As a Vietnam veteran was laid to rest in Omaha National Cemetery this week, hundreds of strangers came out to honor him. Private First Class Stanley C. Stoltz didn’t have a stand out military service record, but when news spread that he might be buried alone, a crowd lined up in the cold to keep that from happening.
The funeral notice indicated 73-year-old Stoltz had no living family and went viral, getting nationwide support, including from CNN’s Jake Tapper. Funeral director Mike Hoy says some family eventually came forward, Stoltz’s brother Keith did attend the funeral, along with a crowd of over 400 people who never had the pleasure of knowing the man.
“The outpouring of support has been great,” Hoy says. “It’s just an honor.”
Source: Omaha.com