Our military heroes deserve all the respect we have to give. But unfortunately, veterans sometimes have no family to help support them — and no family to say goodbye when they finally pass away.

This is what happened to Vietnam vet Glenn Cook, who recently died at the age of 70. He had no family, so he was looking at a pretty lonely funeral.

However, the community wasn’t about to let this hero disappear into obscurity.

Cook served in the U.S. Army during the conflict in Vietnam, and he continued to support the military after he returned home. And because he had no heirs, he left everything he had to the BackStoppers.

This is an organization that “provides ongoing needed financial assistance and support to the spouses and dependent children of all police officers, firefighters and volunteer firefighters, and publicly-funded paramedics and EMTs in our coverage area who have lost their lives in the line of duty.”

Leaving all his worldly possessions to this great organization didn’t go overlooked.

When Cook passed away and the BackStoppers realized he had no family, they stepped up in a big way: as one final gift to this American hero, they decided to deliver the perfect final farewell.

Vietnam veteran Glenn Cook, 70, passed away with no surviving family. But St. Louis will not allow a hero to be buried alone. pic.twitter.com/RCNYlBkUbJ

— Virginia Kruta (@VAKruta) August 23, 2022

Michel Funeral Home helped out by handling the cremation and best of all, a real military service was arranged at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery where Cook was interred with full military honors.

This included a 9-gun salute and the traditional playing of “Taps.” Without BackStoppers, none of this would’ve happened — but veterans around the country are certainly glad it did.

The Funeral Home even put a post on Facebook in the hopes of drumming up attendance for the funeral:

The service was exactly what Cook deserved, and it’s nice to see his life being remembered in such a way, despite leaving behind no surviving family members.

It’s even more impressive that total strangers banded together to make this happen. Though BackStoppers appreciated Cook’s gesture they weren’t family, and everyone else involved barely knew Cook.

And yet, they all worked hard to ensure that his funeral was befitting someone who bravely served his country.

As the midterm elections creep closer and politics once again starts to dominate headlines around the nation, it’s important to remember those who served and those who fought so hard for the United States.

Key Takeaways:

• A Vietnam veteran with no family was given a true hero’s farewell.
• The community came together to give him a military burial with full honors, including a 9-gun salute and the playing of “Taps.”
• He left everything he had to BackStoppers, an organization dedicated to helping military members and other emergency first-responders.

Source: The Daily Wire