Burial services held for unaccompanied veteran in Mission
EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story misidentified Junior Vice Commandant for the Department of Texas - Marine Corps League Sean Downey. We apologize for the error.
People from across the Rio Grande Valley gathered as a U.S. Marine with no known family was laid to rest Friday in Mission.
Funeral services for U.S. Marine Corps Veteran CPL. Nicolas Lopez were held at the Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery in Mission.
Lopez had people to see him off thanks to the Unaccompanied Veteran Burial Program.
“It's absolutely important because nobody wants to, number one, die alone; but number two, have nobody remember them.,” Junior Vice Commandant for the Department of Texas - Marine Corps League Sean Downey said. “And one of the things about serving your country in the United States military is, everybody is family.”
Lopez served from 1954 to 1957 and received the National Defense Service Medal. He was 88 years old.