It
should go without saying that our veterans deserve wholehearted respect and
honour.
Having
sacrificed so much for us, the least we can do is give them those things.
Sadly,
as many veterans grow older, and their achievements and acts of selflessness
are whittled away by the ageing of time, they can be forgotten by society.
That’s why stories like this one don’t just make us smile … they set an example
for all to follow.
Thomas
Hunter served from 1942-1949 and participated in the D-Day invasion during
World War II.
Despite
his heroics, Hunter never married when he returned home; never started a
family. He had 11 siblings, but by the time he passed away, at the age of 93,
he had outlived all of them.
His
only surviving family members were a few nieces, and so when it came to
planning his funeral they weren’t sure who to get to carry his casket.
Bryan
Price, the funeral director helping to arrange the necessary formalities,
contacted local football coach Lyn Bankston to see if any of his players would
be willing to help out.
Bankston
spoke with Matthew Harrell, Brett Jurek, Justin Lawson, T.J. Homan, Christian
Evans, and Lee Estay to see if they minded getting involved. Every single one
of them gave a strong yes.
“They
know the sacrifice Mr. Hunter made and it meant something to them,” Bankston
said, as per Shared.com.
On
the day of the funeral, the six teens arrived in their football uniform to
carry Hunter home.
They
performed their duties during a sombre ceremony and gave Hunter the send-off
that he deserved.
U.S.
Rep. Ralph Abraham praised the young men for their actions, saying: “They
didn’t know this man, but they knew that every veteran deserves to die with
dignity and be honored for the sacrifices he made in defense of this nation,”
Abraham said. “I think the actions of these young men speak volumes about
what’s truly important — country, community, family, God.”
What a
heartwarming story. No veteran should ever be forgotten for the sacrifices they
made. In a way, being carried out by a new generation is fitting, and certainly
well deserved.
Share this
story to pay tribute to vets everywhere, and to honour these young men!
Source : goodinsideus.com