OKLAHOMA CITY (PIX11) — Hundreds of strangers attended the funeral of a homeless veteran in Oklahoma City.
Jerry Billings was a U.S. Navy aviation specialist airman who served in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968.
The 69-year-old passed away on Christmas Eve with no family to claim his remains, KFOR reports.
But thanks to social media, the veteran who would have been buried alone, was surrounded by hundreds of people. The OKC Veterans Connect posted a photo to Facebook with the information about the funeral. The post received over 6,500 shares and 110 comments.
More than 750 people ranging from military personnel to first responders paid their respects to a man they never knew.
The Dignity Memorial Network, a program that helps provide burial services for homeless veterans helped with paying for the funeral.
“Whatever happened in the preceding years when they ended up homeless and somebody had forgotten their name, we want to give them the opportunity to give their name back,” Jared Newman told KFOR. “We’ll honor him in death for a decision he made when he was in his 20s.”
