Cemetery Workers Discover Veteran Buried In a Cardboard Box

One World War II veteran died in 2004 with no next of kin. Cemetery workers performing maintenance recently discovered his remains buried in a cardboard box. The veteran has been identified as Lawrence Davis, Jr.

Since he had no family, the Highland County Sheriff’s office and medical examiner’s office were in charge of deciding what to do with his body. The medical examiner gave his skeletal remains to the funeral home, and that home placed him in a 1 foot by 1 foot cardboard box. A funeral home operator in Florida has offered a free casket for the veteran in response to the news.

Some members of Congress are outraged to find out that some veterans have been buried like this. As a result, some Florida senators are now backing “The Dignified Burial Veterans Act of 2012, which would require the VA to examine its burial standards.

See Craig Johnson, Vet Buried in Cardboard Box to Get Proper Coffin, HLN, June 12, 2012.