Three Army veterans were laid to rest at the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery on Wednesday with the help of the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veteran Burial Program.
The program partners with local funeral homes and medical examiners, as well as veterans organizations to provide a burial service for homeless and indigent veterans.
Military veterans and community members gathered at the cemetery to honor Sp4 Kenneth Ray Sharp, Pvt. John Louis Sherer and Pvt. Robert Andrew Wilson.
"As I see these veterans here, they're just like the rest of us, and in the case of two of them here, they were also Vietnam veterans, such as I am, and we didn't get a welcome home" said Lloyd Pitney, an attendee. "This is a way of giving them a proper send-off."
The services were conducted by Rev. Pat Polis and the Vietnam Veterans of America Captain Bill Robinson Chapter 1078 , East Tennessee Army National Guard, Tennessee Veterans Honor Guard and The Volunteer State Honor Guard.