Unaccompanied Veteran Is Laid to Rest But Fellow Brothers and Sisters in Arms Show up for Him

When a group of veterans in Texas learned that one of their fellow veterans was about to be laid to rest unaccompanied, they stepped up to give him the sendoff that he deserved.

Fox San Antonio reported that after Air Force veteran Michael Gibson passed away, no surviving family members could be found. In fact, very little is known about Gibson’s life aside from the fact that he died last month and served in the Air Force in the 1970s.

“A veteran that we could not find any family after an extensive search,” said veteran Jimmy DeFoor. “He has family here, his fellow veterans.”

When Gibson was laid to rest at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Abilene, he was saluted by his fellow veterans. Though the veterans had never met Gibson before, they showed up to his funeral so that they could give their brother in arms a proper goodbye.

“No veteran is left behind,” DeFoor added.

The Motorcycle Guard, a group that is made up entirely of veterans, also showed up to pay their respects.

“[This is an] homage to someone who took the time out of their life to be of service to their nation,” said Denny Sivells, a member of the group.

“Anytime I can when veterans without a family show up, I like to show up,” said U.S. Navy Veteran, Don Waldrop, another attendee of the funeral. “I hope I’m remembered, I hope all of them are remembered.”

These days, it often feels like veterans of the United States military do not get the respect they deserve in this country. They are people who put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us and our freedom, and for that, they deserve our love and admiration for life. All veterans deserve a proper sendoff when they pass, so we applaud these veterans for coming together to give Gibson the funeral that he deserved.

Thank you for your service, Michael Gibson, and may you rest in peace.