American Legion Riders Chapter 95 attend memorial service for four unclaimed Veterans (Photo: Taylor Helmes)
Yesterday, American Legion Riders Chapter 95 in Oroville, California, escorted four unclaimed Veterans to their final resting place in Shasta County.
Private Floyd Stanbery served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and Specialist 4 Michael MacKey, Private Paul McCormick, and Private Richard Wiley served in the U.S. Army. The four Veterans, who served during the Vietnam War era, now rest in a row alongside other Vietnam Veterans at the cemetery.
The cemetery’s Associate Governmental Program Analyst, Judy Patterson, stated that all four of the Veterans passed away in 2023 and were left unclaimed since they had no surviving family members.
To honor and remember them, community residents and Veterans gathered together. Prior to their deaths, all four of the Veterans were Butte County residents and had county public guardians.
American Legion Riders did a lap around the center flagpole, which was at half-staff for the service. Every veteran’s name was read out loud inside the memorial service building, trailed by the ringing of a bell. The Red Bluff Honor Guard followed with a gun salute. This was the first service for unclaimed veterans since COVID that the Northern California Veterans Cemetery had held.
A few motorcycle riders from the Shasta County Escort for Veterans were engaged in an accident close to the Woodson Bridge in Tehama County on Tuesday, which prevented them from making it to the procession from Oroville to the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo. Fred Loveland, accompanying the escort, reported that a car had stopped directly in front of them, hurting three riders and sending at least two of them to the hospital.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.
