ROSWELL, Ga. — For 30 years, Sgt. William Wallgreen's remains sat on a shelf. He was one of seven World War II veterans laid to rest on Tuesday after no friends or family came forward to claim them.
Despite fighting for their country, they had been forgotten for so long. It was a partnership between Roswell Funeral Home and the Missing in America Project that helped finally lay these men to rest.
"They stood up and put on a uniform to defend our country, and we owe them this at the very least," Funeral director Greg Free said.
For decades, Roswell Funeral Home tried to find friends or family members who could give these men the burial they deserve.
"We don't know a whole lot," Free said. "We verified their veteran status. We know their names, the dates they passed, things like that. But outside of that, we know very little."
Photos: Remains of 7 unclaimed Georgia WWII veterans laid to rest
Free is a veteran himself and worked with the Missing in America Project to honor these men. Vietnam veteran John Newport thinks they have waited long enough.
"These are World War II veterans and they've been sitting on a shelf," Newport said. "They've been waiting on us to find them, to have the proper military burial that every veteran deserves. It's just personal to all these guys here."
They scheduled the service for the day after Veteran's Day when most of America has moved on.
"It lasts one day and then we all go back to their life," Newport said. "But it's every day to us."
The dozens of people who showed up on Tuesday, though, would not forget. They lined the streets with flags and brought their children to honor the men who served years before they were born.
"If you look around the funeral home - in the service, and outside the service - this family is bigger than their biological family ever could have been," Free said. "So, this is pretty special."
With a police escort and folded flags, these seven men finally made their way home.
"These guys are not the only seven - there are thousands out there, I am sure, that we don't even know about," Free said.
All of the men laid to rest were from Georgia, near the metro Atlanta area. However, the Missing in America Project finds unclaimed veterans across the country and lays them to rest with honor. So far, the organization has buried 4,000 veterans who were never claimed.
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