RADCLIFF , Ky. (WDRB) -- For months, COVID-19 has almost disrupted everyone’s lives. But the pandemic has also interfered with the way some military veterans are honored in death.
Service members are entitled to an honor cemetery when they are buried, but because of the coronavirus, the Veterans Cemetery in Radcliff has been unable to hold the ceremonies for months.
“The families bought their loved ones here, and we interred them without military honors,” Cemetery Director Chuck Heater said. “That's just not right, so we need to make that up.”
The cemetery, in cooperation with Ft. Knox, held a ceremony Tuesday to honor 65 veterans who died during the pandemic.
“Instead of doing 65 individual ceremonies, we thought we would just do one and really let the families know that their loved ones weren’t forgotten," said Dave Marcum, chief of the Casualty Assistance Center at Ft. Knox.
The ceremony was repeated four times throughout the day to accommodate all the families.
The event required masking and socially distancing but otherwise included all the traditional elements: the playing of the song for each branch of the military, the folding of an American flag, a 21-gun salute and taps.
The family of World War II veteran Edward Maxwell Sr., who died in March at age 97, said he would have enjoyed the event.
“This really warmed my heart, because I knew that he would love it,” said Kaylyn Conner, Maxwell’s granddaughter.
“He loved his family,” said Monique Talley, another one of his granddaughters. “And this was closure.”
Army veteran Edward Maxwell, Sr. was among those honored during the burial ceremony
Jacqueline Reed, Maxwell's daughter, and other family members felt Maxwell had been cheated out of the ceremony in March, but this made up for it.
“This was really something special,” she said.
“Just to be in this environment, I think is just phenomenal,” added Edward Maxwell Jr., Maxwell's son. “This is the proper sendoff he deserved.”
Grave of Edward Maxwell, Sr.
The families will receive a recording of the event as a keepsake.
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