Homeless veteran Charles Lee Cummings was not alone

Homeless veteran gets final salute at Plant City funeral
By GEORGE H. NEWMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 11, 2011

PLANT CITY - A homeless Air Force veteran who served in the Vietnam era had no family or friends at his funeral service.

But in the end, Charles Lee Cummings was not alone.

The staff at Wells Memorial Funeral Home, veterans and others paid a final tribute Thursday to Cummings, who was 68 when he died at Community Care Center.

MacDill Air Force Base provided an honor guard; the Rev. Jim Brady, pastor at East Thonotosassa Baptist Church, delivered the eulogy.

"While one might state that Charles has no family here, I beg to differ," Brady said.

"The family of God is here today. And there are also representatives of Charles' military family. It is often said that a soldier never dies alone. For within his spirit is fixed the memory of times shared with those who, then and now, wear the same uniform as he once proudly wore."

The staff at Wells Memorial, led by Manager Verna McKelvin, made sure that Cummings did not die a forgotten man.

About 30 people – many of them veterans - attended the funeral service for Cummings, who was buried later that day in Bushnell's Florida National Cemetery.

Not much is known about Cummings, who died Dec. 9. He had no home address, and attempts to contact relatives by Wells employees and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office failed.

Cummings was born in Union City, Tenn., and served in the Air Force from 1960 to 1968. Through contacts with veterans agencies McKelvin was able to determine that Cummings was honorably discharged. This was enough to allow a military funeral and burial in a military cemetery.
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Homeless veteran gets final salute at Plant City funeral

More on forgotten veterans funerals

Homeless Vets on the Road to Proper Burials
Updated: Monday, 14 Feb 2011, 7:48 PM EST
Published : Monday, 14 Feb 2011, 7:48 PM EST

By BILL GALLAGHER
WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com

ROCHESTER, Mich. (WJBK) - The remains of four homeless veterans were kept at the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office. No relatives had claimed the bodies.

Through the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Program, an effort began to have them buried at the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly.

John Desmond, the manger of the Pixley Funeral Home in Rochester, offered to donate coffins and burial preparations. However, his efforts were initially thwarted because he didn't have the Social Security numbers of the homeless vets.

After our story aired, there was an uproar and outpouring of offers to help.
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Homeless Vets on the Road to Proper Burials