The bond between veterans is a special one. It is built on shared experiences, sacrifices, and profound knowledge of what it means to serve their country. This bond is solid when honoring those who have passed away. Veterans understand the importance of paying tribute to their fallen comrades and ensuring they receive a proper farewell.
But seeing how people forget about them when they get older is a tragedy.
Not only forgetting, but people also leave alone the heroes who sacrificed their whole life to serve their country without thinking twice. Then some individuals still have living relatives but choose not to claim them. This is a story about how a group of bikers showed up to collect the casket for their fallen comrade at Florida National Cemetery when nobody else showed up for him.
A veteran died twice!
Robert Krause served as a marine in the 1950s. Sadly when he died, he had to face the above tragic situation. No individual or family was there to claim him. But when other veterans heard about this incident, they could not let Robert Krause leave the world alone. They gathered to honor him at his funeral. And it was a special honor.
Image credits-FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Nick Morales was among the veterans who gathered to honor Robert Krause. He is a veteran of both the Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. Nick claims that a veteran is thought to pass away twice: once while fighting and again when people stopped mentioning his name. And if there was anything they could do to prevent the latter, so be it.
Image credits-FOX 13 Tampa Bay
The veteran was not buried alone.
Image credits-FOX 13 Tampa Bay
The Florida National Cemetery organizes a service for homeless and unclaimed veterans once every three months, but cemetery officials say they are also open to individual services. At Robert’s funeral service, he was not alone. Nick and other volunteer veterans showed up on bikes to accompany his casket from the Florida National Cemetery to the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital. Since no soldier should be laid to rest alone, the bikers said participating is an honor. Nick said that their motto was vets helping vets. They would not let any vet go to their final resting place alone.
Robert Krause’s service ended with Taps.
Nick said that they all have a common bond of service – their service, what they had done for their country. And regardless of what they had done after their service, they still had that bond. The proper send-off for Robert included an escort on a motorcycle. They were there to proclaim his name loudly. His service ended with Taps. Morales also said that it was not just Taps for Mr. Krause; it was Taps for all of them who had fallen. It was embedded in them.
This incident showed the bond and their unwavering commitment to honoring their fellow veterans. Their actions show the enduring bond between those who have served in the military. And their deep respect for one another. It’s also a reminder that even after their time in service is over, veterans continue to support and care for each other, no matter what.
Watch the video report on Robert Krause’s honored funeral held by fellow veterans HERE.
