the funeral of an Air Force Veteran without a next of kin on Sept. 5.

The term next of kin refers to the closest living blood relatives such as children, parents or siblings. Additionally, people related to you by law, such as a spouse or an adopted child, are also legally considered someone’s next of kin.

Veteran funeral service information

The funeral of this veteran will take place at 2 p.m. at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 21731 Spring St. in Union Grove.

The public is welcome to attend this funeral as a sign of support and respect for the deceased military veteran.

In July, the public was invited to a funeral for a veteran without a next of kin. This led to the Racine County Eye speaking with Zach Zdroik, Executive Director of Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin.

“The biggest part is to honor the service that they provided towards America when they served in the military,” said Zdroik.

Information about the individual is not released ahead of the event, however, regardless of knowing the veteran or not, Zdroik explained that it these are touching events to attend.

“It’s a very moving service,” he said.

Funeral honors include the playing of “Taps,” the presentation of a U.S. flag, and detail of uniformed military personnel.

As previously stated, “No matter what their service was, or when they served, they raised their right hand. I think this is a good way for the community to come together to honor not only their service but the length that they served as American and military servicemembers,” shared Zdroik about the importance of attending.

Depending on the weather, funerals for veterans without a next of kin can become quite populated. This should be taken into consideration for those attending.

“It’s an experience a lot of people always remember, even though they may not even know this person. It really hits people in a very strong, emotional way,” concluded Zdroik.

To learn more about Veterans Outreach Of Wisconsin visit their website.