It has been a long time coming for 26 Colorado military veterans who are finally being laid to rest.

Veterans Memorial Cemetery In Grand Junction Hosts Ceremony

The Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Grand Junction will be the site of a very special ceremony honoring 26 Colorado veterans whose cremains have gone unclaimed for decades. The veterans who will be interred at the cemetery served in the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard during World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The longest that any of these to be interred has sat unclaimed goes back to 1960.

26 Colorado Veterans and Two Spouses to Be Honored

The cremains of 26 Colorado veterans and two spouses will be interred with full military honors at the ceremony, Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. The public is welcome to attend the event which is expected to last for about an hour. You'll probably want to bring a chair.

The ceremony at Grand Junction's Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2830 Riverside Parkway, will feature remarks from local government officials, veterans, and elected officials. The program will also include members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a dove release by Love Doves by Crys, pipers from the Glennfinnin Highlanders, and tolling of the Veterans Memorial Bell, along with a cannon shot from the Veterans Memorial cannon.

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Missing in America Project Continues Its Mission

Monday's ceremony has been organized in partnership with the Missing in America Project (MIAP) and Callahan Edfast Mortuary. The purpose of the MIAP is to locate, identify, and inter the cremated remains of American veterans.

Since its formation in 2007, the MIAP has located the cremains of more than 27,000 U.S. veterans and has identified over 5,000 of them.

Grand Junction Is A Veterans Town

Grand Junction has long been known as a veterans town, giving honor and respect to the men and women who have served our country. Monday's ceremony further enhances the community's reputation for patriotism and love for our veterans.

LOOK: Grand Junction Father and Son's World War I + II Photos

The photos below are from the personal collections of father and son, James and Robert Grant. James L. Grant of Clifton served in the United States Navy during World War I. Years later, his son, Robert Grant, would serve in the United States Army in World War II.

James L. Grant served as the Postmaster of Clifton. His son, Robert, was the photographer at the Daily Sentinel from the late 1930s until his retirement in 1985. James passed away in 1971, and Robert in 2000.

LOOK: 100 years of American military history

 

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