Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
John Hollenhorst ReportingVietnam veterans in Utah buried an unknown soldier today. They know his name but not much else because his remains were found in a shed after being forgotten for almost a decade.
For a small box of ashes, full military honors. A handful of aging vets saluted a man they never knew. They do know his name, Jackie Holley, and that he was 49 when he died in 1997.
Terry Dunne, Vietnam Veterans of America: "We know that he's a Vietnam veteran. We know that he was born in New Jersey. He was cremated in Cedar City and he was left in a shed for nine years. That's about all I know about the man."
The Vietnam Veterans of American learned about the ashes on the Fourth of July when a man approached them at a recruiting booth in St. George. The man's father had stored the ashes of a friend in a shed and later died himself.
John Clark, Vietnam Veterans of America: "I hate to see a Vietnam vet floating around in a shed. He's been floating around in that shed since ‘97. We had to do something for him."
All they knew was that the veteran's widow had left town, promising to send a forwarding address.
Terry Dunne: "That address was apparently not forthcoming. And Jack Holley was soon forgotten, except by the Vietnam Veterans of America."
One of the veterans told us, "We didn't abandon these guys on the battlefield and we won't abandon him now. There's a bond when you go to combat with veterans. And it's something that never, ever goes away."
They're still looking for next of kin so they can send the flag that honored Jackie Holley at his final resting place.
