Web design by Ed MartinThe Missing in America Project
(MIAP) is a registered 501(c)3 Non-profit Corporation. Our mission is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremains of American veterans. The MIAP was launched nationwide in January, 2007. Through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations working in concert with our volunteer organization, we now have the means to provide honor and respect to those who have served this country by securing a final resting place for these forgotten heroes.
Through one of our investigations, we found 32 cremated remains of abandoned US military veterans. This particular investigation began in 2008 and was tracked from Eastern Cemetery located in Louisville, Kentucky, to the University of Louisville Archaeology Department. These remains were eventually located in a University-owned warehouse on campus, where they had been stored for several years. It became obvious that no attempt had ever been made to identify them as military veterans who served their country, and most were veterans of WWI, WWII and Korea. This is to date the largest single recovery of cremated remains of US military veterans in the US. These remains include veterans from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Among the recovered remains are those of several officers, with the highest ranking recovered veteran being a WWII US Army major.
On February 08, 2010, members of the MIAP, along with several other veteran organizations, and after being granted a court order through the Jefferson County Circuit Court, went to the University of Louisville with an escort from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and recovered 32 cremated remains of veterans and 9 cremains of the wives of veterans.
These recovered cremated remains are now in the custody of the MIAP and a full military funeral service will take place June 14, 2010, starting out from the Louisville Memorial Garden Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. The procession organizing will occur from 9:00am until 10:00am, at which time the precession will leave the funeral home.
The procession will head south on Dixie Highway (US Hwy 31W), where it will take the remains of these formerly abandoned veterans to their final and long-overdue final resting place at the hallowed grounds of the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery, located 30 miles south of Louisville in Radcliff, Kentucky.
The Funeral Service will start at 11:00am after the procession arrives at the cemetery. We invite all citizens and veterans to line Dixie Highway and wave their American flags to welcome home these lost-but-found veterans and to honor their memories.
MIAP is extremely proud of this recovery and sincerely hopes that this event will be attended in large numbers after being abandoned for all these past years.
These US veterans will be accorded interment with full military honors on June 14, 2010.
May God bless them all, and MIAP formally thanks them for their service to their country.
Welcome Home!
A Special Thanks to Jefferson County Circuit Judge Irv Maze and the Kentucky State Attorney General's Office for assisting with this recovery. Additional thanks go to Sheriff John Aubrey and his Deputies (especially Deputy Mike Patterson) who assisted us with the recovery on February 08, 2010.
The MIAP volunteer investigators and veterans who conducted this operation:
Dale LeMond- US Marine- MIAP Regional Coordinator—Press Contact 502-376-1755
Walt Oster- Investigator US Army Veteran Representing DAV Chapter 6 Louisville, Ky. Team 12- Retired Louisville Police Detective. American Legion Post 229
Chet Needy- US Army Vietnam Veteran-Team 12 Investigator and Funeral Escort Ride Captain.
>The VFW honor Guard is looking for a few good Men and Women to pay honor to our fallen veterans. Individuals must have strong commitment to service, be tolerant of all weather conditions. (attendance is not expected at all functions but sharing the load is) Our commitment is to the veteran and their family. anyone interested please contact Wayne Hall 502 558-3988 or Email wayne1170hg@insightbb.com
